THERAPY WITH CHILDREN
One of my areas of specialty is providing treatment to children who are experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties. These symptoms may include:
anxiety/fears
sadness
temper tantrums
behavior problems at school or home
underperforming in school
aggressiveness
trauma, grief/loss
difficulty separating from caregivers
lying
difficulty getting along with peers
low self-esteem/insecurity
immaturity
trouble adjusting to divorce or a new sibling
"Play is a child's natural medium for self-expression" ~Virginia Axline
As a former preschool teacher, I understand the importance of making therapy a comfortable, engaging, and fun place for kids.
For younger children, I utilize play therapy where the child is able to express and work through their emotions and problems using their native language- play.
For older children, I incorporate play, creative activities and games with education and more traditional "talk" therapy methods to help address the underlying concern.
A collaborative partnership with parents is integral to any therapy with a child. I believe the best way to support a child is to support their parents, since parents are in fact, the most important healing forces in a child's life. When working with a child I will have regular individual meetings with parents in addition to joint time together with child and parents.
I have also received specialized training for treating children who experience significant anxiety or have histories of trauma or loss. My training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety and Exposure and Response Prevention aids in the treatment of anxiety-related conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), phobias/fears, generalized anxiety (chronic worrying), separation anxiety, social anxiety, and school phobia. I utilize Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) when working with children who have experienced trauma or significant loss.