YOU MAY FEEL FRUSTRATED SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT THERAPIST FOR YOUR CHILD. THERAPISTS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN--ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN--ARE HARD TO COME BY. WE AIM TO HELP THOSE FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO FIND THE RIGHT THERAPIST FOR THEIR CHILD. WE HAVE A PASSION FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND HAVE EXPERTISE IN PLAY THERAPY, EMDR, SANDTRAY, BEHAVIORAL, AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES THAT WORK BEST FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS.

As adults, we sometimes forget the difficulty of growing up. From being a young child, struggling with self-expression and regulating emotions to the teen years, where the expectation is to act like an adult with restrictions as our brains struggle to control impulses and seek instant gratification.

Perhaps you are comfortable seeking a therapist for your child as you are trying to do what is best, or perhaps seeking a therapist feels like you are failing in some way. To those feeling the latter, seeking a therapist does not equal failure. It is quite the opposite. It means you are seeking outside support to best aid your child and family.

We work with children ages 5+. No child is the same, and therefore, no therapy session is the same. As with adults, the basis of our work with children utilizes interpersonal neurobiology. We focus on what might be happening internally for the child and recognize where they are developmentally. When a child's nervous system is overwhelmed, they may be using outward actions to communicate what is going on within. In very young children, this may mean melting down or shutting down. In adolescents, this may appear as "rebellion" or turning away from family. 

COLLABORATION

We encourage parents to be involved in the therapy process. When kids have a secure base at home, change happens more rapidly. Sometimes, we don’t recognize how we perpetuate our own trauma cycle within our kids. Trauma typically takes 3 generations to heal.

We work with the whole family to heal intergenerational trauma. This allows for you and your child to heal together. Though teens may prefer privacy within the therapy process.

PLAY THERAPY

If you're coming to this website knowing little about play therapy, you might be wondering how play could help your child. We often place play down low on our to do lists. We may tell our children "go play" to quiet them as we try to get work done or make dinner. Perhaps you have structured play with your child in the form of family game night. How is playing a therapy intervention?

Child clients open up through play therapy. They are able to play out the thoughts they keep inside. Children are able express emotions and process emotions through play that otherwise lay hidden. They work through trauma and gain control. The 50-minutes of control they hold in the playroom carries through to the outside world so children are better able to feel in control of their emotions, and in turn, their lives.

We practice both directive and non-directive play therapy depending on the client. At the beginning of our therapeutic relationship, we will collaborate with parent and child to assess what is best for the particular child.Our approach is based on interpersonal neurobiology, focusing on how unpleasant memories can get stored in the brain and effect the body without our knowledge. These effects can range from a racing heart to freezing or fainting. Some of us see the effects play out in depression, anxiety, stress, or relationship trouble. It is important to know it is not your fault and it can get better. Many folks begin to feel better after bringing their issues to the surface.

We are a welcoming team who are sensitive to issues of culture, gender, and sexuality. Though these identifying factors might not correlate to your presenting problem, please know that we will take them in to account. Cultural responsiveness, gender openness, and being LGBTQIA+ trained and competent are pillars of our practice.