Who We Are
We built this workshop because we know
exactly what your child needs.
We’re assessment psychologists. Every week, we evaluate tweens and teens for ADHD, learning differences, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality. We see firsthand where executive function breaks down and we built Aspire Cognitive Lab to do something about it.
Our Story
Born from the assessment room.
Aspire Cognitive Lab grew out of something we kept noticing in our work at Aspire Therapy Center. Time and again, families would come to us for evaluations and leave with answers about their child’s diagnosis, but without a clear roadmap for what to actually do about it.
Executive function the set of brain-based skills that govern planning, focus, memory, organization, and emotional regulation sits at the center of nearly every struggle we assess for. ADHD, giftedness, twice-exceptionality, learning differences they all impact EF in some way.
We know what these kids need. We built this workshop so more families could access it without waiting months for an appointment, without a clinical referral, and without spending thousands of dollars to get started.
“We specialize in helping high-functioning individuals and families move from managing to thriving.”
Aspire Therapy Center
Our Foundation
Part of the Aspire family.
Aspire Cognitive Lab is the educational branch of Aspire Therapy Center a doctoral-led psychology practice with locations in Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Claremont, and Tampa. We also serve as a trusted resource for students at Claremont Colleges and USC.
3
Licensed Psychologists
4
CA & FL Locations
15+
Years in Practice
100s
of EF Assessments
Meet the Team
The people behind the workshop.
We’re not content creators or curriculum designers. We’re clinicians who do this work every day and who genuinely care about the families we serve.
Founder & Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Melissa McMullin
Psy.D. · CA License PSY23314 · FL License PY12521 · Licensed Since 2010
I founded Aspire Therapy Center because I saw a gap too many practices focused on what was “wrong” with a client rather than helping them grow with intention. Aspire Cognitive Lab is an extension of that same mission: giving families access to the science and skills that actually make a difference.
I trained at Stanford, where I was mentored in child development and published research alongside leaders in the field. My clinical career has been shaped by deep expertise in ADHD, learning disabilities, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality and a long-standing commitment to students at USC and the Claremont Colleges, where I’ve served as a trusted assessment resource for years.
Outside the office, you’ll find her deep into a family Lego build or exploring the outdoors. She is also the co-host of Shrinks & Giggles, a podcast she created with Dr. Taylor exploring the unexpected intersection of psychology and humor. Because if you cannot laugh at the human condition, you are not paying close enough attention.
She is also co-author, alongside Dr. Taylor, Dr. Calhoon, and Peter Clark, of Brilliantly Chaotic: Small Steps that Add Up to Big Change.
Giftedness & 2e
Child & Adolescent Assessment
Executive Function
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Michela Taylor
Psy.D. · CA License PSY33805 · Licensed in FL
If you ask anyone on our team who they’d send their most complicated, most anxious, or most vulnerable client to the answer is almost always Michela. She has an extraordinary gift for making people feel safe, seen, and genuinely understood from the very first session.
Trained under Dr. McMullin, Michela brings deep expertise in psychodiagnostic assessment for ADHD, ASD, and learning differences across the lifespan from age 3 through adulthood. She is not just a clinician other clinicians trust; she is the person our entire team turns to for insight, support, and grounding when cases get complex.
Outside of work, Michela loves travel, Broadway musicals, and all things Disney which, honestly, tells you a lot about why kids and families adore her.
Learning Differences
Lifespan Assessment
Executive Function
Licensed Psychologist · EF Specialist
Dr. Heather Calhoon
Psy.D. · CA License PSY36670 · M.S. Psychopharmacology
Heather is the executive function branch of Aspire and I mean that in the most literal sense. She is the person who keeps our practice organized, our processes clear, and our team accountable. If there’s a complicated situation to navigate, Heather handles it with remarkable calm and precision.
With a Master’s degree in psychopharmacology alongside her doctorate, Heather is our go-to when cases involve complex medication questions. She brings a sophisticated understanding of how brain chemistry, behavior, and executive function intersect and she teaches that understanding in a way that actually makes sense to families.
Heather is also a parent, which grounds her clinical work in something real. She understands the daily grind of trying to support a kid who struggles not just from a textbook, but from the inside. Outside of work, she loves hiking with her two dogs and spending time with her family.
ADHD Assessment
Psychopharmacology
Behavioral Health
Registered Psychological Associate
Peter Clark, M.A.
M.A. Clinical Psychology · PSB94047348 · Supervisee of Dr. McMullin
Peter came to psychology by an unexpected route he started his career as a journalist, spending years listening to people’s stories and helping make sense of complex, often painful experiences. That background shows up in everything he does clinically. He knows how to meet people where they are.
Clients find Peter remarkably easy to work with whether in therapy or during assessment. There’s a warmth and a groundedness to him that puts even the most anxious teen at ease. He works directly under Dr. McMullin’s supervision and has trained extensively in psychodiagnostic and neuropsychological assessment procedures.
When he’s not in session, Peter is most likely playing guitar. Music is central to who he is and it may explain why he has such a natural feel for rhythm, tone, and reading a room.
Neuropsychological Assessment
ADHD & Academic Issues
Clinical Psychology
Our Approach
Science-backed. Practically delivered.
Neuropsychology-Informed
Every module is grounded in how the adolescent brain actually develops. We don’t guess we draw on the same neuropsychological principles that guide our clinical assessments.
Built for Real Families
This isn’t theory from a textbook. The vignettes, strategies, and tools in this workshop come directly from the situations we see in our offices every week with real tweens and teens and their exhausted, hopeful parents.
Skills Over Symptoms
A diagnosis tells you what’s happening. This workshop teaches you what to do. We focus on building skills that transfer to school, to relationships, and to everything that comes after graduation.
Ready to Start?
Give your child the skills
schools don’t teach.
Five modules. Ten videos. A team that knows your child’s profile and built this workshop specifically for families like yours.
Questions? Reach us at hello@aspirecognitivelab.com · (323) 345-1402