Early and middle childhood is a period of tremendous change. This is a phase of busy exploration and learning. Significant  cognitive, physical, psychological and emotional growth is taking place.  Often young children have difficulty regulating their emotions and behavior, leading to challenges both at home and at school.  

 

Parents typically need and benefit from both psychoeducation focused on practical strategies and emotional support to cope with the intense demands that come with parenting young children.  When children are having difficulties at home and/or school it can result in the child experiencing low self-esteem, difficulty with parental and sibling attachment, and peer relationships.  

 

Some children are contending with additional stressors, such as loss. grief, trauma, learning differences, and/or challenges with peer-related social skills. I use play, art, and talk therapy with younger children. Collateral sessions with parents are scheduled as needed and I remain in regular contact to collaborate on behalf of the child.

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Preadolescence and adolescence is also a period of tremendous change.  It is an exciting, confusing, and challenging time.  This is a phase of exploration and significant  cognitive, physical, psychological and emotional growth.  The search for identity is the primary developmental task for the adolescent.  This period can be difficult to navigate for both parents and the adolescent, especially when adolescents engage in high risk behavior, struggle for greater independence, experience a decline in academic performance, and/or have peer related issues. Additionally, today's " tweens" and teens  are inundated with media and technology in ways that previous generations never experienced, which has led to an array of challenges for parents and teens.

 

Some adolescents are also contending with more complex issues such as loss, grief, trauma, substance abuse, self harm, body image, and/or mental health disorders.

 

 

                                                                             

 

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Family therapy allows your family to stop its unhealthy patterns and create new, functional patterns of

 interaction.  Family therapy will help provide new ways to interact as a family that enhance your relationships

 and help resolve conflicts.  My philosophy is based on a structural approach to family therapy, in which the family

 is viewed as a system, each person an integral part of the larger family system.  Each family has subsystems of

 sibling relationships, the parental relationship, and parent-child relationships that are important to consider when

 conducting family therapy.

 

 

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 Benefits of couples' therapy include increased satisfaction in multiple aspects of the relationship. My philosophy  for couples’ work draws from Gottman's research and theory and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. I use  specific exercises and skills to rebuild a couple’s connection, improve communication, manage conflict, and  negotiate to meet each partner’s needs. I help couples to reconnect and rediscover the core values of their  relationship…shared goals, mutual respect, trust and intimacy. 

 

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 It can be beneficial for the client to have the therapist collaborate with other professionals to coordinate  resources and care.  Assuming the client provides permission, I can provide the following:

 

• Classroom observation of your child      

• Consultation/planning with your child's teacher        

• Coordination of care with doctors/psychiatrists        

• Referrals to community resources