NEST was co-founded by Dr. Allyson Hentel-Koplin and Dr. Annette Zygmunt
We met while enrolled in the School Neuropsychology Post-Graduate Certification Program (SNP) of the American Board of School Neuropsychology. After completing training, we founded NEST with the goal of providing comprehensive neuropsychological assessments that are knowledgeable, relevant and strength-based. Our core ideology is that assessment recommendations should be specific to a child's learning needs while also building on his or her strengths. We also strongly believe that results should be communicated in a clear and concise manner and that interventions should be practical and make sense in a child's life. Our professional experience in schools and hospital clinics, as well as our specialty training at SNP, set NEST apart.
Dr. Allyson Hentel-Koplin is a New York State-licensed clinical psychologist. She received her BA from Colgate University and earned her MA and Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. She completed her clinical psychology internship at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine, Child/Adult Track. Dr. Hentel-Koplin currently holds a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology from the American Board of School Neuropsychology.
Over the course of her professional career, Dr. Hentel-Koplin has developed specialty interests in working with children, adolescents, and their families with a focus on developmental, learning, and social-emotional issues. She trained in and draws upon various treatment modalities including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, play therapy, and mindfulness to treat her patients in an efficient and effective manner.
Dr. Hentel-Koplin has been in private practice in New York City for the past 20 years working with children, adolescents, and adults. Her practice includes psychotherapy, psychoeducational evaluations, comprehensive neuropsychological testing as well as parent guidance, and school consultation. She also runs social skills groups.
Dr. Hentel-Koplin worked for the Educational Review Bureau conducting early childhood admission assessments of young children ranging in age from three to ten in preschool classroom and office settings. Her role included consulting with preschool directors and preparing reports to be used for the admissions process of independent schools in the greater New York City area. School Placements include: The 92nd Street Y Nursery School, West Side Montessori School, and The Episcopal School.
For 10 years, Dr. Hentel-Koplin served as one of the school psychologists on staff at the Horace Mann School of New York City. Her role at Horace Mann included providing a range of psychological assessments, interventions, prevention, health promotion, program development, and evaluation services with a special focus on the developmental processes of children and youth within the context of schools, families, and the community.
Dr. Hentel-Koplin resides in New York City and is the mother of three daughters. As a parent raising children in NYC, she is aware of the unique challenges of raising families and growing up in NYC. She incorporates her own experiences into understanding and helping families.
Dr. Annette Zygmunt is a New York State-licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center. She also holds a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology from the American Board of School Neuropsychology.
Dr. Zygmunt earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Zygmunt enrolled in the Columbia University Parent-Infant Psychotherapy Program (PIP) where she received extensive training in early childhood development and assessment as well as parent-infant psychotherapy. For the last fifteen years, Dr. Zygmunt has continued to hone her expertise in early childhood (ages 0 to 5) clinical work. Since 2008 she has served as the head psychologist at the Columbia University Medical Center’s Neonatal Follow-Up program where she has provided assessments and parent-infant treatment to children born extremely premature and with a variety of genetic and medical complications. She also has over a decade of experience as an early childhood psychologist for the New York City Early Intervention Program and the Committee for Preschool Special Education.
At Columbia, Dr. Zygmunt has also been involved in research assessing the long-term impact of various medical issues on children’s cognitive and academic functioning. In this capacity, she has conducted comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations of school aged children and adolescents with a variety of learning, language, attention/executive function, and developmental disabilities. Her evaluations include assessment of social-emotional functioning and co-occurring psychiatric concerns. Dr. Zygmunt’s work includes the provision of recommendations for families and educators in implementing academic, social, and behavioral interventions for the children who have been evaluated.
Dr. Zygmunt has developed a sub-specialty of working with adopted children and has also completed a postdoctoral training in Adoption Therapy at Hunter College.
Dr. Zygmunt lives and works in New York City with her husband, two daughters and a parti poodle!