- Pediatric (Health) Psychology—children in a medical setting (non-psychiatric) including the study of treatment compliance, needle phobia, and hospitalization as they relate to various medical conditions, and pediatric chronic illnesses
- Child Neuropsychology—the study of brain functioning as it relates to cognitive development and abilities
- Behavioral and Developmental Psychology
- School Psychology —including behavioral assessment and modification at school, development of successful Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), and school issues
- Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Assessment
Dr. Im-Wang’s broad perspective on child development is based on extensive clinical experience in a variety of settings. On the East Coast, she worked with children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), and Asperger’s Syndrome. In addition to clinical sessions, she presented on and facilitated workshops and classes on parental anxiety, parental style, effective parent-child communication, and dealing with everyday stress and anger management when disciplining young children and teens.
In the Bay Area, Dr. Im-Wang has worked as a clinician at Marin Community Mental Health Service as well as in many capacities at UCSF Medical Center, including the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Specialty Clinic, Pediatric Acute Unit, and most recently the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Department of Child Neurology. She has been a regular presenter at an annual UCSF “Pediatric MS: Patient Day” on psychosocial, emotional, and neuropsychological aspects of pediatric MS.
Dr. Im-Wang holds a positive, empowering vision of the potential of children to overcome difficulties and to discover and express their many strengths. She uses a solution-focused model that helps both children and their parents understand the origin of difficulties. Her focus on near-term coping strategies allows children and their families to gain confidence and build a track record of success, regardless of the nature of their challenge or the length of time required to overcome it. Dr. Im-Wang has seen widespread success when implementing her approach with challenges ranging from learning disabilities to neuropsychological conditions.
Dr. Im-Wang’s training and experience have established her as an authority on the topic of children’s behavior and development, including learning process, cognitive development, and solution-focused approaches. Dr. Im-Wang believes that equipping parents with knowledge—including relevant research findings on parenting and other child-related issues—will empower them. Her dynamic workshops and presentations eloquently merge theory into practice to offer realistic and achievable opportunities for empowerment in parenting through gained knowledge and practice.
Dr. Im-Wang’s publications include professional journals and the proceedings of the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. She is also a member of Society of Pediatric Psychology, Division 54 of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Dr. Im-Wang resides in San Francisco with her husband and their daughter.
Dr. Sunny Im-Wang 