About
Dara R. Berger, M.A., Educational Therapist and founder of Academic Insight, LLC, is committed to the intellectual, social and emotional development of each of her students.
Since 1996, Dara has been a practicing educational therapist working with middle, high school and college students. Her approach is personalized to meet the needs of the individual student, empower them to be more effective learners, and reach their goals in school and beyond. Dara earned a Bachelor of Science in Spanish and a teaching degree in secondary education at Vanderbilt University. As part of her practicum, she taught Spanish at a public magnet high school in Nashville, Tennessee. Upon graduation, she worked for two years as an account manager in Citibank’s Latin American marketing group, after which she returned to teaching, her true calling.
Dara earned her Master of Arts in Educational Psychology and Remedial Reading from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1988. She taught at several private schools in New York City, including St. David’s, Birch Wathen-Lenox and The Nightingale-Bamford School where she held various teaching positions including Spanish, 5th grade, and high school learning specialist.
While teaching in New York City, she started a private practice focusing on students with learning differences. Later, she and her husband moved to Fairfield County, Connecticut, where she continued to develop her practice and raise their three children. In 2005, Dara moved with her family to Portland, Oregon, where she works one-on-one with students, helping them develop tools to succeed in school. Dara opened a second office in Seattle in 2018.
To teach, guide and nurture students as they become young adults is Dara’s passion. Her reward is to see her students overcome roadblocks, build mastery in their studies, and emerge confident and curious about their future.
