Dr. Elise Gagnon Pilchak, Psy.D., LP is a licensed psychologist and founder of Action Potential Neuropsychological Services. She specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological, psychological, and developmental evaluations for children (ages 2+), adolescents, and adults across Oakland County and Metro Detroit.

Dr. Pilchak earned her Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP–Stanford Psy.D. Consortium, an APA-accredited program with a strong emphasis on assessment, neuroscience, and evidence-based practice. She completed her doctoral internship at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services on the Autism Spectrum and Neurodevelopmental Track where she focused on neuropsychological and psychological assessment across the lifespan.

Prior to her clinical training, Dr. Pilchak studied cognitive neuroscience at Northwestern University, where her research examined executive functioning, memory, and brain–behavior relationships using neuroimaging and electrophysiology. She later worked at the Stanford Autism Research Center, where she was trained in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) under several of the model’s original developers—an experience that shaped her enduring interest in motivation-based, naturalistic approaches to understanding autism.

During her doctoral training, Dr. Pilchak also led PEERS-model social skills groups for adolescents and provided parent consultation across academic and clinical settings. Her doctoral dissertation examined how parent-implemented, motivation-based interventions support children’s social initiation and engagement in everyday contexts.

Dr. Pilchak’s clinical approach is neuroaffirming and strengths-based, grounded in cognitive neuroscience and developmental science. She believes psychological assessment should clarify—not pathologize—helping individuals and families better understand how they think, learn, and connect, while providing meaningful, real-world guidance.