Nizete-Ly Valles, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist | TX #36932
Director of Psychological Testing Services
Clinical Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
PSYPACT Authorized | English and Spanish
For children who are struggling and no one has been able to explain why
Some children have anxiety that has outgrown every strategy the family has tried. Some have behaviors that do not respond to anything, rewards, consequences, gentle approaches, or firm ones. Some parents have a feeling something is wrong, but no one has been able to name it yet.
Dr. Nizete-Ly Valles built her career to serve exactly that family. She helps parents understand what is actually going on and what to do next, so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Who is Dr. Nizete-Ly Valles?
Dr. Nizete-Ly Valles is a licensed clinical psychologist and Director of Psychological Testing Services at Thriving Child Center. She specializes in working with children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, autism, trauma, and complex diagnostic questions, providing both therapy and comprehensive psychological evaluation in English and Spanish.
Dr. Valles specializes in helping children with complex or unclear presentations, particularly when previous approaches have not worked or when families are still searching for answers.
She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and has published peer reviewed research on child development, trauma, and mental health.
A clinician who provides both answers and treatment
For families who have been passed between a therapist who can treat but not test and an evaluator who can test but not treat, Dr. Valles offers both. She is known for providing both therapy and comprehensive psychological evaluation, allowing families to get clear answers and begin the right treatment without being passed between multiple providers.
She provides therapy and comprehensive psychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults. Her therapy work focuses on anxiety, OCD and related disorders, selective mutism, trauma, autism spectrum disorder, mood challenges, and disruptive behavior.
Her evaluation work includes autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and diagnostic clarification across the lifespan.
Many of the families Dr. Valles works with have been trying to figure this out for a long time. Part of her role is helping parents feel confident that they finally understand what is happening and what to do next.
This may be a good fit if
Your child’s anxiety or behavior has not improved despite trying multiple approaches
You feel like something is being missed or misunderstood
You have received different answers from different providers
You want clear answers and a treatment plan that actually works
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Dr. Valles is a certified PCIT Within Agency Trainer with specialized training in PCIT for autism, PCIT for anxiety, and PCIT for selective mutism. She is one of a small number of clinicians in the country certified in all three adaptations.
She has graduated more than 50 families through the full PCIT protocol and provides PCIT via telehealth in both English and Spanish across PSYPACT participating states.
Advanced training and specialized expertise
Dr. Valles holds the International OCD Foundation’s ERP certification, a credential used by OCD specialists and referring providers to verify that a clinician is specifically trained to deliver evidence based treatment for OCD.
Certified PCIT Within Agency Trainer
Certified PCIT for Selective Mutism provider
Certified TF-CBT provider
SPACE provider for childhood anxiety
Trained in DBT skills for adolescents and families
Trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ADOS-2 trained for autism evaluations
PSYPACT authorized for interjurisdictional telepsychology
Research and clinical leadership
Dr. Valles has published research on parenting patterns and childhood aggression, trauma in vulnerable populations, and adolescent mental health. Her work has appeared in journals including the Journal of Family Psychology, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, and Aggressive Behavior.
She previously served as Program Director of the Autism Clinic at Harris Health System, where she built the psychological evaluation program from the ground up and provided testing for children and adults across a large public health network.
As Director of Psychological Testing Services at Thriving Child Center, she designs and oversees the assessment batteries used across the practice. Every evaluation is built on evidence based measures and structured to answer the questions that matter most to parents and schools.
A thoughtful, collaborative approach
“I work with children and adolescents who are struggling to understand themselves, their emotions, and their reactions to the world around them. Many of the families I work with feel worried about their child's mood, anxiety, behavior, or past experiences and are looking for thoughtful guidance that helps their child move forward.”
“My approach focuses on helping children and teens recognize their strengths and learn how to make choices that align with what truly matters to them.”
Dr. Valles works closely with families to ensure care feels collaborative, respectful, and supportive. She helps children and teens better understand themselves while guiding parents in how to support meaningful, lasting change.
Training and background
Dr. Valles earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Iowa, where her research focused on how parenting patterns shape childhood aggression. She completed her predoctoral internship at Children’s Institute, Inc., an APA approved program serving families affected by trauma, and her postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine.
She grew up in Houston and earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Houston.
She currently teaches and trains psychiatry residents and psychology fellows through her role as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine.
Research and Publications
Dr. Nizete-Ly Valles has published peer reviewed research on child development, trauma, parenting, and adolescent mental health. Her work reflects a deep focus on understanding how early experiences shape emotional and behavioral outcomes.
Selected Peer Reviewed Publications
Management of Suicidal Adolescents Presenting to the Emergency Department
Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Young Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence
The Role of Care Neglect and Supervisory Neglect in Childhood Obesity
Contingent Responses of Mothers and Peers to Indirect and Direct Aggression in Children
Neurocognitive Deficits Associated with Sydenham’s Chorea: A Pediatric Case Study
Additional Publications
Can We Differentiate Borderline Personality Disorder from Bipolar Disorder?
Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications for Hurricane Harvey Sheltered Evacuees
Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees
The Role of Psychologists in Adult ADHD Testing
Book Chapters
Mental Health Issues: Child Physical Abuse, Neglect, and Emotional Abuse
The Role of Deficient and Harsh Parenting in the Development of Childhood Indirect Aggression
NIZETE-LY VALLES IS A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST WITH THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS (TX LICENSE #36932).
For information on how to verify a license.
For information on how to file a complaint.