Staff
ISABELLA POLITANO, PSYD - clinical psychologist
Isabella Politano, Psy.D. is a NYS licensed clinical psychologist with a focus on children and adolescents. Before joining Envisage Neuropsychology PC, she was employed at the Lang School where she worked with twice exceptional (2e) students in 1st-12th grades and provided weekly individual counseling, as well as weekly psychoeducational group counseling to seven cohorts based on either the Zones of Regulation curriculum (elementary grades) or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills in Schools (DBT STEPS-A; middle- and high school). Prior to this, she completed her doctoral internship at Maimonides Medical Center where she worked with the lifespan providing both individual and group therapy and psychological evaluations within various hospital settings.
Isabella completed her third-year externship with Dr. Auciello at Envisage, which prompted her penchant for assessments, and has since gained extensive experience conducting psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations for individuals with various learning disabilities and psychological disorders. She also has experience working with children, adolescents and adults of multicultural backgrounds and utilizes an integrated approach to treatment, including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, attachment, family systems and play therapy.
Isabella earned her Doctorate in School-Clinical Child Psychology from Yeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in 2020. She is bilingual and is fluent in Spanish. In her free time, Isabella enjoys spending time with her puppy, traveling the world with her husband, and taste-testing new recipes—especially for baked goods!
alicia Ramirez, PhD - Post-doctoral fellow
Dr. Alicia Ramirez is a post-doctoral fellow at Envisage Neuropsychology PC. She is committed to offering warm, compassionate and culturally sensitive assessment services to children, adolescents, and adults from all backgrounds. Fluent in Spanish, Alicia is passionate about serving diverse communities and has conducted therapy, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological assessments in Spanish throughout her graduate career and at Envisage.
Dr. Ramirez earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University-Brooklyn, where she also earned her Master of Arts in clinical psychology. She completed her internship at the New York City Children’s Center (NYCCC) Queens campus, where she provided short-term individual, group, and family therapies, as
well as psychological assessments, for young adolescents in various hospital settings. Alicia began her journey at Envisage in the fall of 2018 as an extern, and she has since continued to work under the supervision of Dr. Auciello throughout her graduate career. She has gained extensive experience conducting neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults with a range of learning disabilities, developmental challenges, and psychological disorders.
Her clinical experience is diverse, encompassing roles in clinical and school-based settings such as co-facilitating groups for at-risk students at the High School of Fashion Industries, providing psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychological assessments for young adults at L.I.U.-Brooklyn's Psychological Services Center, conducting short-term individual and family therapy with young adolescent patients at NYCCC-Bronx, and providing individual, family, and group psychotherapy with clients across the lifespan at the Metropolitan Center for Mental Health. In all her work, Dr. Ramirez aims to create an affirming space where clients feel understood, supported, and respected. She is passionate about helping individuals and families gain clarity, confidence, and actionable insight through comprehensive assessment.
JANICE PUDER, phd - post-doctoral fellow
Dr. Janice Puder is a post-doctoral fellow at Envisage Neuropsychology, where she focuses on making testing a comfortable and even fun experience for clients from preschool through adulthood. She also provides counseling using a strengths-based, individualized approach that helps clients feel supported and understood. She has been with Envisage since 2022 and takes a collaborative approach that helps clients feel at ease and confident throughout the process.
Dr. Puder earned her PhD in School Psychology from Fordham University, where she also received a Master’s degree in Therapeutic Interventions. She completed her undergraduate studies at Villanova University, earning a B.A. in Psychology and Education. In addition to her clinical work, she serves as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, teaching courses such as Intellectual Assessment and Advanced Personality Psychology. Her diverse training includes work across public and charter schools, the New York City Department of Education, preschools, special education programs, and an autism consortium. She draws on her background in teaching, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Executive Function (EF) Coaching, Play-Based Therapy and College Admissions Counseling.
Dr. Puder’s research focuses on the unique presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in females. She developed the Scale for Autism in Females (SAF), the first assessment tool created specifically with the female autism phenotype in mind, which is currently under review for publication. Across her clinical, academic, and research work, she is dedicated to advancing understanding and advocacy for neurodivergent individuals and to fostering a warm, supportive environment where every client can thrive.
MICHELLE RUSSO, psy.m, MA - post-doctoral fellow
Michelle is a first-year post-doctoral fellow, having been with Envisage since 2022. Regarding education, Michelle is finishing her doctoral studies in the School Psychology PsyD Program at Rutgers University, preparing to defend her dissertation on introducing an interview for assessing Self-regulated Learning (SRL) behaviors in middle-school populations. She previously received her MA in Clinical Psychology from Montclair University in 2019 and her PsyM in School Psychology from Rutgers University in 2023. Michelle has extensive experience and passion for working with school-aged children and adolescents beyond her graduate education experiences, having previously served as a paraprofessional,
substitute teacher, and marching band instructor in the Township of Union Public Schools District in Union, New Jersey. It was her experiences working in public schools that motivated her to pursue a career in working with children and adolescents. She has always placed self-regulation and connection in the forefront of her work across settings, aiming to provide a safe and comfortable space for clients to learn, grow, and unapologetically be themselves.
Through her graduate studies, Michelle frequently provided individual, group, and family therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and their families in clinics and school-based settings. She also has several years of experience conducting psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations with children, adolescents, and young adults. In 2024, she completed her doctoral internship at The Quad Preparatory School, where she worked with twice exceptional middle-school students and regularly consulted with parents, teachers, and outside providers to develop and implement school supports. Over the last several years, Michelle has been engaged in research on how SRL assessments can be used to develop tailored interventions for academically struggling students.
Outside of her studies, Michelle enjoys reading, writing, playing softball, watching baseball (go Yankees!), and traveling. She is a dog mom to a rambunctious corgi who keeps her on her toes. Michelle also has a passionate, lifelong love for weather, the marching arts, and Pokémon.
RUBY Martinez - extern
Ruby is a third year Psy.D doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Program at Felician University. She received their B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Felician University. Ruby has experience providing therapy to the Hispanic community, working with both adults and children presenting with a wide range of diagnoses at New Community Corporation.
Prior to their work at Envisage, Ruby completed an externship in the Head Start Program, providing play therapy to young children struggling with emotional regulation. They are also eager to continue developing their skills in psychological assessments and evaluations to provide comprehensive and tailored support for clients. Currently, Ruby is working on their dissertation, which examines how music-evoked autobiographical memories influence emotional well-being, identity, and cognitive resilience in middle-aged adults.
Xiaoyu (Irene) Zhang - extern
Irene is a second-year PhD candidate in the School Psychology program at Fordham University with a specialization in the Psychology of Bilingual Students. She received her B.F.A. in Fashion Design with a minor in Psychology from SUNY, Fashion Institute of Technology. Prior to her enrollment in the doctoral program, she studied in the school psychology bilingual advanced certificate program at Fordham.
Before working at Envisage, she worked at both graduate and elementary schools, as well as a neuropsychological and educational evaluation center with diverse student populations. Under supervision, she has conducted evaluations and counseling services for students with ADHD, anxiety, depression, specific learning disabilities, and ASD. In school settings, she has provided consultations for families, teachers, and school administrators and created intervention plans for students.
Additionally, she has supervised peers during neuropsychological testing and served as a teaching assistant for the cognitive assessment course. At Envisage, she aims to further foster her skills in neuropsychological evaluations, bring positive and meaningful assessment experiences to children and adolescents, and collaborate with families to better support their children’s development.
At Fordham University, Irene is working on her research apprenticeship project to study the experiences of diverse school psychology graduate students and identify areas of strength and improvement within the programs. Additionally, she is passionate about research related to children's language and executive function skills development.
Avi Kalver - extern
Aditya is a third-year student in the William Paterson University (WPU) Psy.D. Program. Prior to attending WPU, Aditya worked as a clinical supervisor and direct care provider administering relationship development intervention for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). His current interests are clinical in nature and include integrating aspects of various therapies to create more comprehensive treatment for individuals with ASD.