I work with kids from preschool through high school ages. Therapy can be a great place to help your child start to feel calmer, happier, more organized, and more confident.
I place a strong emphasis on family work in my practice, as I know that a child’s care givers are the most important people in their lives. Your involvement in the therapeutic process is essential to achieving therapeutic goals.
Therapy for kids and teens varies depending on the child’s age and the goals for therapy. I work with each family collaboratively to create an individualized plan that fits your needs. Look below to find general information on my approach to therapy for different ages. Then, give me a call or send me an email to learn more about how I can best help your family.
Preschool and Kindergarten
Play is the natural language of little ones. In therapy with preschoolers and kindergarteners, I use a family based approach to play therapy, drawing frequently from the Theraplay model. In my work with this age, parents participate in nearly every session and I have monthly parent only sessions to check in about progress.
To learn more about play therapy, click here.
Elementary School
For elementary schoolers, I use a variety of methods depending on the age and needs of the child. I continue to involve caregivers heavily in treatment, though I may have some sessions with only the child.
I will typically continue to use play therapy, including drawing from the Theraplay model. I may also incorporate sand tray therapy, mindfulness, biofeedback, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers are growing in the independence and this is reflected in my approach to therapy. With tweens and teens, I typically do a combination of individual sessions, family sessions, and caregiver sessions to meet the needs of the child.
Depending on the goals, I may focus on how to build stronger, healthy relationships, how to manage increasing workloads in school, how to better tune in to our bodies and emotions, or a variety of other areas.
For teens, I pull from models I use with adults and those I use with kids in order to tailor treatment for the stage of life of each client.