Dr. Penny Petchers

• Phone: 973-218-5818

Dr. Penny Petchers is a New Jersey Licensed Psychologist and New Jersey Certified School Psychologist with extensive experience supporting the emotional, behavioral, and educational needs of children, adolescents, and young adults. She earned her Doctorate in School Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and School Psychology Certification from Montclair State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware.

With nearly three decades of service in public education, Dr. Petchers has dedicated her career to fostering student well-being and emotional, social, behavioral and academic success across a variety of settings. In addition to her work in schools, she has maintained a private practice for nearly 15 years, providing psychological services to children, teens, adults and families.

For the past 17 years, Dr. Petchers has been a valued member of the South Orange and Maplewood School District. In her roles on the Child Study Team as a School Psychologist and Behavior Management Specialist, she has supported students both within the school district and in out-of-district placements. Her work emphasizes individualized strategies aimed at promoting healthy emotional development. Her responsibilities have included conducting psychological evaluations, writing IEPs, 504 Accommodation Plans, Gifted Action Plans, consulting with administrators, leading teacher and staff training, parent counseling, social skills groups, developing behavior interventions, providing school-based counseling, and crisis intervention services.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Petchers worked in the Psychology Department of Montclair State University as an Adjunct Professor. Dr. Petchers’ training also includes internships at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Institute for Child Development where she conducted individual and group therapy, as well as parent support groups, and psychological assessments, She also trained at Saint Peter’s Orphanage, a residential care facility for children and adolescents where she completed psychological evaluations, ran anger management groups, and therapy. These foundational roles solidified her commitment to school-based psychological services and multidisciplinary collaboration. These placements provided her with valuable experience in developmental assessment, therapeutic intervention, and working with youth in both medical and residential settings.

Known for her warm, compassionate, creative, practical, and evidence-based approach, Dr. Petchers brings a deep understanding of the complex factors that impact student learning, emotions, and behavior. She works in a collaborative and solution-focused manner, integrating psychological assessment to build comprehensive support systems for children and adolescents. She is a trusted resource for schools, families, and professionals. Throughout her career, Dr. Petchers is passionate about her work and considers herself a lifelong learner always looking for new, innovative strategies.

She looks forward to joining the Massler Center, where she will focus her work on conducting comprehensive Psychological Evaluations. She will also be running groups for children and teens on topics including making friends, confidence/self-esteem, communication, social skills, goal setting, executive functioning, anxiety/ADHD as well as parenting groups on a variety of topics.