Watching your child struggle, whether 6 or 16, is one of the hardest things you can do as a parent.
Has your child been more sad, withdrawn, or unmotivated recently? Do fear and anxiety keep your child from enjoying typical childhood activities? Are there changes in your child’s life that are causing stress? We understand that people often feel uncertain about seeking help from a therapist and are unsure of what to expect from counseling for children.
First, know that many kids and families experience difficulties coping with stress or feelings. Those that look for help find that they feel happier, more connected, and more confident after therapy. Counseling for children helps them learn new skills and build stronger relationships.
We work closely with you to help you see, understand, and know your child and their unique strengths and challenges.
Our approach looks at the whole child, their individual development, personality, culture, and environment within the context of the whole family.
If your child is having any of the following difficulties, we can help.
- Aggression/Tantrums
- Social Skill Issues
- ADHD
- Autism symptoms
- Habits (e.g, overeating, nail-biting, tics)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma and Abuse
- Developmental Concerns (e.g. toileting, feeding, sleep)
- Adjustment /Transitions (e.g. divorce, school change, new baby)
- Learning Problems
- Grief/Loss
- Stress
Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers
For babies and young children, we offer parent-child therapy which is excellent to support family relationships. This is often called dyadic therapy or family therapy.
For young children, in particular, we feel that parents or caregivers should be actively involved in the therapy process to provide safety, support, and to learn new ways of interacting with their child.
Parents often say that dyadic therapy helps them understand their child’s needs, fears, feelings, and behaviors much better and leaves them feeling more confident as a parent.
We also offer play therapy which allows children to communicate through their natural language, play!
Children & Adolescents
Parent-child, individual, family, or play therapy are all options depending on the concerns and the needs of the family. Counseling gives children a place to express feelings safely and without judgment, to learn new ways to cope and to improve self-esteem and behavior.
Counseling for children can also help parents understand their child’s needs and work together as a family to meet them.
We use our training in evidence based models like Coping Cat for anxiety, DBT for children, TBRI, and others. We blend in expressive modalities like art, sand, and drama to allow for full self-expression.
