Individual Therapy
for Children
Brooklyn-based therapy practice helping children to grow and heal across the lifespan
Specializing in treating anxiety, depression and trauma
Serving adult survivors of childhood trauma struggling with lifelong patterns in relationships.
Supporting families in the community for over 15 years
Parents I work with commonly express concerns for their child’s adjustment after major life changes, including death of an important person, adjustment after a divorce, relocation, or changing schools.
I work with children and adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, executive functioning and time management concerns, separation and attachment concerns, and difficulty with relationships.
As parents, we are familiar with worrying about our children, often from the moment we know they will be coming into the world. Parents today are inundated with information from the internet, social media, our children’s schools, coaches and related professionals. While most of this information is well meaning, or meant to be educational, it can often be vague, misguided, or difficult to apply meaningfully without professional support. When you see a change in your child, it may be hard to know when to consult a professional. In my experience, parents typically have thought about whether or not to contact a professional for some time before they finally do. If you are struggling with understanding a change in your child, or have had a long standing concern that hasn’t resolved or that you worry is no longer developmentally appropriate, you may benefit from a consultation with a child psychologist. I offer a 20 minute complimentary phone consultation to discuss your concerns ahead of booking an appointment so that we can assess whether I am the best fit to work with your child, and to discuss how I might support your family with my practice.
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Some of the concerns commonly expressed by parents of the children that I work with include:
“My child is entering late elementary school or transitioning to middle school, and they are struggling with their emotions more than they ever have.”
“My child is relying on me too much to help them regulate or cope. Now that they are getting older, I am worried that they are not independent enough.”
“I’m struggling to help my child with their anxiety and manage the anxiety of myself or other family members.”
“I’m worried my child is ‘too’ sensitive.”
“I worry that my child’s ‘meltdowns’ aren’t appropriate for their age, or the situation.”
“My child is struggling making friends. They’re a great kid, but they just struggle to connect.”
“I’m concerned about medication, I want to work through therapy first.”
“My child or teen has become irritable or moody all of a sudden!”
Each session with children is as unique as that child and the needs they have for support and treatment.
I integrate techniques and skills from a variety of types of treatment including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, play therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and psychodynamic talk therapy in order to best support each child and family that I work with. Whether you are concerned that your child is newly struggling, or you have already begun your journey and have had your child evaluated or treated before, therapy for children is multifaceted and includes building the therapeutic relationship, assessing and supporting child’s development through the interactions in session, offering validation and support, as well as psychoeducation about the way our minds and bodies work together, in order to empower children to understand their own experiences. Many children benefit from a relationship with a therapist, whether they are experiencing developmentally appropriate concerns, or are learning to navigate and understand symptoms that require more serious clinical support, such as mood symptoms, trauma, anxiety and learning difficulties.
Common concerns addressed in child therapy:
Diagnostic clarity
Assessing for educational fit and advocating for school support
Parent consultation and support to facilitate effective parenting strategies
Support identity development and strengthening self esteem
Supporting growth of resilience, coping and emotion regulation
Support interpersonal effectiveness including assertiveness
Intervening after trauma
Support through major transitions such as entering middle or high school, starting or finishing college, entering young adulthood
Support of parent-child relationship, repair after conflict
