Steve Larsen, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, TN License 3852
Specializing in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents in Knoxville, TN

My name is Steve Larsen and I moved to the Knoxville area two years ago to work at a local DOE facility.  I am originally from Wisconsin and I have lived in various areas of the United States and also in South Korea for 18 months to work with the US Military.  I come from a lower middle class family and worked in factories and as a UPS driver before going to graduate school in 1989. Because of my background I am a down to earth person and I understand the value of working hard to be successful.  I chose to go to graduate school after volunteering for a suicide prevention hotline in Wisconsin because that work made me realize that my calling was to be a mental health provider and to help people.  I went to graduate school at California Professional School of Psychology in San Diego and graduated with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. During my time in graduate school I realized that I wanted to specialize in working with children and adolescents, so I took the appropriate classes in child assessment and therapy and then went on to complete a pre-doctoral internship at Arkansas Children's Hospital and another year of training working with children and adolescents at a small hospital in Southern Illinois.  The reason that I decided to work with children was that I had a difficult childhood and realized that I only survived due to a few positive individuals who took me under their wings. Since becoming a psychologist I have done a great variety of work, such as being in private practice in rural-underserved areas, working for the US military for almost 7 years seeing active duty members and their children, supervising a community mental health clinic, and working for the DOE both in Amarillo and Oak Ridge.  The primary focus of my work at most of these settings was working with children and adolescents with a variety of mental health and behavioral issues. Because ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder are the two most common childhood mental health problems, I have extensive experience working with those areas and have found practical strategies that help parents to manage the negative behaviors associated with those issues.  I also have extensive experience treating anxiety and depression in children using whatever type of therapy is most appropriate for a particular child given their age and other factors. I can safely say that there is not a childhood issue that I haven't had experience assessing and treating, and that I have learned to use the most efficient treatment strategies to bring about positive change for children and their families.  I have a good sense of humor, which I have found to be useful in reducing some of the stress and anxiety that parents and children often feel when they first come to see a mental health provider. Thank you for reading about me.  I look forward to learning more about your child and family if you choose me to be your mental health provider.