“In working with families, I utilize a transparent and collaborative approach; YOU are the expert in your child, and therapy works best when we work together as a team to support your child. Similarly, when working with children, I take a child-centered and strengths-based approach, meeting each child with warmth, empathy, and acceptance of their own individual life experience. I believe that children, no matter how young, are deserving of respect and understanding, and I strive to create a safe space for children to heal – and to have fun in the process.”
Cassidy O’Brien is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose professional experience includes helping children cope with anxiety, depression, trauma, and difficult life transitions. She has experience working with children and adolescents of all ages, and specializes in working with “littles” (ages 0-5), with extensive training in early childhood mental health. Cassidy also specializes in working with children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, using a cognitive-behavioral approach to support children in learning adaptive coping skills and developing a sense of mastery over their anxiety symptoms. Additionally, Cassidy has a passion in working with individuals who have experienced trauma; supporting children and families in understanding the impact of traumatic experiences and walking hand-in-hand towards healing.
Cassidy earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University and her Master’s in Social Work Degree from the University of Southern California.She previously worked at Rady Children’s Hospital, where she specialized in trauma and early childhood mental health, while also treating children with anxiety, depression, ASD, ADHD, and emotion regulation challenges.Cassidy’s therapeutic approach is informed by several therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), AIM-HI(An Individualized Mental Health Treatment for Children with ASD), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF CBT), Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Mindfulness-based Interventions.She is completing her certification as a Registered Play Therapist and enjoys incorporating play therapy interventions into her work with children.
Cassidy approaches her work with children by viewing them in the context of the whole family, using a family-systems lens to cater to the unique relationships and dynamics within the family and to support the strengthening of those relationships. Drawing from her training in early childhood mental health, Cassidy strives to promote attachment in child-caregiver relationships, knowing that secure attachment with a caregiver is the foundation to a happy and healthy childhood – and beyond! Cassidy is passionate about supporting parents in developing tools to feel equipped to manage the ups and downs of parenthood.
Cassidy offers Telehealth services to children and adolescents of all ages, specializing in Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and ASD.
Cassidy also offers virtual parent consultation and coaching, utilizing a strengths-based, individualized approach to teaching parenting tools, designed to improve challenging behaviors in children and strengthen the parent-child relationship.
What Others Say About Us
Dr. Pontillo is an exceptional, and one-of-a-kind child psychologist. I have referred many children of my patients to Dr. Pontillo and she has always given them the best care and attention. Referring a patient to another professional is a big responsibility. I always look for a colleague who is efficient, professional, experienced and one who is able to come up with a clear diagnosis. I keep referring to Dr. Pontillo because of her expertise, efficiency and especially her warm and caring personality that is extremely necessary when dealing with children. I very highly recommend Deborah Pontillo, Ph.D as a child diagnostician, developmental and behavioral specialist, and therapist.
Immersed in a community of families that put their children above all else, I have been lucky to meet and learn from Dr. Pontillo and am proud to call San Diego Kids First the only place I refer. Dr. Pontillo expresses an impassioned energy for being a well-respected leader in child psychology and it’s that energy that I want in a psychologist for my family and friends. Parenting decisions, I have found, require an artful and nimble approach and having the ability to use San Diego Kids First makes me feel at ease among the many uneasy parenting decisions we all must make.
I’ve been referring my patients to Dr. Pontillo for the past several years with the utmost confidence that she will care and understand their developmental needs. Dr. Pontillo always provided them with a balanced and age appropriate intervention to help not only the child but the family as a whole.
Dr. Gamboa is absolutely phenomenal. She’s warm, patient, and so accommodating. She really makes the experience feel so comfortable. My daughter wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Her expertise is top notch and I wouldn’t trust anyone else – truly! Thank you Dr. Gamboa!
I’ve known Dr. Deborah Pontillo for many years and have always been impressed by her deep expertise, professionalism, and dedication to the families she serves. She has over 20 years of experience in the field and also serves on the voluntary faculty at UCSD’s Department of Psychiatry, where she helps train and mentor future clinicians.
Her practice, San Diego Kids First, is an invaluable resource for our community – an interdisciplinary team of professionals focused on the developmental and behavioral health of children and teens. What really stands out is their collaborative approach — the team works closely together to understand each child and family from multiple perspectives, ensuring care that’s thoughtful, coordinated, and comprehensive.
As a colleague, I trust Dr. Pontillo and San Diego Kids First completely and have referred many children, teens, and families to her over the years. I know they will receive outstanding, compassionate, and well-integrated care.
I am so grateful for Dr Pontillo. She is very bright, compassionate and thorough. She helped evaluate my daughters and guide us in the direction to support them the way they needed. I can’t say enough how wonderful she is.
Dr. Deborah Pontillo and her team are a rare gem in the field of child and adolescent psychology. As the founder of Kids First, she has created a concierge-style, full-service practice that offers truly comprehensive care. From psychological testing and diagnostic evaluations to individual therapy, parent coaching, and school consultations, her team addresses the full range of developmental, emotional, and behavioral needs with an exceptional level of professionalism and warmth.
Dr. Pontillo stands out not only for her clinical expertise, but also for the care and attention she brings to every family she supports. The practice is highly personalized — families are never treated as just a number. She works closely with parents, schools, and other professionals to coordinate care, ensuring that each child receives thoughtful, tailored interventions that evolve with their needs. Kids First is the only practice I recommend in the San Diego area. Dr. Pontillo and her team are trusted, skilled, and truly invested in helping children and families thrive.
Dr Deborah Pontillo provided us with amazing service for our daughter when a teacher suggested she get evaluated for learning differences. Dr Pontillo’s treated us (my husband and myself as well as our daughter) with empathy, respect and professionalism. She is relatable and down to earth as well as brilliant. We were not prepared for the diagnosis our daughter received yet Dr. Pontillo helped us understand what it meant for us as well as what treatment/therapies were most appropriate. We took her recommendations and trust her so much that, 4 years later, we continue to trust Dr Pontillo with her thoughts and suggestions. We highly recommend Dr Pontillo, would never go anywhere else for pediatric psych evaluations and her services were worth every cent.
As a clinical psychologist and owner of a company that provides similar services, I truly admire the work that SDKF does in the community. I refer clients to them frequently and with confidence. Dr. Pontillo has built a strong, compassionate, and multidisciplinary team that offers a wide range of services, including psychological testing, social skills groups, in-home therapy, and academic support. SDKF is a true gem in the San Diego community, and their dedication to helping children and families shines through in the quality of the work they do.
I highly recommend San Diego Kids First as a resource for your child’s mental health! Their intake process is easy and seamless and they have numerous skilled therapists to choose from to meet your child’s needs. This is my primary place to refer children and families and I have only heard great feedback about this group. I have also seen the positive change that has taken place in my client’s children as a result of getting services from them!
I would highly recommend San Diego Kids First. They are caring and knowledgeable and have helped the many clients I have referred to thrive academically and socially.
We have trusted San Diego Kids First with our family for the last five years. I have two neurodivergent children that both received diagnoses and therapy with Dr. Pontillo and Dr. Gamboa. My daughter has an amazing connection with Dr. Pontillo. Through her sessions we were able to help sleep patterns, adjust behaviors, and practice self-love. I appreciate that we can receive holistic care with educational and coaches on the team. We have had Dr. Rivet help us create a household that works well for us, and the Educational Specialist, Ms. Sheri Friedman was able to help my daughter move from well under grade-level to thriving above grade-level in one summer. Sheri was also an incredible advocate for us through the IEP process. This entire team is incredibly knowledgeable, patient and understanding. We are forever grateful that they are in our lives. ADHD and ASD can feel so overwhelming and I couldn’t have done it without Dr. Pontillo and her team.
They are truly experts and so kind! My son was struggling in middle school, and they supported us through that experience. I love that they offer a full continuum of care for families from parenting, child and teen therapy, as well as support with educational struggles and will work with the schools to help advocate for your child. I highly recommend them!!!
I am a general pediatrician with a special interest in ADHD, spending about 20% of my clinical time caring for ADHD patients. I have known Dr Pontillo since 2005 and have an enormous respect for her clinical skills and insights. She is my “go to” psychologist for more complicated developmental issues and for diagnosis of subtle high functioning disabilities. Dr. Pontillo’s interest in her patients and her ability to clearly delineate developmental problems allows parents to move forward with establishing a treatment plan. She is an invaluable resource to the San Diego Pediatric community.