child therapy
Growing up in today's world can bring a different set of challenges than what adults experienced as kids. We offer therapy for children as young as three who need some extra support navigating the world and coping with stressors. Children don't have the cognitive ability to process experieneces the same way adults do, and that can cause confusion, behavioral problems, shame, and anxiety.
As children transition to pre-teen years, stress can dramatically increase with navigating the transition to middle school, going through puberty, using social media & technology, and trying to fit in. It can be downright exhausting.
Your child might be experiencing:
Worry or fear about the future
Generalized anxiety about bad things that could happen
Avoidance of "hard" things
Nightmares or bad dreams
Chronic stress
Loneliness
Overwhelm about new responsibilities
Conflict with peers, siblings, and/or teachers
Struggles adapting to changes in their bodies
Digestive issues
Physical complaints of stress/anxiety
Low frustration tolerance
Anger and/or irritability
Neurodivergent challenges
Lack of motivation
Physically acting out
Struggles to talk about feelings/emotions
Poor self-esteem
Perfectionism or struggles making mistakes
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Therapy for children looks different than adult or teen therapy. Instead of supporting children with traditional talk therapy, we meet children at their developmental level through therapies like play therapy, activity therapy, EMDR, somatic therapy, and/or animal assisted therapy.
Play therapy is typically used for children 3-9 years old and encompasses supporting children through their natural method of expression- play. Activity therapy is typically used for children 10+ and encompasses a variety of tools such as expressive arts, music, movement, games, and more.
Child therapy focuses on the child, but also includes parents. We encourage parents to be an active part of the therapy process, offering frequent parent meetings to provide resources, recommendations, and support for challenges at home or school. Research has shown therapy outcomes are better with parental participation.
What we help children with:
ADHD, autism, & neurodiversity
Adoption
Anxiety, depression, OCD
Anger & irritability
Attachment & relationship concerns
Birth trauma
Blended family dynamics
Bullying
Chronic pain & chronic illness
Developmental trauma
Divorce
Grief/loss
Identity development & exploration
Life transitions
Medical conditions
Prenatal or perinatal trauma
Social skills
Sibling dynamics
Trauma, PTSD, & Complex-PTSD
Therapy can help your child:
Identify and practice regulation skills
Build self-esteem/confidence
Work through stressors/concerns
Express feelings more openly
Build capacity for distress and frustration
Disrupt unhelpful coping patterns
Decrease behavioral outbursts and concerns
Move stuck trauma through the body
Foster a positive sense of self-worth and self-esteem
Cope with stress more effectively
Develop better self-care routines/rituals
Improve sleeping and eating behaviors
Decrease symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, & PTSD
Our therapy approaches
Activity therapy
Animal assisted therapy
Attachment based interventions/therapy
Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
EMDR
Expressive arts
Group therapy
Mindfulness based interventions/therapy
Music
Sand Tray Therapy
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Somatic Experential Play Therapy (SEPT)
Read more about our therapy approaches here
