I am honored and delighted to learn about what’s important to each child and their family. I enjoy sharing evidence-based information with approachable language, and collaborating with families to explore ways to move in the direction of their goals. In addition to addressing behavioral and emotional concerns, I focus on helping patients recognize all the important things they are already doing well in. My hope is to make our time together feel valuable (and even fun), and that patients leave each visit with a new strategy or perspective that can support their well-being.
About me
Dr. Richardson has always known she would work with kids in some way, perhaps starting with the sense of meaning that came from babysitting her younger sister and brother. In college at Oklahoma State University, she stumbled into assisting with a research project focused on the prevention of child maltreatment – an experience which set the path in motion for Dr. Richardson to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology from Western Michigan University. Continuing her interest in preventative care, Dr. Richardson was drawn to training opportunities in primary care medical settings, and she hasn’t looked back. She completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Community Health of Central Washington, gaining experience across numerous rural primary care clinics (both Family Medicine and Pediatrics) in underserved communities. She stayed at CHCW as a Psychologist until her recent move to Portland – except for one year in which she paused her clinical work and took time to travel.
Dr. Richardson enjoys helping families navigate common challenges throughout child and adolescent development, such as potty training, picky eating, sleep issues, social skills, creating and maintaining structure/boundaries, family communication and trust, navigating transitions and loss, managing fears and negative thoughts, and identity development – especially among LGBTQ+ youth. Dr. Richardson cares for patients in our Tigard office.
Interests
Dr. Richardson is a dedicated “dabbler” – she loves trying new things and hearing people talk about what excites them, so she has explored lots of hobbies. Growing up, Dr. Richardson enjoyed soccer, dancing, splashing around in whatever water (or mud) was nearby, camping, and family vacations. She can still often be found frolicking in nature with her dog or checking out someplace new.
A true theater kid at heart, Dr. Richardson was in her first musical at age 5, and remains an enthusiastic spectator of all forms of live performances. If you catch her shedding a tear at a concert, don’t worry – she’s just in awe of the artists’ bravery and so many people coming together for the love of music.
Dr. Richardson also loves visual arts and gets a kick out of making silly things. She picked up a crochet hook in early 2025 and now almost always has her hands busy with a crochet project, accompanied by a good audiobook. She likes to get creative with her hair, which she changes often, as well as costumes and decorating her colorful home!
Family
Dr. Richardson grew up in Oklahoma – an Okie from Muskogee – where her relatives still live, so she returns often for family time and comfort food. Locally, Dr. Richardson’s family is her incredibly sweet, adorable 9-year-old mutt named Ango. He is the absolute best sidekick because he loves everyone and everything (except vacuums?), so Ango joins Dr. Richardson on any dog-friendly adventure. She will show you photos if asked.
Dr. Richardson is thrilled to call Portland her first ‘intentional’ home. After years of following academic opportunities from Oklahoma to Michigan to Washington, she is excited to finally choose her own coordinates and explore more of the beautiful Pacific Northwest with Ango by her side.
Explorer
Dr. Richardson loves exploring new places locally and around the world. She can often be found frolicking in nature with her dog.
Cheerleader
She is an enthusiastic spectator of all forms of live performances.
Crafter
Dr. Richardson enjoys visual arts and always has a fun project going, whether it’s crocheting, costumes, or decorating her home!
