Child/Adolescent Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can help children and adolescents in developing new and effective skills for behaving, coping with feelings, and interacting with others. It is important to understand that a child’s behaviors may reflect challenges and experiences in different areas of their life. As such, my practice philosophy involves treating the whole child. Thus, in addition to meeting directly with your child, I actively communicate with parents, educators, and other professionals working with your child. I have expertise in using multiple treatment modalities with children and adolescents, and my treatment approach varies depending on his/her temperament, age, needs, and difficulties.

Parenting Support

Parenting is hard sometimes, and many parents feel stuck in figuring out how to help their child.  Parent-focused therapy sessions may be utilized to learn about your child’s diagnosis, solve problems, develop behavior modification plans, repair family relationships, and to help prevent problems from occurring in the future.

Adult Psychotherapy

Life can present challenges that are difficult to navigate, and sometimes it helps to have someone who can teach you how to look at the challenges in a new way and figure out how to get through them.  Depending on your stage in life, you may be facing transitions, loss, relationship difficulties, emotional struggles, or even traumatic events.  Psychotherapy can help adults explore and improve their emotional, behavioral, and relationship functioning. My approach to therapy is informed by cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and systems theories, and I tailor treatment to meet your individual needs.  

Family Therapy

Family therapy is rooted in the belief that what is happening to one member of the family system will have an impact on others in the family unit. I believe in the importance of a collaborative approach to figure out what is not working in your family and why. Facilitating a safe environment in which all family members are allowed to communicate is an important aspect of family therapy.  Family therapy provides an opportunity for all family members to come together and work through problems that are interfering with happiness in the home.

Consultation

Many people feel unsure about seeking psychological services for themselves, their child, or their family.  It is common to have questions about what course of action makes the most sense for your particular situation. In these cases, a consultation, during which we discuss behaviors of concern and develop a specific road map for treatment, is particularly helpful. Consultations also are advised if you are not certain whether your child’s behavior is age-appropriate or indicative of a problem that needs clinical attention.

Diagnostic Evaluation

Diagnostic evaluations can be conducted with children, teens, and adults. These are focused evaluations that help determine if an individual meets diagnostic criteria for ADHD, anxiety disorder, OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or another specific psychiatric diagnosis. Being able to pinpoint the nature and basis of a person’s emotional, academic, occupational, or behavioral difficulties can facilitate more effective treatment and offer guidance in terms decision-making. Additionally, with adolescents and adults, personality assessment can be utilized within the diagnostic evaluation to provide even deeper understanding of presenting problems and the individual’s approach to navigating life.