ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group, 8930 SE Bridge Road, Hobe Sound, FL (2026)

10/11/2026

🧠 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY | Awareness Is Not Enough. Understanding Matters.

We spend considerable time encouraging people to seek mental health treatment. But perhaps we need to ask an equally important question:

💡Are we ensuring that people receive the right treatment for the right clinical presentation?

Depression, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, attention difficulties, and behavioral changes can arise from vastly different underlying conditions.

Recognizing symptoms is important.
🔑 Understanding why those symptoms exist is essential to appropriate treatment planning.

An intervention can be evidence-based and still not be the most appropriate intervention for the individual receiving it.

🔹 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Trauma-focused interventions such as EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE) have strong empirical support.

🔹 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) incorporating Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an established treatment approach.

🔹 Significant emotional dysregulation, recurrent self-harm, & some personality disorders: Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may be particularly appropriate for certain clinical presentations.

🔹 Depression, anxiety, and psychological inflexibility: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may offer meaningful benefits when matched to individual needs and goals.

These interventions are not interchangeable simply because they all fall under the umbrella of psychotherapy.

And while CBT has an extensive research foundation, it is not a universal protocol to be applied indiscriminately to every presentation.

Evidence-based practice is not simply about choosing an evidence-based treatment. It is about understanding which intervention is appropriate, for whom, under what circumstances, and why.

That requires thoughtful assessment, differential diagnosis, identification of contributing and maintaining factors, collaborative treatment planning, and ongoing measurement of progress.

Not everyone requires extensive psychological testing before beginning treatment. However, everyone deserves care informed by a meaningful understanding of their clinical presentation.

💭 On World Mental Health Day, let's move beyond recognizing symptoms and encouraging treatment.

The goal should not simply be getting someone into therapy. The goal should be getting them into the RIGHT therapy, guided by sound clinical reasoning and an individualized understanding of their needs.

Awareness matters. But awareness without understanding leaves a gap between identifying a problem and effectively treating it.

Let's advocate for more than mental health awareness. Let's advocate for diagnostic clarity, clinical precision, and meaningful treatment outcomes.

10/08/2026

🧠 Yesterday was Neuropsychology Awareness Day and perhaps there has never been a more exciting time to explain why this field matters.

We are entering an extraordinary era of brain science.

We can measure proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease in blood. We can visualize amyloid and tau with PET. We can detect increasingly subtle brain changes through neuroimaging.

And yet, some of the most compelling research of 2026 is reinforcing something fundamental:

🔦 Finding pathology is not the same thing as understanding the person.

Recent research involving cognitively unimpaired older adults found that amyloid positivity alone did not reliably identify who would experience near-term cognitive decline. A cognitive phenotype identified a subgroup with approximately 2.9× greater risk of decline. When combined with elevated plasma p-tau217, risk increased to approximately 4.5×.

Other recent work has shown that Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers relate differently to memory, executive functioning, and global cognition; reminding us that cognition is not one construct or one screening score.

Neuropsychology is not simply “cognitive testing.” It is the science of understanding the relationship between brain and behavior.

A scan can show us structure.
A blood test can identify a biomarker.
A neurological examination can identify signs of disease.

🔑 But a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation helps us understand how that brain is functioning in the person sitting in front of us; across memory, attention, processing speed, executive functioning, language, visuospatial abilities, motor functioning, emotional functioning, behavior, and everyday life.

Often, the most meaningful information is not one low score.

It is the pattern.

The discrepancy between abilities.
The change from expected baseline.
The interaction between cognition, neurological disease, psychiatric symptoms, medical history, sleep, substance exposure, and daily functioning.

The future of brain health should not be biomarkers versus cognition, imaging versus neuropsychology, or neurology versus psychology.

The future is integration.

Biology tells us part of the story.
Cognition tells us another.
Behavior tells us another.
History and functioning provide context.

Together, those pieces move us closer to what patients actually need: earlier identification, more accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment, and meaningful recommendations for real life.

Because ultimately:

A person is not a PET scan.
A brain is not a laboratory value.
And cognition cannot be reduced to a single screening score.

On Neuropsychology Awareness Day, I am proud to be part of a field at the intersection of brain, behavior, medicine, and human functioning.

💬The next decade of neuroscience may make that intersection more important than ever.

🧠

09/24/2026

Today, ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group had the pleasure of hosting Tyler McLain from Harmony Hills Behavioral Health for a thoughtful conversation about collaboration and how we may be able to support one another in the behavioral health and recovery space.

We discussed the value of gaining greater insight into cognitive and psychological functioning earlier in the treatment process, particularly when there may be factors that can impact engagement, progress, or sustained recovery.

I always appreciate opportunities to connect with professionals and organizations that are equally committed to thoughtful, individualized care and better long-term outcomes.

Grateful for the conversation and looking forward to seeing where this relationship may lead. 🧠🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

09/22/2026

🧠 World Alzheimer’s Day | September 21

Memory changes deserve more than reassurance.

And they deserve more than fear.

They deserve answers. 💡

One of the most important messages we can share today is this:

Not every memory lapse is Alzheimer’s disease. But meaningful cognitive change should not automatically be dismissed as “just getting older,” either.

There is an important space between “Don’t worry about it” and “This must be dementia.”

That space is where careful assessment matters.

A comprehensive neurocognitive evaluation can help us look beyond a single memory score to understand patterns across memory, attention, processing speed, language, executive functioning, visuospatial abilities, and other areas of brain function. It can also help clarify whether changes may be related to a neurodegenerative process or whether other medical, psychiatric, sleep-related, medication-related, or neurological factors should be considered.

🧩 And today, earlier answers matter more than ever.

Earlier identification may mean earlier access to appropriate treatment, greater opportunity to address potentially modifiable contributors, better planning, more meaningful conversations with family, and more time for patients to remain active participants in decisions about their own lives.

The 2026 World Alzheimer’s Month message says it beautifully:

🗝 “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do.”

At ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group and CogniCare Neuropsychology Specialists, we believe cognitive concerns deserve thoughtful evaluation, not assumptions, brief interviews or screeners.

Because sometimes an evaluation provides a diagnosis.

Sometimes it provides reassurance.

And sometimes it identifies something entirely different that can be addressed.

But in every case, knowledge gives us somewhere to go next.

09/11/2026

🇺🇸 11,000 steps. 110 stories.
One promise: Never Forget.

Twenty-five years ago today, thousands of people were trying to get out of the Twin Towers while firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders were running in.

The Twin Towers stood 110 stories high.

Today, in honor of those who climbed, those who served, those we lost, and those who continue to carry the physical and psychological consequences of September 11, ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group and CogniCare Neuropsychology Specialists invite you to move with purpose.

🇺🇸 Walk 11,000 steps.
🇺🇸 Climb 110 stories.
🇺🇸 Or complete the equivalent on a stair-climber.

The 11,000-step goal is symbolic. Nothing we do today could replicate the weight carried by those first responders or the magnitude of what happened that morning.

But we can choose to remember through action.

As professionals dedicated to brain and psychological health, we also know that movement matters. Physical activity supports the brain, helps regulate stress and anxiety, improves mood and sleep, and supports cognitive health.

And perhaps today, movement can mean something more.

Every step can be a moment of gratitude.

Every flight can be a reminder of courage.

Every breath can remind us that there were men and women that morning who kept climbing when every instinct must have told them to turn around.

So today, move for those who climbed.

Move for the first responders who ran toward danger.

Move for the families who never saw their loved ones come home.

Move for the survivors and responders who continue to live with the health consequences of that day.

And move in gratitude for a country that, in one of its darkest moments, showed the world extraordinary courage, service, sacrifice, and unity.

11,000 steps.
110 stories.
25 years later, we still remember. 🇺🇸

Never Forget.

09/10/2026

⛳️🏌️‍♀️ Community, connection, and maybe a little work on my golf swing… 😂

Tonight, we had the opportunity to attend a special Business After Hours event at Sailfish Sands Golf Course, co-hosted by the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce and the Palm City Chamber of Commerce.

It was a wonderful evening of connecting with fellow business and community leaders, strengthening relationships, and welcoming Blue Wave Concierge to the Hobe Sound community. We are especially excited about the opportunity to collaborate and co-host a couple of upcoming events together!

At ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group and CogniCare Neuropsychology Specialists, we believe that being part of a community means more than simply doing business within it. It means showing up, building genuine relationships, supporting other local organizations, and finding meaningful ways to contribute.

We are incredibly proud to be President’s Council Members of the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce and grateful for the relationships, partnerships, and friendships that continue to grow through our involvement.

And because networking doesn’t always have to be serious… we also practiced our golf swings, shared plenty of laughs, and I managed to take one very enthusiastic swing and completely miss the ball. 🤣🏌️‍♀️

⛳️ Apparently, neuropsychology skills do not automatically transfer to the driving range.

A great night with a great community. 💛

09/04/2026

There is tremendous value in simply knowing the people and organizations doing meaningful work within our healthcare community. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming leadership from Futures Recovery Healthcare, including members of the Orenda program leadership team, to our ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group office in Hobe Sound.

It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, exchange perspectives, and learn more about the work being done across our respective areas of healthcare.

Research on interorganizational collaboration in healthcare has consistently identified factors such as trust, communication, mutual understanding, and respect as important foundations for strong professional relationships. Those relationships matter — particularly in healthcare, where no discipline, provider, or organization operates entirely in isolation.

Sometimes professional growth begins with something very simple: making time to sit around the same table, listen, learn, and better understand the people doing good work around you.

Thank you to the Futures Recovery Healthcare team for taking the time to visit us. It was truly a pleasure hosting you at ALMA. 💭

07/05/2026

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we are reminded that freedom is one of life's greatest gifts.

Today, we honor the brave men and women who, throughout our nation's history, have defended the freedoms we enjoy through extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and service.

As Veteran-owned businesses, we are deeply grateful for our active-duty military, veterans, and first responders.

As faith-based businesses, we also recognize a freedom that extends beyond any nation or government. We believe our greatest freedom was secured at the cross—a freedom from sin, found through God's grace, and grounded in the eternal hope of Christ.

On this historic 250th Independence Day, we celebrate both the blessings of living in a free nation and the eternal hope found through Jesus Christ.

May this Independence Day be filled with gratitude, reflection, and joy as we honor those who have sacrificed for our country and remember the enduring hope that anchors our faith.

Happy 250th Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." — John 8:36

05/22/2026

Today, our hearts are with the entire South Fork High School community following the tragic loss of a graduating senior.

What was meant to be a day of celebration, milestones, and new beginnings has instead become a day marked by unimaginable grief.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, classmates, teachers, and all those impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy.

For many students, this loss may create a complex mix of emotions as they navigate both graduation and grief simultaneously. It is normal to experience sadness, shock, confusion, numbness, anger, anxiety, guilt, or even moments of happiness while celebrating important milestones with friends and loved ones. There is no “right” way to grieve.

Research continues to show that traumatic loss — especially among adolescents and peers — can have emotional and psychological effects that extend beyond the immediate event. Seeking support early can help individuals process grief in a healthy way and reduce the risk of prolonged emotional distress over time.

Most importantly, we want students, families, and the community to know they are not alone. Please continue to check on one another, give yourselves grace, and reach out for support if needed during this incredibly difficult time.

ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group is holding the South Fork community in our thoughts and prayers. If emotional support or grief counseling resources are needed, our team is here to help in any way we can.

With heartfelt sympathy and prayers,
ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group

03/09/2026

📌 March 8th - Today is International Women’s Day, and I’m reflecting on a simple truth from neuroscience: The brain is designed to adapt, reorganize, and create new pathways.

Progress rarely happens by waiting for permission.

It happens when people decide to build something new.

For many women—past and present—a seat at the table wasn’t always offered.
So they built their own.

New ideas.
New opportunities.
New paths for the next generation.

🧠 In many ways, that mirrors the principle of neuroplasticity—the brain’s remarkable ability to form new connections and grow through challenge.

When women lead, mentor, innovate, and support one another, we are not only expanding opportunity—we are helping reshape the future.

Today I’m grateful for the women who continue to create space where it didn’t previously exist—and who make sure there are more chairs at the table for those coming next.

The brain creates new pathways.
So do courageous leaders.

💞 Happy International Women’s Day.

ALMA Neurocognitive Specialty Group

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