For a child/teen, it can feel as if each year, month, & sometimes day-to-day, they are learning, growing, thinking, & feeling in new ways that they had not been aware of previously. They may experience situational difficulties that are time-limited, or experience major life changes that may prove to create life-long challenges. Surprisingly, at times, even positive encounters can cause stress.
Professionally, I have gained experience as a psychotherapist in numerous environments (elementary & high school, community centers, juvenile hall, day care, and other locations), supporting children/teens with a myriad of mental health topics: neurodivergence & ADHD, anxiety disorders, adapting to life changes such as divorce/moving/grief/etc., emotional & sexual abuse, human trafficking, and etc.
​
Working with children has always been a passion of mine throughout my life whether it be as a teenager volunteering on the Pediatric floor in my local hospital and later in a CNA program on the same Pediatric floor, being a dance instructor, a cheer coach, nurturing/having a watchful eye as a nanny, or one of the many other ways during my life. It makes sense that my journey has led me to suport/aid children attain a positive self-esteem/image & sense of self, release & move forward from past traumas, and more, via their own mental wellness & well-being.
Child/Teen psychotherapy is considered anyone 17 years of age and under. Child/Teen psychology encompasses a wide array of topics, from the genetic influences on behavior to the social pressures on development. It focuses on the mind and behavior from prenatal development through adolescent. Child/Teen psychology deals with not only how children & adolescents grow physically, but with their mental, emotional, and social development, as well.
.png)
Your child/teen is a unique individual with different needs, preferences, goals, personalities, etc., and to engage with them utilizing a "one size fits all" approach will more than likely do them a disservice. As an integrative & holistic therapist, we will work together without any modality boundaries by incorporating a combination of different therapeutic approaches tailoring therapy to meet the needs of them, as an individual. Yet, if there is a specific approach you would like them to explore, we could discuss working solely under that is an option, as well.
​
As a starting point, I will begin with Person/Child-Centered therapy. This modality believes, for successful therapy to occur the rapport created by my interaction with your child/teen is of the utmost importance. We will work on exploring the use of research-based external coping skills, to use in conjunction with counseling strategies, to achieve a greater level of emotional and behavioral regulation. Some examples of coping skills include, but are not limited to, breathing techniques, nature sounds, laughter, and sensory stimulation. ​
.png)
There may be times in which the child’s parent(s)/guardian(s)/etc. will join in the session to work on the family dynamic (how the caregiver(s) and the child interact & communicate with one another). During these specific sessions, at times, I may support the dynamic as a "translator" working on healthy, supportive communication…If there is a moment within the session I can assist with “translating”/aiding the conversation towards healthy communication with different coping skills, I will. This is with the ideal end result being one in which the caregiver(s) and child/teen can speak without the use of myself, by utilizing the coping skills you attain within session. ​
