Child Therapy

All children encounter situations that challenge and destabilize their natural balance as they go through life. 

Most of these events are minor and children naturally steer themselves towards health. However, there are times when family transitions or other traumas impact children more significantly.

In these instances, children and their parents sometimes find it difficult to move forward and can benefit from outside intervention.

I offer developmentally appropriate play therapy for children, as well as parent coaching, tailored to meet the specific needs of each family.

About Play Therapy

Play is a vital part of the developmental process and helps orient children to the world around them. It is a natural form of communication through which children convey their experiences, needs and wants.

Through play, children are given the opportunity to

• Explore their emotions

• Act out negative experiences and hurts

• Gain insight into how to manage these feelings and develop coping skills

Child-centered play therapy is one of the most thoroughly researched models of psychotherapy. This form of therapy meets the child at his developmental stage, specifically taking into account the child’s emotional, cognitive and verbal abilities.

The goal of play therapy is to guide a child towards healing and steer her back towards normal development following a traumatic (minor to major) life event or to help a child accept and cope with circumstances that may endure a lifetime. 

When children are exposed to a positive therapeutic process, they learn coping skills to heal from past experiences and better manage future life challenges.

“Play is a child’s work” ~Alfred Adler

Adolescent Therapy

I provide a safe place for teenagers to explore their identity and deep, powerful feelings, confront the challenges of this developmental stage and move towards healthy engagement at home, school and within themselves. Therapy might include conversations, art interventions and mindfulness. I may recommend writing assignments, reading a book or watching a film. While confidentiality is crucial to the therapeutic relationship, I believe it is important to engage and include parents in this process. I often request that we meet periodically as a family or with parents.

“When we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.” ~Fred Rogers

Family Therapy & Parent Coaching

There are times when family dynamics become unproductive and unhealthy. I meet with families to help stabilize the family unit and reconnect individual relationships. My clinical focus is foremost on helping parents understand the underlying messages of children, who often act out or withdraw as a means of communicating how they feel. I aim to help parents and children improve communication and resolve conflict through understanding how development might be at play, problem solving skills and attuning and connecting to each other.

“People start to heal the moment they feel heard.” ~Cheryl Richardson

Pricing

Fees $120/hour

I do have a sliding scale for those who need it.

I do not accept insurance but I can provide a receipt of service for you to submit to your insurance company. You may want to check with your insurance regarding out of network providers and coverage.

24-hour notice for all cancellations or you will incur a $50 cancellation fee.