Medical Team
Dr. Schaefer is double board certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Schaefer graduated from medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed both her general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship training at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, where she served as chief resident.
Dr. Schaefer performs diagnostic clinical assessments for a number of psychiatric illnesses, including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, ADHD, and autism. Dr. Schaefer is trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and motivational interviewing.
Dr. Schaefer provides a compassionate, thoughtful and evidence-based approach to treatment in working with children, teenagers, and their families. She works to collaboratively target each patient’s treatment to their particular goals through a combination of medication management and individual and family therapy. Dr. Schaefer’s approach to treatment is to non-judgmentally help her patients to develop hope, discover meaning, and become empowered to recover.
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Clinical Team
Jeff was born on the bayous of Southwest Louisiana. He is a father of two, a daughter, 34, and a son, 26, and grandfather to two little boys, Judah, 5 and Roman, 2. Jeff has worked in this industry for 32 years and has had the privilege to make a difference in hundreds of lives, as a director in 3 different residential facilities, helping many children overcome the trauma and pain in their lives due to abuse and neglect. He aims to create a safe, nurturing environment for the children served by Paradigm.
Jeff believes that client-centered therapy focuses on establishing a warm, safe environment and providing genuine empathy, while building a relationship so that the client feels safe and has a sense of trust. Jeff believes we can reach and help each child overcome any obstacle in their lives by getting to the root of the issues and forming new beginnings with their family. Jeff enjoys coaching select baseball, developing players and creating a team mentality while also spending time with family and enjoying those precious moments with his grandkids.
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Irina is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has been working in the mental health field for nearly 8 years. Irina received her Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Certification in Bilingual Counseling. She also received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Irina’s experiences, and settings in which she formed her clinical mental health expertise, have been broad. Following graduation, Irina worked in various settings with adolescents and their families, including residential treatment, crisis stabilization, and community based counseling. Irina’s specialty is providing a safe and interactive environment where clients can tell their stories, gain insight into how those have impacted them, and create a new reality that is more fulfilling. She uses an integrative and eclectic approach, incorporating a variety of therapeutic principles and philosophies, in order to create the ideal treatment plan to meet her client’s needs and goals.
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Abby is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Rehabilitation Counselor. Abby received her Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. At the University of Mississippi, Abby graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
Abby has compassionately treated adolescents and young adults in a variety of settings including several youth shelters, middle and high schools, partial hospitalization programs, and intensive outpatient programs. Abby has training and experience treating a number of mental health needs such as trauma, anxiety, depression, suicidality, self-harm, self-esteem struggles, and family conflict.
In her work, Abby strives to create a comfortable, trusting environment for youth to explore their therapeutic goals. Abby tailors each treatment plan to meet the individual’s specific needs and incorporates a collaborative approach with the individual, their family, and their treatment team. Abby helps youth build effective coping strategies so that they can leave treatment equipped to take on the world with a more hopeful and understanding outlook on life.
Abby is an Austin area native and is excited to bring her talents back to her hometown. When Abby is not at Paradigm, she enjoys spending time with her dog Hartley, scuba diving in tropical locations, or going to Lake Travis with her family.
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Academics
Austin Administration
Scott graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and minor in communications. Scott has over 18 years of business development experience in the health, wellness, and fitness space. He has successfully grown and sold multiple companies from the ground up. Scott is a certified personal trainer and martial arts enthusiast who also enjoys giving back to others and has been working with adolescents for over 15 years. Scott enjoys always growing both personally and professionally and spending time with his wife and 5-year-old twins.
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A Native Texan, Coach Christina McDonald has been a full time Master Trainer since 2011. She graduated magna cum laude from St. Edward’s University here in Austin and also holds certifications in both sports performance and corrective exercise. Coach Christina’s training style focuses on improved mobility, performance, injury prevention, weight loss, muscle gain as well as building confidence and community. Coach Christina isn’t going to let your teen off easy, but her main focus is always to have fun, make measured progress towards your teen’s personal goals and help them build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. In her free time, she authors fitness realated articles for the benefit of law enforcement in S.W.A.T. Magazine.
“My own childhood was a crash course in the idea that ‘it takes a village’”. I know the difference the right support system can make in a child’s life. From living in a shelter to attending private schools; I have seen the differance a stranger made in my own life. That’s why I’m so excited to be here at Paradigm: To bring lasting meaningful change to the life of your teen, just like I experienced.” -Coach Christina
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