Meet Dr. Lindsey Sterling | Clinical Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Lindsey Sterling and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Lindsey, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is a moving target, especially for parents. When I was in graduate school, I had the luxury of focusing exclusively on my education and training, and I took full advantage of that. I took on every opportunity to build my experience and my CV, because I could. I traveled to international conferences, published papers and book chapters, sought specialized training, and cultivated really amazing relationships with colleagues.

Once I completed my predoctoral internship and got married during my postdoctoral fellowship, I welcomed more ‘life’ balance. Since I had focused so much of my time on my training, I felt really content about shifting some of that balance to my marriage. As a new professor, I welcomed our first son and was thrilled to focus my attention on him while furthering my academic career on my own terms. I learned that no one tells you to take more time with your family, with your kids, so I had to determine what my own limits and priorities were. I learned to say “no” to certain projects. Multitasking took on a whole new meaning, and I became more efficient in my work when the sleep deprivation and other physical tolls of motherhood became relevant. But this was a conscious choice on my end. As a child clinical psychologist, I value early bonding with our children and love being a mom.

Over the years, as a mom of two, this balance is always shifting. Being in private practice and being the director of my own clinic has also been a luxury, as I can shift my schedule as my kids’ schedules and needs shift over the years. With kids now in school full time, I have more freedom to work during the day, but still have to exercise boundaries to make sure my family is a priority. And, although there is a tradeoff with flexibility at work, I think that being a mom has made me a better clinician. I can empathize with parents and I understand what it is to passionately advocate for our children. I can relate to my clients as a parent who wants the best for their children, whether it’s clarity and answers about a diagnosis or finding the right intervention. I think parents also appreciate my candor and my willingness to connect with them as a parent, not just as their provider.

In building my group practice, I have also conveyed this sentiment to the clinicians on the team. No one wants a burnt out psychologist or psychiatrist treating their children! It’s important that we model healthy balance and take time for ourselves and our families so that we can show up fully recharged for our patients.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Sterling Institute for Autism was developed to meet the needs of the community. After leaving academia to start my own private practice, I was turning away referrals because my practice was full. I wanted to take everyone, and didn’t know where to refer clients when I did not have the availability to take them on myself. It was especially challenging to find good referral options when the cases were more complex (e.g., teens on the spectrum who were also suffering from depression or anxiety, young adults seeking a diagnosis for the first time.) So, I started bringing on some amazing clinicians to meet the needs. I was inspired by the idea of having a “one stop shop” for families, so that they didn’t have to search around and make a piecemeal assessment and treatment plan for their child; I have identified the experts and assembled the team for them. And at the same time, I was really excited to build a team who I could collaborate with. I love working with colleagues and talking through assessment data or working through a challenging clinical question together.

That said, I had no idea how to start or run a business! In graduate school, we are trained as researchers and clinicians– to be professors in academia and to do clinical work. But the idea of being a business owner never really crossed my mind until I started the group. It has been freeing to design the group practice in a way that I truly believe serves families, but I have had to consult a lot about the business aspect and it’s been a learning curve as I navigate being a business owner.

Along the way, I’ve had to learn to trust my gut. I only hire providers who I would wholeheartedly trust with my own children. I also think many of us who go through rigorous graduate programs tend to have an ‘imposter syndrome’ after working with so many talented mentors. Now being in the position of a founder and director of a group practice, I am still learning to be confident in my decisions. I think this also keeps us humble though… when we know what real expertise and high quality work look like, we are always aspiring to that level and continuing to learn along the way.

As far as our “brand”, we pride ourselves on the quality and thoroughness of our work. We are not a “one size fits all.” We collaborate with families and clients to make sure we clearly understand their goals and work with them together to get there. This is the beauty of private practice– it feels like concierge service since we can individualize our approaches for each person. Each new client has their own unique history and story, and we love taking the time to know them. In turn, they feel validated and understood, sometimes for the first time, which is so empowering. This gives them a framework and language to use to explain and understand their neurodiversity, both in terms of their strengths and their challenges. When people tell us they were referred to us because we are thorough, detailed, and really connected with our clients, we know we are doing something right.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
L.A. is so huge, it’s hard to know where to begin. There are a few places that are really special, like Griffith Observatory and the surrounding neighborhoods, the original farmers market at the Grove, and of course the UCLA campus and Westwood. Diddy Riese is still a long-time favorite from my days at UCLA!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been so fortunate to have a multitude of mentors along the way. One of the fist and most influential in my life and career was my great uncle, Dr. Arnold Miller, who was also a clinical psychologist and also specialized in autism. When I was an undergraduate at UCLA, I spent two Summers volunteering at his clinic outside of Boston, immersed in his work. There, I formed my first bonds with autistic children and their families, which propelled me toward pursuing a doctorate in the field so that I could make a bigger impact.

I also have to credit my graduate school mentor, Dr. Geraldine Dawson, who really paved the way for a lot of women in academia and especially in the autism field. Under her mentorship at the University of Washington, I was afforded so many opportunities, including coordinating major research studies, authoring peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and speaking at international conferences. After graduate school I came back to UCLA for my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship and was fortunate to work with top contributors in the autism field who were amazing role models for me.

There is no question that the incredible autistic individuals– those who dedicated their time to our research studies, and those who I have had the privilege of supporting clinically over the years– have continued to inspire me. I continue to learn from them every day, which makes my job so interesting and exciting. I truly love the neurodiverse population and it’s what motivates me to keep working hard everyday so that I can support them in the best way possible.

Website: https://www.sterlingautism.com

Instagram: @sterlingautism

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseysterlingphd/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SterlingAutism

Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesterlinginstituteforautism/

Image Credits
Bradford Rogne Photography