Jim Zettel, Ph. Clinical Psychologist and Chief of Clinical Services

Dr. Jim Zettel received his doctorate in psychology from Texas Tech University and he completed his internship training at the Houston VA. Dr. Zettel’s interest in ADHD started in graduate school where he spent time counseling children and adolescents in multiple rural schools who had ADHD or anxiety/depression problems or other school adjustment problems. Later, he was involved with the development of adaptive behavior classrooms for children and adolescents having more significant behavioral problems in the school environment. His private practice included work within a pediatrician’s practice in which he integrated psychology into the daily pediatric work. Especially helpful for the patients from this population was experiencing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, a specialized behavioral therapy for parents and children, in which Dr. Zettel was trained while in graduate school at Texas Tech. Dr. Zettel also wrote and implemented treatment protocols for adolescent substance abusers.

Currently, Dr. Zettel focuses his treatment on the following: parent/child interaction therapy, family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior modification techniques, working with school personnel to develop and implement individualized and workable accommodations, and sobriety and relapse prevention plans for those with ADHD.

Dr. Sheri Gaines, MD - Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Sheri Gaines received her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. She then went to the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where she received her Medical Degree. Following that, she completed residency in psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at UT Houston where she served as Chief Resident. She is Board Certified in adult, adolescent, and child psychiatry.

Dr. Gaines has presented locally and nationally on a variety of topics including ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Psychopharmacology, and Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators. She has over ten years experience as a forensic expert witness. She currently serves on the Speaker's Bureau for Forrest Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Gaines has worked in a variety of clinical settings including private practice, public health, correctional care, hospitals, and residential treatment centers. She has over ten years experience with diagnosing and treating seniors, adults, adolescents, and children with a variety of diagnoses specializing in working with people previously unresponsive to treatment by emphasizing education about symptoms, medication, and other treatment modalities. She has had the opportunity to work in many settings that utilize a multidisciplinary treatment approach.

Dr. Shannon Ackal, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Shannon Ackal is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, with specialized training in neuropsychology. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Tulane University. She attended graduate school at the University of Virginia, where she earned her Masters of Education Degree in Clinical and School Psychology and her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Ackal completed her internship training at Baylor College of Medicine, where she specialized in pediatric neuropsychology. She also completed a two-year APPCN accredited fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology through Baylor College of Medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Ackal has worked in a variety of clinical setting including hospitals, outpatient medical clinics, counseling centers, learning centers, and schools. Over the past several years, she has focused her training on neuropsychology and has experience conducting neuropsychological assessments on both children and adults, presenting with a broad spectrum of neurological, psychiatric, and medical conditions. She has extensive experience working in multidisciplinary environments that provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to individuals presenting with a variety of medical and psychological conditions, including ADHD, learning disabilities, and developmental disorders. In addition to providing reliable and valid assessment, Dr. Ackal routinely consults with schools, doctors, parents, and other professionals in order to provide a continuum of care. Before specializing in neuropsychology, she provided individual and group psychotherapy to children and adults presenting with various forms of psychopathology. She has mentored and supervised numerous undergraduate and graduate students conducting comprehensive evaluations. She also has extensive research experience in the areas of perinatal HIV infection, early childhood development and education, and risk and resiliency among children faced with chronic stressors.

Dr. Susan Pollard, Ph.D. - Staff Psychologist

Susan Pollard, Ph.D. received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Florida and her doctoral degree from Marquette University. She completed an internship at the Devereux Foundation working with head injured individuals in residential treatment. She is a member of the National Register of Health Service Providers.

Dr. Pollard’s clinical experience includes work with children and families with attention deficit disorder. She worked with Dr. Russell Barkley, a well known expert in the field of attention deficit disorder, for several years assisting with ongoing research on ADD, providing evaluations and teaching parent management skills to families. She has also provided neuropsychological evaluations for individuals with head injury as well as psychological evaluations for children, adolescents and adults on both an outpatient and inpatient basis. Dr. Pollard has lead a number of psychotherapy groups for adults and adolescents and has experience providing psychotherapy to a wide variety of clients ranging from school age children to the elderly.