API TEAM

The API team provides the most diagnostically accurate and prognostically successful assessments within the field. We set a standard of best practice with highly trained, credentialed evaluators who have extensive expertise in brain development, child psychology, and education. 

Vivian Mougios, PhD ~ Founder/Lead Neuropsychologist

In 25 years, Dr. Mougios has accumulated over 15,000 hours of neuropsychological administration experience, bringing an unparalleled depth to the evaluation process. Highly sought for her diagnostic precision, Dr. Mougios’ expertise in brain development, child psychology, and education provide a level of knowledge that uniquely serves the needs of families and their children.

Dr. Mougios received her undergraduate degree at Columbia University where she was awarded Academic All-Ivy for her academic and athletic achievements.  She was offered a teaching assistant position prior to graduation and remained part of Columbia University teaching staff until 2006. Dr. Mougios has also served as an adjunct professor at the College of New Rochelle and a testing supervisor for doctoral students at Adelphi University.

Dr. Mougios received her masters and doctorate at Long Island University-Brooklyn where she was awarded a fellowship at the Glass Institute is Psychoanalytic Studies. Upon graduation, she was given the Dissertation of Excellence award for her research on the psychophysiology of emotion. 

Dr. Mougios has completed extensive training throughout her tenure including Jamaica Hospital’s Brady Institute for Brain Injury and Coma Recovery and New York University Hospital’s Rusk institute of Pediatric Rehabilitation. She has worked among a diverse clinical population including adult and pediatric brain injury, learning disabilities, and developmental disorders.

She has served as a panel speaker and presenter for multiple organizations and associations. She has also co-authored many peer reviewed papers and recently authored Action Potential-The Secrets of Superlearners.  In addition to evaluations, Dr. Mougios provides educational consultations to schools in New York and the Tri-state area with particular emphasis on individualized learning plans and optimal teaching methodologies. 
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Christina Galese, PsyD, NCSP ~ Senior Evaluator

Dr. Christina Galese is a highly seasoned clinical psychologist obtaining dual doctorates from the School & Clinical Psychology program at Kean University. She received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Trinity College, earning academic honors as a scholar athlete. Her continued interest in education and child development led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Neuroscience & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a program tailored at linking educational theory and cognitive neuroscience research. During her tenure, Dr. Galese worked as a graduate assistant on many research projects at both the Learning Lab within Columbia’s Psychology Department and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Projects included understanding the mechanisms of learning in populations experiencing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. She also maintains a Master's degree in Educational Psychology from Kean University.

Prior to her clinical training, Dr. Galese was employed as a clinical testing coordinator for a neuropsychologist in New York City, acquiring in-depth knowledge regarding child development and learning challenges. Throughout her doctoral training, she obtained extensive evaluation experience in multiple settings, including hospital-based outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, and public school systems both in New York and New Jersey. Given her interest in teaching pedagogy and neuropsychological assessment, Dr. Galese's dissertation examined the relationship between executive functioning and reading comprehension skills in a sample of students with learning challenges. Further, she has presented research at national professional conferences, and she has published on impression management in student athletes as well as best practices for supporting students with special needs.

In addition to her work, Dr. Galese is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and teaches graduate level courses on cognitive assessment. Outside of the classroom and office, Dr. Galese has served as a student mentor for elementary school, high school, and college-age students. Additionally, for eight seasons she has also enjoyed being a high school volleyball and softball coach with a goal of empowering young females through sport using a growth-minded approach.

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Meredith Bernfeld, PhD ~ Senior Evaluator

Dr. Bernfeld is a seasoned clinician with comprehensive experience in neuropsychological assessments. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Adelphi University and a BFA in Film Directing from Purchase College.  Dr. Bernfeld has an exceptional ability to connect with clients and their families, to think outside the box, and to instill a sense of trust and comfort.  She  is often called upon to assess some of the most challenging diagnostic circumstances. 

Dr. Bernfeld’s interest in neuropsychological assessments began as a result of her former career in television and film production.  Her ability to direct children in television commercials caught the attention of The Knowledge Project, a non-profit organization, where she served as a writing mentor to students in underserved areas of NYC. Working with these youngsters, she realized that far too many children who were identified with behavioral problems were in fact struggling with undiagnosed learning disabilities. Motivated to do more, Dr. Bernfeld helped design a program that incorporated psycho-social awareness to help K-12 students process the impact of 9/11. 

Since her initial foray into mental health and wellness, Dr. Bernfeld’s training has involved a broad range of clinical populations.  At the Brooklyn VA, she received extensive diagnostic training in discerning trauma-based cognitive issues from organic ones while also conducting bedside assessments to determine the decision-making capacity of veterans on the oncology floor.  Concurrently, while at the VA, Dr. Bernfeld also received additional training in neuropsychological assessment under Dr. Vivian Mougios.  During that time, she conducted a wide variety of assessments within the pediatric population.   

Dr. Bernfeld’s business and creative talents combined with her clinical and scientific acumen provide clients with a unique and engaging approach to the diagnostic process.  She maintains a particular passion of working with children/adolescents and adults who have endured trauma, struggled with addiction, and/or who have endured undiagnosed learning disabilities and cognitive challenges. 

Since 2019, Dr. Bernfeld has maintained a private practice in Brooklyn and is thrilled to join API’s exceptional team.

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Blair Busbee, LMSW ~ Evaluator/Executive Functioning Coach

Blair Busbee, LMSW serves as a Clinical Evaluator and Executive Functioning Coach at API. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Fordham University and values API’s collaborative, strengths-based approach to assessment, particularly its focus on fostering clarity and understanding for students and families. Blair’s work is rooted in curiosity, attunement, and a deep respect for each client’s individual context and lived experience.

Blair’s prior clinical training includes school-based counseling with middle school students through The Arthur Project and work in supportive housing with older adults. These experiences strengthened her understanding of how systems, relationships, and early life experiences shape functioning and development across the lifespan. While she appreciated the relational nature of this work, she was drawn toward the neurocognitive processes that underpin behavior, learning, and emotional regulation—particularly how those factors affect a person’s ability to navigate everyday demands.

At API, Blair integrates her relational perspective with an understanding of executive functioning and neurocognitive development, helping clients build practical skills while also honoring their personal histories and emotional landscapes. She is especially attuned to the environmental and interpersonal factors that influence a person’s daily functioning, and she works to help clients develop strategies that are both effective and sustainable.

Before entering the field of social work, Blair earned both a BFA and MFA in theater and spent more than a decade working closely with children and families as an educator and caregiver. This background continues to shape her relational, narrative-driven approach, especially when working with younger clients or those navigating complex neurocognitive or emotional challenges. She has long used creativity and storytelling as tools to help children express their needs, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.

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Janelle Takyi-Micah, PsyD ~ Post Doctoral Fellow/Evaluator

Janelle Takyi-Micah, PsyD is a Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellow at API where she provides comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults. She earned her doctoral degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, D.C., and completed her clinical internship at New Alternatives for Children in New York City.

Janelle's clinical training spans school, medical, educational, community-based, and private practice settings, providing her with a broad perspective on how cognitive, emotional, developmental, and environmental factors influence functioning across the lifespan. Her assessment work is grounded in diagnostic clarity, clinical nuance, and a commitment to helping individuals and families better understand the "why" behind learning, behavior, attention, executive functioning, social communication, and emotional concerns.

Janelle has a particular interest in autism evaluations, including assessments for individuals whose autism has gone unrecognized until adolescence or adulthood. In addition, she is especially attuned to the ways trauma, identity, relationships, and environmental factors intersect with neurodevelopmental differences, shaping how individuals experience school, work, family life, and everyday demands.

In addition to assessment, Janelle provides therapy and parent consultation to help children, adults, and families translate evaluation findings into meaningful, individualized strategies. She approaches her work with warmth, curiosity, and collaboration, striving to ensure that clients feel understood while receiving practical recommendations that support growth, self-understanding, and long-term success.

Dylan Bitensky, MA ~ Clinical Evaluation Assistant

Dylan Bitensky is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University Brooklyn. She obtained her Master of Arts in Psychology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan, where she majored in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and minored in Gender and Health.

Previously, Dylan was a clinical extern at the NYU Child Study Center, where she worked with children and families in the Assessment and Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Selective Mutism programs. In this role, she provided individualized therapy, parent support, and organizational skills training for children and adolescents with ADHD, learning differences, executive functioning challenges, selective mutism, and other neurodevelopmental concerns.

In September, Dylan will begin an externship at Montefiore Hospital in the Child and Adolescent Evaluation Unit, where she will conduct therapy and psychoeducational evaluations with children and adolescents. She has experience administering and scoring neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments, contributing to report writing, and developing individualized recommendations that help families better understand their child's strengths, challenges, and needs.

Dylan is especially passionate about supporting children with ADHD, learning differences, executive functioning challenges, and communication difficulties. She takes a strengths-based approach to her work, helping children and families better understand not only areas of difficulty, but also each child's unique abilities, interests, and sources of resilience. Dylan brings a warm, fun, and energetic presence to her work and is dedicated to providing individualized care that helps children and families feel understood, supported, and empowered.