Manhattan Psychology Group

Dr. Marlene Sotelo-Dynega is a New York State Licensed Psychologist (#018444). She obtained her Master’s Degree in School Psychology from Iona University in 2001 and her Doctorate in School Psychology from St. John’s University in 2007. In 2011, Dr. Sotelo-Dynega achieved Diplomate status from the American Board of School Neuropsychology (ABSNP) after receiving additional training in this specialized area. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Sotelo-Dynega has worked with children and their families in various roles. She has served as a New York State Certified Bilingual (Spanish/English) School Psychologist, providing psychological services from nursery through high school. Additionally, she has worked in a private practice setting, offering services to children and their families. Since 2007, Dr. Sotelo-Dynega has been involved in directing, supervising, and teaching psychologists in training at St. John’s University. She has actively engaged in research and scholarly activities, publishing and presenting her work in peer-reviewed journals, books, and national professional conventions. Dr. Sotelo-Dynega also holds leadership positions in professional organizations and regularly provides professional development and consultation services to practitioners and educators. Dr. Sotelo-Dynega specializes in a school-focused, neuropsychological assessment approach. This approach involves integrating neuropsychological and educational principles in the assessment and intervention processes for infants, children, and adolescents. Its goal is to facilitate learning and behavior within the school and family systems (Miller, DeFina, & Lang, 2004). Through her research and expertise in learning disability identification, Dr. Sotelo-Dynega has earned tenure and developed a national reputation. She has also created a specialized training program on school-focused neuropsychological assessment for doctoral students at St. John’s University.

In her role as Director of Psychology, Dr. Zeltser oversees a team of Licensed Psychologists, Neuropsychologists and Psychotherapists who provide counseling and assessment services to children, adolescents and adults. Additionally, she coordinates the psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship training program which prioritizes direct care learning opportunities, supervision and professional growth. Dr. Francyne Zeltser is a New York State Licensed Psychologist (#020690). She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Binghamton University, and completed her graduate degree at St. John’s University. Dr. Zeltser is the Clinical Director of Psychology, Training & Special Projects at MPG, as well as a child, adolescent and adult psychologist, certified school psychologist, adjunct professor and mother of two. Dr. Zeltser provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and parent management training (PMT). Her primary specializations are in child and adolescent development, behavior management, family counseling, educational interventions, psychological and educational assessment, effective parenting strategies, consultation and educational advocacy. The focus of her clinical practice includes, treatment of ADHD, anxiety and depressive disorders, conduct and disruptive disorders, family therapy, psychological testing and school-related behaviors. Dr. Zeltser promotes a supportive, problem-solving approach where her patients learn adaptive strategies to manage challenges and work toward achieving both short-and-long term goals. She helps patients navigate a variety of challenges such as how to improve focus, social skills, time management, reduce negative emotions, build a growth mindset, resolve conflict and get organized. Her integrative approach enables her to provide high quality, evidence-based treatments to address the diverse and unique needs of her patients. Dr. Zeltser’s work has been featured in CNBC.com, womansday.com, NYMetroParents.com and Parents.com.