Children & Adolescents
I have extensive clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and their families, having been a therapist in the school systems for several years, preschool through high school. My expertise extends from identifying and diagnosing early onset mood and behavioral disorders, to assessing the need for medication evaluation, to advocating for your child within the school system.
​
​
Younger Children ( ages 4 - 10 )
Every child is unique, but essentially every child wants to be heard and understood and feel loved. But younger children often do not know how to express what they need. As a result, a child may internalize or externalize what they are feeling. Those that internalize often shut down. Conversely, a child may externalize, and his or her behavior might become disruptive in their attempt to try to communicate to you that something is wrong. I seek to create a safe, therapeutic space for your child so that they are able to open up—directly or indirectly—through the utilization of therapeutic approaches such as art or play therapy techniques.
​
Through therapy, a child can learn many life skills early on that are often not learned until later on in life—such as emotion regulation, problem-solving, decision-making, attention and focus, conflict resolution, coping skills, and social skills. I am here to help your child unlock and maximize their true potential and to help strengthen the parent-child bond.
​
​
Adolescents ( ages 10 - 18 )
The pre-teen and teenage years can be a hard and difficult time for youth to navigate. I thoroughly enjoy working with this age group as they venture through the formative years and evolve into autonomous individuals. During this time of a young person's life, they are seeking to find their identity and individuality. Throw on top of that hormone changes and body transformations, social challenges, increased expectations of responsibilities, academic levels accelerating in difficulty, and many other internal or external factors, and it can seem overwhelming to any child or parent. These stressors can manifest in different ways such as with mood changes, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, lack of motivation, difficulties with attention and focus, isolation or withdrawal, or impulsivity and testing boundaries.
Sometimes there are biological factors at play that can contribute to symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or a number of other manifestations----and sometimes symptoms are merely circumstantial as a result of life experiences. One of my strengths as a therapist is being able to assess this potential biological component and refer for a medication evaluation, if necessary. However the case, I aim to provide my adolescent clients with an outlet to talk and explore life obstacles in a neutral and safe space. I seek to empower my young clients as they find their way through the uncertainty of this developmental period of their lives----to strengthen their confidence, build emotional intelligence, and realize their full potential.
​
​
Parents
​
Parenting is not easy, especially in this day and age when the world is always changing. And, as many parents can attest, what works for one child does not necessarily work for another one of their children. When it comes down to it, every child wants to be loved by and feel connected to their parent. My goal with every child client is to help strengthen the parent-child bond.
​
A large part of working with kids is my role of being a resource for parents. I can provide parental support to help the parents, in addition to the child, and strengthen their support system within the family structure. Sometimes this takes on the approach of individual sessions with the child plus supplemental parent sessions in a hybrid approach (with children under the age of 14). I have also worked primarily with the parent in adult individual therapy to help address the parent's needs. A tailored approach is determined based on the needs of the adult, child, or family.
Part of that process is equipping parents with insight and resources to better understand each child's unique needs. Please browse the Resources section for more insights and resources regarding parenting.
​
