Being a parent is both challenging and rewarding at different stages of your child’s life. When your child is suffering and dealing with anxiety, stress and depression you are looking for help from a variety of sources such as friends, families, teachers. However, this may not be enough which is why you may be seeking our help at this time. While friends and family are a source of support, seeking a consultation with a professional who specializes with children and adolescent behaviors can provide solutions using evidence based techniques to assist you and your child with your struggles.

During the initial consultation, we take the time to get to know you, what issues and concerns you are facing, and what tactics you have tried already to make things better. This is also an opportunity for you and your child to get to know us and to see if we are a good fit for you and your family. We will discuss with you a sense of how we work, who we are so that your child can feel a sense of connection with us. It is important that we hear your story and your concerns, so that we can best help you navigate through this challenging time. As therapists, we use evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy and child/adolescent specific methods to help your child and your family. Most of the time, child and adolescent counseling includes a family therapy component. We utilize a systemic approach to treating children, meaning that we meet the important people in your child’s life and include them in the treatment plan, that way, we can all be on the same page to help your child or teen. In order to see the most effective changes in mood, behavior, thinking, and relationship interactions, parents and/or caregivers will be involved in some of the counseling process. We may recommend that you join us for part of the session, a family session, and/or a parenting support session. We have seen that children and adolescents make more timely and sustainable progress if we all work together. Children and Adolescents whom we treat come to us for a variety of reasons, including:

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Body image and weight issues
• Cutting and self-mutilation
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Family/life transitions (marriage, divorce, blended family, new sibling, move, new school, adoption/foster care)
• Relationship Concerns
• Self-Esteem
• Suicidal Ideation
• Identity issues

In sessions with us, your child or teen will do a variety of different activities that are specifically designed to meet his or her individual needs. Some children are very verbal and want to spend the session talking, while others are more artistic and might engage in art therapy activities. Younger children often use play as a way to communicate, so we will play and engage in evidenced-based therapeutic activities such as therapeutic games, storytelling, and skill-building activities. They may come out of session saying “that was not so bad” or they may even have fun at times. Therapy can also be emotional and bring up strong memories and old emotional wounds and we will work to balance your child’s individual needs within the therapeutic process so that they can heal, process, and grow. While therapy is hard work it can also be rewarding and we can help with this important process of healing and growth.