I can be helpful in many areas of common children’s issues, whether it be relational struggles, child-parent attachment concerns, behavioral challenges or adjustments to change or loss.  I am particularly experienced working with children who are exhibiting difficulties as a result of experiencing trauma.  I work with children of all ages, including those in the earliest years.  

Ages 0-6

With children aged 0-6, our sessions will include active involvement of parents, who I view as the ultimate experts on their child and also the best facilitators of lasting change.  With younger patients, I most rely on Dr. Alicia Lieberman’s model of therapy called Child-Parent Psychotherapy.

Ages 6-11

Treating older children may involve more individual sessions, or a combination of individual and parent sessions.  Alongside my usual focus of CBT, I will often integrate other various forms of therapy with older children, including art, talk, play, and more. The specific method of treatment will depend on my assessment of individual needs of child and family.  

Therapy Goals with Children

Some typical goals include helping children to experience, manage and express their emotions in healthy ways, to learn and execute appropriate behaviors/skills typically expected of them based on their age, and to form and maintain enjoyable relationships, both inside and outside their family system.    

When a child is experiencing difficulties, it is likely that the parent or other family members are suffering as well or as a result.  A child’s return to healthy functioning will no doubt have powerful effects on an adult’s own individual sense of well-being.  When both parent and child are feeling better inside, this inevitably improves daily parent-child interactions and increases overall feelings of delight in the parent-child relationship.