Therapy For Children and Adolescents
In addition to my experience in the medical field working with the adult population, I am also equipped with a wealth of knowledge and experience working with children of all ages. My work with children and adolescents includes: multi-faceted educational programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, social and emotional disorders, and mild to profound developmental disabilities; individual and group counseling; substance abuse issues; and family counseling. Moreover, I have experience working in the pediatric medical field, serving children and adolescents with chronic conditions and other comorbidities.
I advocate a unified approach to mental health and wellbeing and I offer clients a combination of different modality options. As I often tell my clients, therapy is not a “one size fits all” approach. I aim to establish an authentic partnership with clients and their families in order to tailor my methods and techniques to fit their unique situation. I truly believe in educating my clients not only about their mental health concerns but also how various negatives affect our minds and bodies. I encourage honesty, openness, empathy, compassion, and mutual trust. I check in with my clients regularly by asking, “How you and I are doing today; How do you feel about our work together?”
Therapy with children is somewhat different as children often express themselves through play and art. In my own practice I utilize mindfulness and cognitive therapies with children. For children who have experienced a traumatic history, loss, grief, or attachment issues, I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy. EMDR therapy is great for helping children to process underlying trauma, grief, sadness, anxiety, loss, and general discontentment. EMDR is a fairly quick therapy process with children, mostly because children hold less memories and images than adults, and so reprocessing can be much quicker for children than adults.
I help children and adolescents with the following concerns:
Behavioral Issues
Traumatic History
Grief and Loss
Chronic Conditions
Depression
Anxiety
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
PTSD
Reactive Attachment Disorder
Mood and Personality Disorders
Depression/Anxiety Due to Medical Condition
Social issues
Therapies offered:
EMDR
Play Therapy
Mindfulness (Yoga and Meditation)
Cognitive Therapies
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)