About Dr. Sunny Im-Wang, Psy.D., S.S.P.

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Dr. Sunny Im-Wang is a pediatric psychologist with a dual credential as a school psychologist, who has been active as a clinician, researcher, consultant, lecturer, author, and workshop facilitator for over two decades.

Fields of expertise include:
  • Pediatric (Health) Psychology—the study of treatment compliance, needle phobia, and hospitalization as they relate to various medical conditions, including pediatric chronic illnesses
  • Child Neuropsychology—the study of brain functioning as it relates to cognitive development and abilities
  • Behavioral and Developmental Psychology
  • School Psychology —including behavioral assessment and modification at school, development of successful Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), and school issues
  • Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Assessments

​Dr. Im-Wang’s broad perspective on child development is based on extensive clinical experience in a variety of settings. On the East Coast, she worked with children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to clinical sessions, she presented on and facilitated workshops and classes on parental anxiety, parental style, effective parent-child communication, and dealing with everyday stress and anger management when disciplining young children and teens.

In the Bay Area, Dr. Im-Wang has worked as a clinician at Marin Community Mental Health Service as well as in many capacities at UCSF Medical Center, including the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Specialty Clinic, Pediatric Acute Unit, and the Regional Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Department of Child Neurology. She has been a regular presenter at an annual UCSF Pediatric MS: Patient Day on social/emotional, treatment compliance, and neuropsychological aspects of pediatric MS.

Due to her dual credentials as both a school and pediatric psychologist, Dr. Im-Wang was also invited to be part of a team as a school policy advisor for the National MS Society (NMSS) Pediatric MS task force. She then became an author of the Handbook on Pediatric MS with a Focus on School Issues for Parents (used as a national resource by NMSS) and co-authored a chapter on Patient Well-Being in Demyelinating Disorders of the CNS in Childhood (Cambridge University Press, 2011). She is also the author of an award-winning children’s nonfiction book, Happy, Sad, and Everything in Between: All About My Feelings (lilSprout Press, 2013).

In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Im-Wang has given lectures and other speaking engagements in various organizations such as medical centers, national conferences, and school organizations regarding topics such as executive functioning in adolescents, and navigating school life issues. Some of her prominent speaking engagements include Continuing Medical Education lectures for both Kaiser Permanente (at the San Jose Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry) and Sutter Health Mills Hospital. She also attended the Annual National Conference and Expo in Washington DC for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to present a talk about developing executive functioning in young children.

She is also a member of Society of Pediatric Psychology, Division 54 of the American Psychological Association (APA) and of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). 

Dr. Im-Wang is available to provide lectures and consultations to clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and MFTs for case consultation on learning issues, as related to their patients/clients. Her informational discourse is also accessible to hospitals, clinics, and community health centers to provide Continuing Education on topics such as adolescent/child learning, development, school issues, working with school staff, and more. Additionally, Dr. Im-Wang is available for lectures to educational institutions or programs (such as school districts, and counties of education) on topics such as emotional literacy/regulation.

Please click here to learn about the professional services Dr. Im-Wang offers.

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