Alison Bourdeau

Dr. Alison Bourdeau is a Marriage & Family therapist by training, specializing in working with children and families to address developmental, behavioral, and school challenges, as well as providing support to couples navigating relational dynamics.

Dr. Bourdeau received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in Elementary Education and Psychology. She then followed her interests and received master’s degrees in both Early Childhood Special Education and Marriage & Family Therapy. She earned a doctorate in in Counseling from Florida Atlantic University, with research focusing on the impacts of social connectedness and mental health in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Dr. Bourdeau has extensive experience in working with children and adolescents, spending over a decade as an educator in the State of Florida. Of particular interest is working with younger children; incorporating educational, behavioral, and therapeutic strategies to optimize outcomes. Dr. Bourdeau utilizes her familiarity with the development of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans to support families as they navigate the process, and often collaborates with school teams to support students.  Dr. Bourdeau specializes in working with individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, having spent six years as working as a clinical support specialist at Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (FAU CARD). Of particular interest are challenges relating to social skills, hygiene, gender identity, romantic relationships, and intimacy.

Dr. Bourdeau believes strongly in decreasing the stigma of mental health issues, and has proudly served as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Palm Beach County, Florida, since 2017. She is passionate about improving the quality of mental health supports to individuals and their families. She enjoys presenting in the community on the importance of utilizing evidence-based practices, and has contributed to academic publications on this subject.