Contact

Drawing from evidence-based practices and creative therapeutic techniques, I empower children to express themselves, build resilience, and develop essential coping skills to navigate life’s challenges. Whether through talk therapy, therapeutic play, art therapy, or a combination of modalities, I am dedicated to helping children and teens develop a deeper understanding of themselves, enhance their self-esteem, and cultivate healthy relationships. I aim to make sure that your child will not only survive, they will thrive!

Every Child’s Story Matters

Overall, both talk therapy and therapeutic play offer valuable therapeutic approaches for children, providing opportunities for emotional expression, skill-building, and healing in ways that are developmentally appropriate and engaging. The choice between these modalities often depends on the child’s individual needs, preferences, and therapeutic goals.

talk therapy and Therapeutic Play for children

Through talk therapy, children can learn and practice various coping strategies and relaxation techniques to manage stress, anxiety, and other challenging emotions.

Coping Strategies

The therapeutic relationship formed between the child and therapist serves as a model for healthy interpersonal connections, fostering trust, empathy, and rapport, which can positively impact the child’s relationships outside of therapy.

Building Trusting Relationships

Engaging in conversation with a therapist can improve children’s communication skills, including articulating their needs, expressing themselves effectively, and listening to others.

Communication Skills

Talk therapy encourages self-reflection and introspection, helping children gain insight into their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. This increased self-awareness can promote personal growth and development.

Self-awareness and Insight

Through discussions with the therapist, children can develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, perspective-taking, and critical thinking, which can enhance their ability to cope with challenges and navigate social situations.

Cognitive Skills Development

Talk therapy provides children with a safe and supportive environment to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns verbally. This can help them process difficult emotions and experiences.

Emotional Expression

Therapeutic play can be particularly effective in helping children process traumatic experiences, as it allows them to reenact and make sense of difficult events in a safe and supportive setting, facilitating healing and recovery.

Trauma Processing

Through play, children can practice new skills, confront fears, and regain a sense of mastery and control over their environment, boosting self-confidence and resilience.

Empowerment and Mastery

Children often use toys and symbolic play to represent their experiences, fears, and aspirations, allowing the therapist to gain insight into their inner world and provide appropriate support and intervention.

Symbolic Representation

Therapeutic play encourages imagination and creativity, providing children with opportunities for exploration, fantasy, and role-play, which can foster cognitive development and problem-solving skills.

Imagination and Creativity

Engaging in play can help children regulate their emotions and release pent-up feelings in a safe and constructive manner, reducing anxiety and promoting emotional well-being.

Emotional Regulation

Therapeutic play allows children to express themselves nonverbally through toys, art materials, and other creative mediums, making it particularly beneficial for children who may have difficulty verbalizing their feelings.

Nonverbal Expression

As parents and caregivers, you want what’s best for your children, but sometimes it can be challenging to navigate the complexities of adolescence. Teenage years are often marked by significant emotional, social, and cognitive changes, and it’s not uncommon for teenagers to experience difficulties in coping with these transitions. This is where therapy can play a crucial role in supporting your teenager’s mental health and overall well-being.

Therapy for Teens

Healthy relationships are essential for teenagers’ emotional well-being. Therapy can help teenagers develop the skills necessary for building and maintaining positive relationships with family members, friends, romantic partners, and peers.

Fostering Healthy Relationships

Adolescence is often characterized by experimentation and risk-taking behavior. Therapy can help teenagers develop healthier coping strategies and decision-making skills, reducing the likelihood of engaging in harmful behaviors such as substance abuse, self-harm, or risky sexual activity.

Building Healthy Coping Strategies

Effective communication is essential for healthy relationships, but it’s a skill that many teenagers are still developing. Therapy offers teenagers the opportunity to practice expressing their thoughts and feelings in a constructive manner, as well as learning how to listen and empathize with others.

Improving Communication Skills

Many teenagers may have experienced traumatic events or difficult circumstances that impact their mental health. Whether it’s bullying, family conflicts, divorce, loss, or abuse, therapy provides a supportive environment for teenagers to process their emotions, heal from past wounds, and develop resilience.

Processing Trauma and Difficult Experiences

The pressures of school, peer relationships, extracurricular activities, and family dynamics can all contribute to stress and anxiety in teenagers. Therapy equips teenagers with coping mechanisms and stress management techniques to navigate these challenges effectively. Additionally, therapists can help teenagers identify and address the underlying causes of their anxiety.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and identity formation. Teenagers may grapple with questions about who they are, where they fit in, and what they want for their future. Therapy provides a safe and non-judgmental space for teenagers to explore these questions, build self-awareness, and develop a positive sense of self-esteem.

Navigating Identity and Self-Esteem

A life-limiting or terminal diagnosis within the family or community or a new diagnosis causing stress, anxiety and fear

Preparing for and/or attending a funeral, memorial service, wake or burial

The death of a sibling, parent, grandparent or other significant person

Losing a loved one is one of the most challenging experiences a child can face. Children may struggle to understand and express their emotions, and they often require specialized support to cope with their grief effectively. Grief counseling for children provides a safe and nurturing environment where they can explore their feelings, receive validation and support, and learn healthy coping strategies. Grief counseling can help kids with major life events such as:

Grief Counseling

it’s not always easy knowing how to help your child

Parents may consider seeking therapy for their child when they observe behavioral, emotional, or developmental concerns that impact the child’s well-being, relationships, or functioning. Here are several situations in which a parent might decide to find a therapist for their child:

When to consider Therapy for your child

Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and identity formation. Teenagers may grapple with questions about who they are, where they fit in, and what they want for their future. Therapy provides a safe and non-judgmental space for teenagers to explore these questions, build self-awareness, and develop a positive sense of self-esteem.

Signs of emotional distress such as frequent sadness, mood swings, excessive worrying, fearfulness, or tearfulness could indicate the need for therapeutic support.

Major life changes such as divorce, relocation, loss of a loved one, or parental separation may necessitate therapy to help the child cope with the associated stress and adjustment difficulties.

Persistent academic difficulties, learning disabilities, attention deficits, or issues with concentration and focus may warrant assessment and support from a therapist.

Trouble making friends, difficulty with social skills, social withdrawal, or bullying experiences.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders or depression, such as excessive worry, panic attacks, low mood, or loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.

Persistent low self-esteem, negative self-image, or self-critical thoughts can interfere with a child’s overall well-being.

Ongoing family conflicts, parental separation, divorce, or blended family issues can create stress and emotional turmoil for a child, making therapy a helpful resource for processing emotions and improving family dynamics.

Chronic physical complaints such as headaches, stomachaches, or other somatic symptoms without a medical cause may be related to underlying psychological distress.

As a Child Life Specialist with over two decades of working in medical settings, the importance of providing developmentally appropriate information, support, and coping strategies for children cannot be understated. Children need their medical procedures, tests, or treatments explained in a way that is age-appropriate, accurate, and easy to understand. Using child-friendly language, visuals, and demonstrations demystifies medical terminology and help children know what to expect during their visit or on the path of their new diagnosis.

Children, like adults, experience grief in response to loss, but they may express it differently due to their developmental stage, limited understanding of death, and varying coping mechanisms. Children may struggle to comprehend the finality of death or the reasons behind the loss. Grief counseling helps them understand and process their feelings of sadness, confusion, anger, and guilt in a supportive and age-appropriate manner. Children may find it challenging to express their emotions verbally. Grief counseling provides a safe space for them to express their feelings through play, art, storytelling, or other creative methods, allowing them to explore and process their grief in ways that feel natural to them.