Dr. Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.
Psychologist | Clinical
Telehealth Westport CT, 06880Practice Philosophy
Integrative Medicine
About
I've worked as a licensed psychologist since 1985. I've focused on children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum and with NLVD as a neurodiversity-affirming therapist, diagnostician, national speaker and writer. After years of working with autistic and other neurodivergent individuals, I’ve developed a specialty in diagnosing undiagnosed adults, especially women who have been overlooked and misunderstood.
Education and Training
Yale University Magna Cum Laude 0
City University of New York clinical psychology 1982
Provider Details
Areas of expertise and specialization
Faculty Titles & Positions
- adjunct Medical Staff in Psychiatry Norwalk Hospital -
Professional Memberships
- American Psychological Association
- Autism Today and NeuroClastic.com
- National Register of Health Service Psychologists
- PsyPact
Fellowships
- New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center psychiatry/psychology 1979
Professional Society Memberships
- National Register of Health Service Psychologists, PsyPact (consortium of 32 states allowing cross-jurisdictional practice)
Professional Affiliations
- Member, CT ASD Advisory Council, Medical Staff in Psychiatry, Norwalk Hospital, AANE.org, NeuroClastic.com
Articles and Publications
- Eckerd, M. Detection and Diagnosis of ASD in Females. J Health Serv Psychol 46, Eckerd, M. Diagnosis of Autism (Level 1) in Adults Psychology Today J Health Service Psychology, PsychologyToday.com Everyday Neurodiversity https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyday-neurodiversity/ Her Psychology Today blog Are We Giving Autistic Children PTSD from School?, had over 258,000 reads. She has also written for Autism Parenting Magazine, Exceptional Needs Today, Autism Spectrum News, and for many websites, including A Thinking Persons Guide to Autism and NeuroClastic.
What do you attribute your success to?
- A genuine effort of understand clients as whole people rather than labels, my advocacy for autistic children and adults, and my ability to communicate an authentic grasp of neurodivergence to clients, professionals and the public.
Areas of research
- Autism in Adults, Autistic Children
Teaching and speaking
- US Autism Association World Autism Conference, 2023, Autism Today! World Conference 2023, International autism summit co-sponsored by UNESCO in 2019. Learning and the Brain conference co-sponsored by the Departments of Education at Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins University, and Tufts University 2020, 2021, Autism Association Network (AANE) many local and statewide conferences.
Favorite Place to Vacation
- Maine, Ashville, NC
Hobbies / Sports
- kayaking, theater, opera, art
Areas of research
Autism in women, autism in adults, autism and children
Dr. Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.'s Practice location
Dr. Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.'s reviews
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Get to know Psychologist Dr. Marcia Eckerd, who serves patients via telepsychology throughout Connecticut.
Dr. Eckerd is a seasoned professional in the field of Clinical Psychology, holding a Ph.D. and specializing in working with neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder and with nonverbal learning disabilities. She offers therapy, diagnostic evaluations and consultations. Having written professional journal articles on diagnosing adults and on diagnosing adult women, she has expertise in evaluating and working with undiagnosed adults, with a special emphasis on women who are generally overlooked and misunderstood.
In her role as a therapist, Dr. Eckerd works with adults ages 18 and older who exhibit autistic traits, addressing issues related to social interactions, depression, anxiety, and flexibility. Her therapeutic approach is neurodiversity-affirming and tailored to each client, incorporating cognitive therapy, strategic coaching, and emotional regulation techniques. She emphasizes the whole person, including their strengths as well as their challenges.
As a diagnostician, Dr. Eckerd recognizes the overlapping nature of conditions such as ADHD, trauma, depression, anxiety, gender nonconformity, and eating disorders with autism. Her work underscores the transformative impact of self-understanding for neurodivergent individuals.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Eckerd offers her wealth of knowledge and insights to consulting with neurodivergent adults, professionals, families, schools, employers, and organizations. Her focus on understanding issues related to neurodiversity positions her as a valuable resource for navigating the complexities of this field.
As a recognized leader in her field, Dr. Eckerd extends her expertise to speaking engagements and writing. Recently, she has presented at the US Autism Association World Autism Conference (2023), the Autism Today World Summit (2023), the Autism Parenting Magazine Summit (2021 and 2023), and the Learning And the Brain Conference co-sponsored by The Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins and Tufts Schools of Education (2020, 2021), as well as for the Autism Advocacy Network (AANE.org, 2022) the US ANJ Autism Center of Excellence (2021) and other parenting organizations, webinars and podcasts. In addition to writing for professional journals, she has a PsychologyToday.com blog, “Everyday Neurodiversity,” and writes for multiple online magazines, newsletters, and websites.
Dr. Eckerd has a strong social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook (Everyday Neurodiversity) Instagram (Marcia Eckerd), X ((@docmarcia )and her YouTube channel “Everything Neurodiversity,” shared with Robert J. Bernstein, the co-author of her upcoming book.
Dr. Eckerd is a professional board member of Autism Today and NeuroClastic.com, and an active member of professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, the National Register of Health Service Psychologists and PsyPact, a consortium allowing cross-jurisdictional practice in 32 states. She’s on the adjunct Medical Staff in Psychiatry at Norwalk Hospital.
Dr. Eckerd graduated Yale University in the first class of women, magna cum laude and with honors. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the City University of New York in 1982. She completed an internship and fellowship at NY Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (now NY Presbyterian Hospital).
On a more personal note, Dr. Eckerd enjoys her favorite vacation spots in Maine and Asheville, N.C. Her hobbies include kayaking, hiking, art, photography and attending theater and opera.
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