School Psychologist

Rachel Kavanaugh

Rachel Kavanaugh (“Dr. K”) joined the Laurence community in 2019. She’s a California Licensed Psychologist and PPS-credentialed School Psychologist with nearly two decades of experience working with children and in the field of psychology providing psychotherapy, school counseling, psychodiagnostic assessments, clinical supervision, consultation, and related services to children, tweens, and families.

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Dr. K holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned a Combined Clinical-School Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) and a School Psychology Master of Science degrees from Yeshiva University's Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City before making her way back to the West Coast. She has worked in a variety of settings, including community-based mental health agencies, private practices, psychological assessment centers, and public, specialized, and private schools, and has offered services as a psychologist as well as a supervisor to pre- and post-doctoral psychology associates (i.e., doctoral-level clinical and school psychology graduate students). 

Dr. K has always valued most the settings in which intervention and support of a child’s growth can happen in the moment and in a child’s natural environment, which is why she immerses herself into the daily life of Laurence students. She aims to help provide children with various social-emotional tools so that they are better equipped to express themselves and cope with things that can arise at this phase in their life, regardless of how big or small it may be, before reaching a state of crisis or heightened level of distress. To that end, you might find her all over campus, enjoying lunch with students, leading lessons in the classroom, or joining students during PE. Ultimately, her goal is to further enhance Laurence’s commitment to their “Total Child” philosophy.  Partnering with school faculty and staff as well as caregivers and families is paramount in her approach to helping children grow and thrive. 

Outside of Laurence, you might find Dr. K enjoying various outdoor activities, crocheting a blanket, or trying different restaurants in the neighborhood. In addition, she’s a yogi of 20+ years and a RYS 200-hour Yoga Teacher having also completed continuing education in children's yoga philosophy and practice.