Child Therapy in Lafayette, CA
Maybe your child has trouble expressing feelings due to anxiety, depression, anger management, executive functioning difficulty, behavioral issues or oppositionality.
Techniques such as play therapy and behavior therapy can improve self-control and self-esteem, helping children navigate their feelings and actions more positively. Therapists help children manage and express their emotions effectively. My background in drama therapy particularly prepared me to speak the child’s language of play therapy, which is the way children express themselves, explore situations (sometimes through metaphor), and resolve problems.
I have spent 25 years working as a therapist in community children’s mental health clinics and schools, helping distressed children with complex emotional and behavioral challenges. I have also helped their exhausted families and developed a passion for parent therapy. The skills and strategies I teach are designed to help both the children who struggle with emotional and behavioral problems and their parents achieve success.
Child therapy plays a crucial role in supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of children and adolescents. It addresses a variety of issues that can significantly impact a child's development and quality of life. Therapists can help children manage and express their emotions effectively. Here are some of the key issues they commonly tackle:
Behavioral or Emotional Problems
Maybe your child is oppositional, has trouble taking directions, or is difficult, “sassy”, disrespectful or defiant. Sometimes sibling rivalry or jealousy causes significant sibling conflict or parental stress. School refusal, tantrums, or stubbornness may be the kind of behavioral issues you are facing. You might be seeking help with child compliance and more effective discipline.
Self esteem problems Some parents report that their child does not feel like they deserve good things, has trouble with self esteem or does not feel “good enough”. They may be seeking help with the development of coping skills and improved self-esteem.
Assertive Communication
Sometimes parents are simply seeking a place where the goal is the expression of the child’s feelings in a “safe place” or through having a “safe person” to talk to. They might be seeking a therapist’s help for their child to develop tools to deal with thoughts and feelings in healthy ways.
Anxiety
Parents sometimes seek therapy for a child in order for them to learn coping tools to deal with feelings of fear and anxiety. Anxiety and the inability to express it can lead a child to lash out, or have problems with inattentiveness or social issues. It is quite common for an anxious child to insist on being in control, so parents often seek therapy to increase their flexibility. Sometimes anxiety manifests as separation anxiety where in the child struggles with adapting to new settings and clings to the parents or has difficulty self-soothing and falling asleep independently. Sometimes the child’s anxiety takes the form of Selective Mutism, Trichotilomania (hair pulling, picking at self, pulling out eyebrows and eyelashes), or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which involves rigidity and avoidance.
Depression and self esteem issues:
You may be seeking child therapy to help your child “enjoy happy moments in life”. Maybe you just want them to know that you care and want what is best for them, that their family loves and supports them. Some parents worry when their child talks about wanting to die or even threatens to (or acts on a desire to) hurt themselves. Maybe you just want to get your child out of their funk”.
Other Emotional issues that therapists mention when seeking therapy are children having “Big emotions” or uncontrollable emotional outbursts with lots of screaming and yelling, or difficulty with emotional regulation and anger problems
Social issues or academic Challenges
Issues related to school, such as bullying, academic pressure, or learning disabilities, are common concerns. Therapists assist children in coping with these stressors, which can affect their mental health and overall performance in school. Having worked in children’s community mental health for more than 20 years, I am thoroughly familiar with IEPs, having spent nearly half of my time there in the schools and supporting children around the challenges they faced there.
Developmental Disorders
Therapists sometimes address specific developmental issues, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. They use tailored strategies to help children manage their symptoms and improve their functioning in daily life.
ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. It is characterized by difficulties in paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, and in some cases, excessive activity. The symptoms of ADHD can vary across individuals and may include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It can impact various aspects of a person's life, including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning. ADHD is a medical condition that affects brain development and activity, leading to challenges in attention, sitting still, and self-control. It can affect children at school, at home, and in their friendships. For children with ADHD, managing their behavior can be challenging, and it's important to remember that they cannot control their behavior. Treatment options for ADHD may include child therapy, family therapy, parenting therapy, medications, and support at school.
Many children struggle with social interactions, which can lead to difficulties in forming friendships and maintaining relationships. Reasons for this can include friendship issues, low self-esteem or a lack of social confidence, shyness, or social skills deficits that are a symptom of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. I can help your child work on developing communication skills, build self-confidence, and enhance resilience, which are essential for healthy social interactions.
Not all children naturally learn to pick up social cues. Sometimes social skills training is needed. I provide this training in a unique and fun way. Having been trained as a drama therapist, I know that action and interaction is the way to really put these new skills into practice and I am relaxed and not afraid to look silly. I use education about social skills, combined with fun and playful interactive role-playing. Let’s put social skills into action
What about the rest of the family? My belief in positivity, as taught in the "nurtured heart approach" helps build self-esteem, in addition to the skills building aspect of treatment, I am happy to work with parents around how to further these skills both at home and in the community, as well. Also, siblings of children with special needs sometimes need some extra support and attention in order to function optimally.
Trauma, Abuse, and Grief
Children may have experienced trauma such as from abuse, neglect, or the loss of a loved one. Therapists provide a safe space for children to express their feelings and work through their grief or trauma, helping them to heal and move forward. As a trauma informed therapist, I know the importance of finding the optimal level of challenge and attuned listening post trauma and am comfortable navigating the healing process.
Some children are brought to therapy with gender identity-related issues and need a safe place to either explore their identity or their feelings, thoughts, needs, and relationships, or to build confidence, self-acceptance, or self esteem.
Family Dynamics and Changes, including Divorce
Significant life changes, such as divorce, the birth of a sibling, or family relocation, can be challenging for children. Therapists help children process these changes and improve family communication, ensuring that each member feels heard and supported. Through my experience of teaching at Kids Turn (for divorcing and separating families), I became especially skilled at supporting children and adolescents when their parents divorce. Some of the ways therapy can help around these issues are through reducing the child’s anxiety, improving problem solving skills, and helping children develop coping skills related to parental conflict.
Overall, child therapists address a wide range of issues that affect children's emotional, social, and academic well-being, providing essential support to help them navigate life's challenges.
I usually start with at least one parenting session, in order to connect with parents, learn what has been tried, and develop a treatment plan that will be most effective in your situation. In this session, I begin to assess your child's needs, provide recommendations, and teach positive parenting skills, using my uniquely directive, playful, and interactive approach. This collaboration is important in order to ensure the success of the child’s therapy. During this first session, parents typically report having learned something new and eye-opening that they are able to put into action right away. Although you may have had parenting classes in the past, my interactive style of teaching and reviewing theory tends to reinforce the application of these skills in a new way. Sometimes parents report experiencing such benefit from this parent coaching that they decide to shift to parenting work for awhile or altogether. When and if we decide that individual child therapy sessions are preferred, I will work with you to establish the optimal setting for your child’s sessions, and help to introduce your child to the experience and to me at their ideal pace. I will collaborate with you to fix any logistical problems that might arise. I am transparent about my methodology, while also maintaining your child's privacy.
Sessions with me are online. Although parents often express concern about this format, I have found that online sessions are every bit as successful as in person sessions are toward achieving our goals. I will work with the parents to establish the optimal setting for the session and use flexibility in collaborating with parents as the child’s needs might change or additional support or supervision be required.
Things can improve in your family and it is just a phone call away.
