Child Therapy

Many children have difficulties and/or behave in ways that are hard for their parents and other adults to understand. At the same time children have not developed to the point where they can always know or say how they feel. It’s much easier to know if a child has a fever or a bellyache, but much harder to know whether a child has an emotional difficulty. Excessive anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, or a sudden change in a child’s behavior, are signs that a child may need child therapy. Some troubles and behaviors go away as the child reaches the next developmental stage. When a trouble or behavior continues, however, a mental health professional can evaluate the child, make recommendations and referrals, and provide treatment if appropriate.

What to expect:
When parents contact me, I usually ask them to come in to discuss their concerns. If we agree the child should be evaluated, I will meet with them several times and use child play therapy as well as developmentally appropriate interview techniques to understand their difficulties. I will then invite the parents to come in to discuss my evaluation. Recommendations may include further assessment, psychotherapy, and/or referral to a specialist. If therapy is needed and we agree, I will meet with the child once or twice a week and with the parents one or twice a month. It is important for parents to be involved in their child’s treatment by participating in the parent sessions. Depending on the child’s needs, treatment may be brief (fewer than 20 sessions) or longer-term.