Alumni Highlight 2014: Lisa Boesky and John and Pamela McCaskill
Lisa Boesky, psychologist, speaker and author
When is a teenager going through a "phase" and when is a teen showing potential symptoms of an emotional or behavioral disorder? One alumnus from our department is shedding light on this issue and taking her message across the country. Lisa Boesky, Ph.D. has just released her second book, When to Worry: How to Tell if Your Teen Needs Help-and What to Do About It. Known to the public as "Dr. Lisa," our department graduate has done over 15 radio interviews, has been quoted in numerous magazines and newspapers (including a September article in USA Today), and has appeared on several TV segments, including being the "expert on teens" for the Montel Willams Show.
Since receiving her Ph.D. from Wayne State University, Dr. Lisa moved to Seattle, WA where she worked at psychiatric hospitals and juvenile justice facilities. Her commitment to troubled teens, particularly those who were arrested and/or incarcerated grew. As a professor at the University of Washington, she helped develop and implement a comprehensive program designed to enhance mental health services for youth in juvenile jails and prisons.
Dr. Lisa is a heavily sought after public speaker and she has spent more than a decade Keynoting conferences and providing training and consultation to parents/foster parents, as well school, mental health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, and healthcare professionals across the
country.
You can find out more about what Dr. Lisa is currently up to at drlisab.com and whentoworry.com. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband and continues to try to change the world, one teen, at a time.
John and Pam McCaskill, Owners of McCaskill Family Services
John and Pam McCaskill currently live in Northville with their 11-year-old daughter, Kylie, and two dogs. They own and run McCaskill Family Services, a private practice offering therapy and assessment services for all ages as well as parenting workshops, classes on ADHD, school advocacy and much more.
Both serve as professional advisors on many community-based organizations, speak on a variety of topics, and supervise clinical psychology graduate students from local universities (including WSU!)
After finishing graduate school, John and Pam moved to Florida when John took a clinical position in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital. Pam started and grew a very active private practice in Ocala, FL, specializing in work with children, teens and families.
Following the birth of their daughter, Kylie, in 2002 they decided to move back to Michigan in order to raise her closer to family. John accepted a position as a clinical pediatric psychologist at William Beaumont Hospital's Center for Human Development and Pam started up a private practice in Plymouth, MI. John joined her in 2010 and they are currently in the process of expanding their practice to serve more families in the area.
The McCaskills enjoy spending time with family and traveling. John continues his love of reading and martial arts and Pam has recently started running, with her first ½ marathon completed this past fall. Kylie is a competitive dancer and excelling in her first year of middle school.