Dr. Meltem Paker is a Licensed Psychologist in New Jersey. She received her Master’s degree and Advanced Certificate in School Psychology from Brooklyn College and her Doctoral degree in Educational / School Psychology from The Graduate Center, City University of New York, in 2006.

 

During and after her graduate education, she pursued extensive training in play therapy outside of school by well-known play therapists and became a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) in 2009.* She also received training in DIR/Floortime and became a Certified DIR/Floortime Practitioner in 2012. She completed a rigorous doctoral program, requiring six years of advanced theoretical and clinical training, on top of a three-year master’s program, also in psychology – far beyond the two-year master’s degrees required for social workers and counselors. 

 

In her previous role as clinical director at a school for neurodivergent students, she has supervised and trained numerous doctoral students and early-career psychologists and worked closely with teachers and other service providers. She has extensive training as a play therapist, reaching the level of play therapy supervisor, and has mastered a wide range of other therapeutic approaches during her career. Every child is different, and a one-size-fits-all method simply does not work. Dr. Paker’s clinical work integrates diverse modalities, evidence-based interventions, and creative resources and techniques to craft a therapy experience that resonates with each individual child, fostering meaningful progress.

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Dr. Paker provides highly specialized therapy exclusively for children and adolescents at Nurture Child Therapy – a level of expertise that sets her apart from generalist practitioners. Unlike therapists who work with all age groups, she has dedicated her entire career to understanding the unique psychological needs of young clients and crafting the best and most effective ways of working with them. Children are not simply smaller versions of adults, and effective therapy requires far more than just adapting therapeutic modalities and methods used with adults.

Dr. Paker has been working with children and families for over 20 years in various settings, including homes, schools, mental health and evaluation agencies, and private practice. She worked in a developmental preschool in Brooklyn for twelve years. As Clinical Director and Supervising Psychologist of the school, Dr. Paker was actively involved in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of childhood disorders and difficulties. She conducted social-emotional skills groups, parent support groups, and interdisciplinary team meetings. She regularly consulted with parents, teachers, and therapists, provided staff trainings, and supervised other psychologists. 

 

In 2014, she founded Nurture Child Therapy, and has been serving children, teens and their families since then. She also continues to consult with schools. 

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​*She let this title lapse in 2025 due to the stringent continuing education criteria that did not align with the one required for the NJ license.