Dr. Kristen D. Nolfi is an educational psychologist whose work focuses on cognitive structure and the ways learning, behavior, and adaptation unfold within institutional systems. Her professional background spans more than three decades in specialized educational environments serving children and adolescents with developmental and learning differences.

She began her professional formation in the mid-1990s in specialized programs, including the Curtis Blake Center at American International College, where she worked in structured educational settings while completing her graduate training. These early experiences provided sustained exposure to developmental disabilities, language differences, and the practical realities of how educational systems respond to cognitive variability.

Dr. Nolfi holds advanced graduate certification in Special Education and School Psychology and a Doctorate in Educational Psychology. In 2006, she pursued advanced postdoctoral training in structural cognition through the Personality Assessment System (PAS), an empirically grounded model focused on cognitive organization and adaptive functioning, which became foundational to her analytical framework.

Her professional experience spans public and private schools, the May Institute, residential treatment programs, and collaboration within juvenile justice and child-welfare–adjacent educational contexts. Over time, her work expanded into court-involved systems, including participation in manifestation determinations, eligibility analyses, and formal training in child and family forensics at William James College.

Across roles and settings, Dr. Nolfi’s work centers on contextual analysis, examining how cognitive structure, developmental history, and environmental demands interact within complex institutional frameworks.