About Me

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. I am especially passionate about working with youth who have experienced traumatic events, as well as those navigating anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or ongoing mood challenges.

I also enjoy helping families make sense of complex questions about development, learning, and behavior. Through psychological evaluations, I work with parents to better understand their child’s needs and to provide clear, meaningful answers that can guide next steps.

I provide both therapy and psychological evaluations in English and Spanish, and I value working closely with families to ensure care feels collaborative, respectful, and supportive.

Training and Experience

Dr. Valles received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Iowa and completed a child and adolescent psychology-focused internship specializing in trauma-informed care.

She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine’s Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Prior to joining Thriving Child Center full-time, Dr. Valles served as the Program Director of the Autism Clinic for the Harris Health System and was an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. She continues to provide training as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Valles has published peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on topics including aggressive behavior in children, adolescent suicide, the effects of child abuse and neglect, and adult ADHD. She conducts a wide range of psychological evaluations, including assessments for autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, ADHD, and diagnostic clarification.

Publications

F. Linck, John & Ostermeyer, Britta & Valles, Nizete-Ly & Flores, Araceli & Shah, Asim. (2017). "The Role of Psychologists in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Testing". PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS. 47. 296-302. 10.3928/00485713-20170511-01. 

Zarling, A. L., Taber-Thomas, S., Murray, A., Knuston, J. F., Lawrence, E., Valles, N.-L., . . . Bank, L. (2013). Internalizing and externalizing symptoms in young children exposed to intimate partner violence: Examining intervening processes. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY, 27(6), 945-955. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0034804

Knutson JF, Taber SM, Murray AJ, Valles NL, Koeppl G. (2010), The role of care neglect and supervisory neglect in childhood obesity in a disadvantaged sample. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY. 35: 523-32. PMID 19996153 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp115

Valles, N.-L. and Knutson, J. F. (2008), Contingent responses of mothers and peers to indirect and direct aggression in preschool and school-aged children. Aggr. Behav., 34: 497–510. doi:10.1002/ab.20268

NIZETE-LY VALLES IS A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST WITH THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS (TX LICENSE #36932). 

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