Alex L. Cross-Knorr
Psychologist
PhD
My goal is to combine my expertise in child development and behavior with parents’ expertise on their child. I help diverse families address behavioral and emotional needs in ways that work for them, as a crucial part of a children’s overall health. My non-judgmental approach incorporates a family’s background, culture, values, and goals to find the best path forward.
About me
Growing up, Dr. Cross-Knorr always enjoyed working with children as a babysitter, camp counselor, and Sunday School teacher. Once she started taking psychology courses at Williams College in western Massachusetts, she knew she wanted a career in child psychology. Dr. Cross-Knorr went on to pursue her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. As part of her studies, she completed some of her clinical training at Nemours A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in nearby Wilmington, Delaware, and became hooked on working in a healthcare setting. Dr. Cross-Knorr first worked in a pediatric primary care office during her clinical internship at WellSpan Health in York, PA. She then returned to Nemours to complete a postdoctoral fellowship focused on pediatric primary care psychology and stayed on as a primary care psychologist before moving to Portland.
Some of Dr. Cross-Knorr’s specific areas of interest include helping families navigate the toddler and preschool years, helping kids and teens manage anxiety, evaluating and treating ADHD, building healthy sleep habits, and working together with pediatricians to address GI issues such as abdominal pain, IBS, and constipation. She practices in our Portland office.
Interests
Dr. Cross-Knorr is a third-generation native of the New York City area and lived on the East Coast her entire life (New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia) before moving to Portland. Soon after meeting her husband, a Seattle native, she realized her laid-back, stop-and-smell-the-roses personality was probably better suited to the West Coast. Although she may miss the “grit” of Philadelphia, she enjoys the Pacific Northwest and the friendlier sports fans.
Dr. Cross-Knorr played the piano and flute through college and grew up listening to all generations of music, attending Broadway shows, and visiting lots of museums. She took dance classes when she was younger and even did some acting in low-budget plays in her family’s basement. These days, Dr. Cross-Knorr enjoys attending concerts, dance performances, and musical theater, and still takes ballet classes.
A big fan of trivia, Dr. Cross-Knorr has auditioned for the game show Jeopardy. Unfortunately, she did not get called onto the show, but plans to keep trying!
Family
Dr. Cross-Knorr and her husband, a pediatrician, are parents to a wonderful daughter. They enjoy traveling, cooking, and exploring different restaurants. Although having some background in children and parenting helps, it is quite humbling to experience the reality of being a parent first-hand! They love sharing hiking and camping adventures, baseball games, and Disney movies with their daughter.
East Coast Native with a West Coast Heart
She lived on the East Coast her whole life before moving to Portland.
Arts-Lover
She enjoys attending dance performances and musical theater, and takes ballet classes.
Baseball Enthusiast
She and her husband try to attend as many baseball games as possible.
