About Master Skills Founder

Dr. Toni Tarnell

Toni Tarnell is a NYS licensed school-community psychologist who received her doctorate from Hofstra University in 2003 and has been trained extensively in neuropsychology, including understanding of executive functioning capacities, such as organization, planning, and impulse control and how they evolve in the developing brain. She also has particular expertise in working with children who are developing asynchronously or unevenly, where their gifts and strengths are undermined by their metacognitive and organizational challenges.  In other words, they lag behind in the development of important life and academic skills.

Dr. Tarnell has conducted over 400 full neuro-psychological evaluations and is passionate about supporting individuals who are diagnosed with ADHD, processing speed weaknesses, learning disabilities, and disruptive behavior challenges from a strength-based perspective. By learning about a person’s profile of strengths and weaknesses, specific goals can be tailored to individual needs. Reinforcement and direct teaching of skills can lead to the creation of new, effective habits, thus mediating or countering the effects of debilitating challenges and bringing forward hidden strengths.

Dr. Tarnell is also extensively trained in evidence-based psychotherapy practices, including Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She uses these strategies-based coaching tools to teach children and adults about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so that they can take positive steps forward, better manage their emotions, and reach the personal goals they have set.

An individual’s feelings of success, confidence, and overall health are very much related to how well they manage aspects of their lives. And how they manage aspects of their lives depends in great part on the strength of their executive functioning skills. Thus, the Master Skills learning center model is a prevention and empowerment model that seeks to train critical skills, thereby supporting people’s overall health and well-being.