Psychologist Biographies
Dr. Robert H. Mastikian
CEO-Founder RONIC Psychological Services, L.L.C.
Clinical, Forensic, and Neuropsychological Specialties
Dr. Mastikian is a licensed psychologist in Arizona. He owns and operates RONIC Psychological Services, LLC. His specialties are forensic, clinical, and neuropsychological assessments and evaluations. Prior to becoming a psychologist, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from California State University, Northridge. He then earned his Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in California. Dr. Mastikian received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Arizona School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Mastikian has extensive clinical experience working with adults and children in clinical and forensic settings. He conducts clinical evaluations on children and adults to discern the presence of mental illness and to garner information to assist in treatment planning. Dr. Mastikian also conducts individual and group therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. He has extensive clinical experience conducting therapy with these age groups, and for a variety of different referral concerns. His primary theoretical approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but he also utilizes principles from other therapeutic/theoretical approaches to improve overall outcomes and meet each client’s individualized needs.
Prior to becoming a psychologist, Dr. Mastikian began his career in mental health in 1999 as a case manager and crisis clinician for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LADMH). He provided outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric clientele who are designated SMI (Severely Mentally Ill). While at LADMH, he also provided emergent psychiatric services for individuals experiencing severe psychological distress in the community for nearly 4 years. Dr. Mastikian relocated to Arizona in 2006 and continued his mental health training as a crisis clinician at the Urgent Psychiatric Care Center in downtown Phoenix. For nearly 3 years, Dr. Mastikian provided crisis intervention services for those diagnosed with SMI who were involuntarily petitioned for suicidal and/or homicidal ideations and/or behaviors, those who were non-compliant with mandated court ordered treatment, as well as those seeking voluntary admission. Dr. Mastikian also began providing therapy and evaluation services for the Arizona Department of Children’s Services under supervision at a forensic private practice in 2010. He continues to provide these services as an independently licensed psychologist/subcontractor at RONIC Psychological Services, LLC in Peoria and Flagstaff, Arizona.
As part of his graduate training, Dr. Mastikian evaluated and treated child/adolescent perpetrators and victims of various sex offenses, as well as other severely emotionally disturbed youth at the Children’s Center of Antelope Valley in Antelope Valley, California. He has also diagnosed and treated adults suffering from chronic substance dependence and/or co-occurring disorders within an inpatient residential treatment program at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Mastikian received extensive training at the Arizona State Hospital (AzSH) as a pre-doctoral trainee and pre-doctoral resident/intern for two years. While at AzSH, he provided mental health treatment for SMI adult patients determined by the courts to be Guilty Except Insane (GEI) or Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), as well as for individuals civilly committed for various sex offences at the Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center (ACPTC). Treatment included individual therapy, clinical assessments, psychological testing, forensic evaluations, crisis intervention, and treatment planning. Dr. Mastikian completed his post-doctoral residency at the Arizona State Prison Complex at Perryville (ASPC-Perryville). While at ASPC-Perryville, Dr. Mastikian provided individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, risk assessments, discharge planning; psychological and neuropsychological evaluations; consultation services; and developed and implemented new group therapy programs for the Women’s Treatment Unit (WTU).
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Dr. Stephanie Leonard
Dr. Leonard is an Arizona Licensed Clinical Psychologist who earned her doctoral degree in 2006 from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. She completed her internship in a therapeutic day school working with children and their parents providing assessments along with individual, group, and family therapy. Her clinical experience also includes working nine years in with an underserved population providing crisis interventions, individual and group therapy, and clinical intake assessments. Dr. Leonard has successfully worked with individuals with various diagnoses with a strong emphasis on treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. She has provided psychological evaluations, therapy, and therapeutic visits for clients referred from the Department of Child Safety. In addition, she provides individual and group supervision to students and other professionals in the mental health field.
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Dr. Latoya Smart
Dr. Smart is a newly Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Arizona. She was born and raised in Jamaica, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish at the University of the West Indies (2002). She received a Master’s in Juvenile Forensic Psychology (2008) and a PhD in Clinical Adolescent Psychology (2015) from Prairie View A&M University, Texas. Dr. Smart completed her internship at a day treatment center for Elementary and Middle School children in Florida, conducting group, individual and family therapy as well as psychological assessments. She also completed a post -doctoral fellowship at Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Houston, Texas working with teens in a youth shelter conducting group and individual therapy and psychological assessments. Her training has largely involved specializing in children and youth in a variety of settings to include detention, residential, psychiatric and private practice. Her training has also involved individual and group therapy and psychological assessments with adults in corrections and private practice. Dr. Smart has also taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses at Texas A&M International University and Grand Canyon University.
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Dr. Dustin Howard
Dr. Dustin Howard is a bilingual (Spanish) Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Arizona. He graduated with his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2019. During his doctoral training, his primary training experiences included pediatric and adult neuropsychological assessment, psycho-educational assessments, and developmental assessments. Dr. Howard completed an APA-accredited internship and postdoctoral residency at Citrus Health Network in Miami, Florida. He provided assessment and diagnostic services, as well as therapeutic services in both English and Spanish to children, teenagers, and adults. Dr. Howard’s primary area of interest is in the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders, and he specifically enjoys working with toddlers and preschoolers. As a fluent Spanish speaker, Dr. Howard is passionate about providing assessment and diagnostic services for children, teenagers, and adults within the Spanish-speaking community.
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Dr. Veronica Poore
Dr. Veronica Poore is a licensed psychologist in the State of Arizona. Born and raised in Arizona, she graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Family Studies and Human Development from Arizona State University. She earned her Doctorate of Psychology with an emphasis in School Psychology in 2015 from Argosy University. She completed an APPIC internship in the Avondale Elementary School District, receiving didactic and clinical based training. Dr. Poore has close to nine years of experience evaluating, diagnosing, and recommending services for children and adolescents. She specializes in psycho-educational and comprehensive developmental evaluations for school-age children. She is passionate about collaborating with families to identify needs and provide supportive guidance through the assessment and diagnostic process.
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Dr. Cynthia "Cindy" Pence
Dr. Pence is a licensed clinical psychologist with a background in forensic psychology and health psychology. Originally from Illinois, she moved to Arizona in 2018 to provide care and assistance to her parents. She graduated with her doctoral degree in clinical psychology in 2014 from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. Since graduating, she has worked in geriatric psychology where she specialized in diagnosing and developing treatment plans for individuals with dementia or other cognitive impairments, such as those caused by traumatic brain injury, and also in women's health where she specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mood disorders. She also has several years experience completing psychological evaluations and administering psychological testing for disability offices and the courts in Illinois.
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Dr. Nicole Lebowitz
Dr. Lebowitz obtained her Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D) in Clinical Psychology from Midwestern
University. Her dissertation titled “Defining Mental Health, Thoughts from Medical Students” allowed
for dedicated study and development of expertise in healthcare provider burnout. During her
education, she also graduated cum laude from Arizona State University’s Barrett the Honors
College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a Minor in Global Health &
Sustainability with affiliate experience researching European solutions for US and global issues at
the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Clinical training experiences include emergency medical
scribing in a level-one trauma department, administering neuropsychological evaluations in private
practice settings, and providing individual and group therapy within the following settings; a
University counseling center, community health clinic, and multi-specialty clinics. Dr. Lebowitz’s
expertise includes risk and crisis assessment, integrated behavioral health consultations, mind-body
approaches (i.e., biofeedback & neurofeedback) and interdisciplinary consultations. She has been
very fortunate to be able to work with diverse populations of all ages across the lifespan and feel this
provides her a well-rounded and integrated approach to patient care. Dr. Lebowitz is passionate
about using assessment and the diagnostic process to help those in need.
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Dr. Ashurina Ream
Dr. Ashurina Ream is a licensed psychologist in the state of Arizona. In addition, she holds
privileges to practice under the authority of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact
(PSYPACT). Dr. Ream was born and raised in Michigan, where she earned her bachelor’s degree
in Biology and Psychology. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from Midwestern
University with emphasis on Clinical Psychology. With more than a decade of clinical practice,
Dr. Ream has a breadth of experiences that is heavily focused on psychological assessment. Dr.
Ream is passionate about continued education and providing services utilizing evidenced-based
practices.
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Cindy Quinonez
Office Manager RONIC Psychological Services, LLC
Cindy Quinonez is the Office Manager at Ronic Psychological Services. Cindy has over 9 years of managerial and administrative experience. She spent the last 7 years serving as an Office Manager in the mental health industry, and has a strong customer service record. Cindy will be handling billing, invoicing, scheduling, and more. Please feel free to contact Cindy anytime with questions or requests.