Therapy for Children & Teens

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Why should my child/teen have individual sessions?

• You want your child to be more successful in school and extracurricular activities.
• Your teen is struggling with low self-esteem, getting down on themselves, or thinking that no one likes them.
• Your child is struggling with confidence, shyness or anxiety. 
• Your teen is making poor decisions with peers.
• There are constant struggles at home regarding siblings, homework, or other responsibilities. 
• Your child is going through big changes such as moving to a new city or new school, birth or death in the family, or parents divorcing. 

In my work with children & teens, I work collaboratively with the parents/caregivers.  Parents and caregivers know the child best, so it is imperative that a partnership is created. I focus on supporting your relationship with one another, as well as increasing your confidence in reading, responding to, and advocating for your child’s needs with others. Whenever possible, I will observe the child in their natural environment, with a focus on home and school. This will help us create a plan to support your child together. 

In order to best support you I build in regular parent sessions without the child present.  This allows us to talk freely about your goals, concerns, and your child’s history and progress without distraction.  It also gives you space to pause and reflect on your own experiences, what has been going well and what you would like to work on.  

Getting to regular therapy appointments with children and teens can be a challenge.  Sometimes parents worry that I won’t see the behaviors or the interactions that are most troubling during our sessions.  One way for me to see your child most clearly is to visit your home or their school.  In many cases, depending on distance, I am able to come to you for therapy or to offer sessions via a secure video portal.