What I treat and how I work with you
I counsel 4-18 year olds who are feeling lost and adrift with anxiety, depression, behavior concerns, emotion dysregulation, anger, self harm, identity questions, and suicidal thoughts. I help provide a safe space for them to find alternative healthy ways of coping.
Symptoms I help Alleviate
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Your child feels tension, has trouble sleeping, has trouble focusing, etc. It is like they can never just relax.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help untangle the thoughts from our feelings or actions and create relief.
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Your child is experiencing lack of enjoyment in activities they used to enjoy, feel fatigued, have trouble concentrating, is irritable, etc.
I use Solution Focused Brief Therapy’s exception questions; because though there is sadness and pain, joy still is happening. And I utilize Dialectical Behavior Therapy’s opposite action to motivate change. Both help reframe the situation from a new perspective un-sticking the brain. While Cognitive Behavioral techniques assist in evaluating the experiences and events, guiding us to help find healthier ways to cope.
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Your child is running away from safe people, yelling, throwing, hitting, etc. Or sometimes shutting down and withdrawing.
I use Polyvagal, Play, and Art therapies to teach the child in a safe space to regulate and reconnect while we explore the underlying cause(s) of the behavior.
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Your child is feeling uncomfortable or distressed in who they present to the world or have stated they do not feel comfortable in their own skin. They long to understand who they are so they can truly belong. They may be avoiding mirrors or photos and hiding their body, with clothes or binders, etc
I use Person-Centered therapy focusing on accepting and affirming who you are, with CBT and Family Support counseling.
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Your child doesn’t want to be here, taking dangerous risks, withdrawing from friends, sleeping more.
I use Person-centered therapy to create a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental environment. I create safety and response planning with the child and/or family. Once stable we use interventions to address the underlying mental health concerns, see Depression & Self-Harm.
Next Steps…
Intake with Parents
I complete a full Intake Session with Parents only to gain an idea on what brings the child to therapy and any need to know history and background, such as when symptoms started, family history, etc.
2-3 Child Sessions
I then conduct 2-3 Individual sessions with your child to build rapport, gain their perspective of what brings them to therapy, and what they think would help them moving forward.
Parent Session
I then meet with the parents again to discuss initial impressions (not what their child has privately shared with me) and the recommended treatment approach and goals.
Treatment Plan Begins
If the treatment plan is agreed upon, we will proceed with a treatment plan, which may or may not include the child’s VIPs outside the home.
NOTE: If there are specific safety concerns at any time during therapy, those will be discussed openly and honestly with all parties. We cannot keep someone safe if any one of the team is in the dark. This approach ensures the child maintains privacy with me which helps build connection and safety while providing necessary information to flow to the parents so they can effectively support and care for their child.
Being a parent is hard when your child is struggling. You want to fix it for them.
Sometimes the best gift you can give them is a bigger raft of supportive people to help you both gain care and guidance.