KORI LEVOS SKIDMORE, PH.D.
Professional Development
Dr. Skidmore’s interest in child psychology started as a child, when her parents adopted three children and provided foster care for young children as well as respite care for children with developmental disabilities. She majored in psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and then pursued a clinical psychology doctoral degree at Loyola University of Chicago, graduating in 1996 with a specialization in child clinical psychology.
Dr. Skidmore worked at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s Hospital) in Chicago for eight years, first as an intern and then as a postdoctoral fellow before being hired full-time. She held positions focused on developmental and neuropsychological testing, first in the Department of Special Infectious Diseases and later in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Skidmore established her private practice in Oak Park, Illinois in 2003, initially providing both psychotherapy and standardized evaluations for children and teens. In 2014, her practice shifted to providing exclusively psychological intervention with the bulk of her work being with clients who are 18 years old or younger, and about 30% of her clients being adults.
Philosophy
Dr. Skidmore works with clients from a developmental perspective, where the presenting concerns are considered first within the framework of the person’s age, maturity level and stage of life. She considers the biopsychosocial aspects of the client’s life, including physical health, personality, relationships and the systems the client is in, such as family, vocation, community and nationality.
She highlights areas of strength as well as areas of needs and then partners with clients to establish a treatment plan to address their concerns. In treating specific issues or problems, Dr. Skidmore draws from many models of therapy, integrating the concepts, strategies and tools that are most relevant or that seem most likely to work. So, individuals may become familiar with ideas from family systems, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic or interpersonal orientations.
Areas of Clinical Focus
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depressive Disorders
- Parenting/Child Behavior
- Adoption
- Emotional Regulation/Anger Management
- Social Communication Concerns
- Developmental/Stage of Life Concerns
- Adjustment Issues (e.g., moving, changing schools, post high-school transition)
- Consultation related to educational needs
- Early childhood intervention for development and/or behavior