Individual Therapy for Children

Your child might benefit from therapy if:

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• He/she is struggling with strong emotions such as frustration or anger that is difficult for them to control and to recover from.

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• He/she is struggling with feelings of worry and anxiety.  Triggers might include new situations and experiences; social situations; separating from parents/primary caregiver; going to school; nighttime fears; etc.

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• He/she is displaying problematic behaviors at home and/or at school such as defiance of rules or refusal to comply with commands.

 

• He/she is struggling with a life adjustment such as divorce; a death; a move or change of schools. 

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• He/she is struggling in their social interactions with peers such as connecting with peers or making and keeping friends. 

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In the context of individual therapy, I can help your child:

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• Learn to identify core emotions of themselves and others.​

• Learn to recognize their unique physical signs associated with their emotions.

• Identify specific triggers of negative emotions.

• Identify and take responsibility for the actions/behaviors that come along with their strong emotions.

• Identify and understand ways in which their actions/behaviors might be a problem for themselves and others.

• Learn about and gain increased awareness of dysfunctional or negative thoughts that might be contributing to strong, negative feelings.

• Learn a variety of coping skills including positive self-talk; thought challenging; helpful physical coping skills; relaxation and mindfulness skills; problem solving skills, etc.

• Learn how to face fears and gain increased confidence in the context of "exposure" therapy for anxiety.

• Gain increased self-esteem and confidence.

• Become more confident in how to handle and respond to difficult social situations.

• And much, much more.

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My Therapeutic Style / What to Expect:

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At your child's intake evaluation (first time appointment) I may meet with you and your child together or it is possible that I may ask to meet with you individually while I give your child something enjoyable to do in a separate room.  A primary purpose of an intake evaluation is to gather information.  I will be asking a lot of questions about your child's symptoms and behaviors and it is important to me that your child is not feel uncomfortable during this process.

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After gathering information, we will discuss recommendations and options for treatment.  My professional ethics are extremely important to me, therefore, I will always be honest with you in regards to treatment recommendations and feedback about how the therapy process is going.  I will be transparent with you regarding whether or not I believe that I would be the best fit, therapeutically, to work with your child.  I will be honest about whether I believe that working with your child or working directly with you would lend to the most powerful and rapid therapeutic change (please see Training for Parents under "Services."). I will also provide on-going feedback as to how your child is responding to therapy.  

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Once we have determined that individual therapy is appropriate for your child and the presenting concern, my initial goal in treatment will be to help your child feel comfortable in the therapeutic setting.  Children can experience a wide range of emotions and responses to coming to therapy.  Whether your child is excited and motivated; angry and shut down or nervous and uncomfortable, I am ready to meet your child where they are and do my best to make this a positive experience for them.  A goal that I strive towards is to make therapy creative and enjoyable - even while talking about painful or difficult topics.

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Specializations:

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• Anxiety Disorders 

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder​

  • Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Performance Anxiety

  • Separation Anxiety

  • Phobias

  • Panic Attacks / Panic Disorder

  • School avoidance / refusal

• Behavior problems or challenges ​​​

  • Opposition and defiance​

  • Behavior problems or challenges secondary to another mental health diagnoses such as ADHD or Anxiety.​

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Other diagnoses treated:

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• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Adjustment Disorders

• Depression

• Elimination Disorders

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