Meet Emily W. King, Ph.D. | Child Psychologist & Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily W. King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Emily, how does your business help the community?
As a child psychologist who maintains a full caseload, I found myself frustrated that I could only help those I met with face-to-face. I felt I could be impacting more children by helping parents and teachers beyond just those I came into contact with through my work in private practice. So, I created online resources for parents and teachers to learn on their own time. This has expanded over time to include in-person professional development for educators who want to learn more about teaching neurodiverse groups of students and an on-demand course for parents whose child has just received a diagnosis and they don’t know what to do next. I’m able to reach more parents and teachers in our community as well as the world online to extend my knowledge and experience to those in the trenches helping neurodivergent kids grow up in a world that wasn’t designed for them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I started my online business, Learn with Dr. Emily, in 2020 during the pandemic when I was not able to meet with therapy clients in person. Since I predominately work with young autistic children, telehealth was’t an ideal way of connecting. I started doing more parent consultation to help parents learn how to play with their kids at home, support their anxiety, and respond to their behaviors.

Because my background is in School Psychology, I was also very involved in discussions surrounding school disruptions during the pandemic, especially for neurodivergent children, those who are autistic, and/or have been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities, or twice-exceptionality. Over time, I created online resources for both parents and teachers with the goal of enriching collaboration between the adults to create better educational and community experiences for all neurodivergent children.

While sharing my knowledge through teaching has felt second-nature to me, I have been frustrated by how long it can take systems, budgets, and mindsets to change. However, I’ve learned to trust that a “slow and steady” approach just might lead to more sustainable progress.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in Raleigh, graduated from WCPSS, attended college and graduate school UNC-Chapel Hill, and after a five year stint in Houston for training and work, my husband and I decided to raise our boys in Raleigh and have lived here since 2010. I would want to take a friend to both the mountains and the beach if we had time. We would enjoy hikes and the Blue Ridge Parkway and try to also make it to the Outer Banks. In Raleigh, we would explore downtown, the Farmer’s market, live music, shopping, and hope that there’s live music playing at The Rialto.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A few years ago, I joined a cohort of therapist colleagues who were on a similar journey of wanting to share education around mental health and child development so that more people could feel empowered to help themselves. This was at a time coming out of the pandemic when caseloads were high, waitlists were long, and it was just really hard to find therapist. This group of colleagues was invaluable to me, not only helping me start my speaking and consulting business online but also encouraging me that this work was important.

Website: www.learnwithdremily.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/emilywkingphd

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/emilywkingphd

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emilywkingphd

Other: www.tiktok.com/emilywkingphd

Image Credits
Blessed Reflections Photography (Kira Atwell)