How can therapy help my child?

Therapy is a place in which your child, at regular intervals, goes to be with an individual sworn to confidentiality in order to examine their struggles, their life, their self  in a way that is productive and actionable. Therapy helps a child conceptualize, then actualize their best, most fulfilling version of themselves and their life. Whatever you and your child are navigating, therapy can help steer the ship to smoother waters.

What is Play Therapy?

Play is the language that everyone implicitly knows. It is not taught but it is practiced by children every day. Most children under a certain age won’t be able to say “I’m feeling sad because ____, and here’s what I’ll do to address that.” but through play, a child can articulate any feeling. That is to say A child’s play often contains their experiences, reactions, values, thoughts and emotions. With a trained professional there to help process all of this, the child is given a greater awareness and understanding of themselves and their effect on the world around them, and that helps them navigate that world better.

What is Strengths-Based Therapy?

Strengths-Based therapy centers on both therapist and client understanding the client’s unique skills and capabilities. Once the client is aware of their strengths, they are empowered to express them to create the sense of agency, confidence, and self-efficacy they need to navigate their individual challenges. When a child first comes to therapy they are often not aware of their strengths. They may feel a sense of powerlessness when faced with life’s transitions and troubles. Recognition of their innate strengths lets them use those strengths as tools to help navigate those transitions. When they are successful in utilizing these strengths, it makes them feel confident to face any problem they encounter!

What is Existential Therapy?

What isn’t? But in all seriousness, the Existential approach is for any client grappling with the issues we all face–Death, Isolation, Meaninglessness, and Responsibility. As two ships on the same vast ocean, we will explore what a meaningful life full of deep connections and rewarding responsibility looks like. I find this approach to be especially effective for teens and ten-agers (ages 10-12) who are in the process of understanding and defining themselves as well as their future.

What does the first appointment look like?

First, I like to have an hour long conversation with any caregivers in the home, without the child. This is to help me understand your therapeutic goals for your child, as well as all the important context that surrounds them; your child’s history, your parenting style, your family’s structure, your child’s strengths etc. We can have this meeting virtually or in person, dealer’s choice. After this meeting, I’ll meet and start to build rapport with your child.

How long is each session?

50 minutes, generally. Longer if I feel like we’re in the middle of an important therapeutic moment that we have to see through, and perhaps shorter if your child has done some really hard work and is feeling a little burnt out. For younger children, I may have to end our session at the 45 minute mark to make sure the room is tidy and ready for the next client.

How often are the concurrent parent sessions?

This will often depend on the therapeutic goals of the family as well as the age and maturity of the child. If the therapeutic goal is behavioral and the child is 6 or 7 years old, we can meet every 3 sessions to discuss the frequency and severity of the behavior and adjust the treatment plan if we need to. If your child is 14 and just needs a place to process the ever changing landscape of their life, we may check in every few months. Short answer: it depends, but if you ever want to meet about your child’s care, we can arrange it.

What is your cancellation policy?

I do ask that you give me 24 hours notice if you can’t make it to session. That said, I understand that things come up, so everyone gets one freebie. Generally, I will only charge you for a missed session if I feel it’s a pattern, or if it was a no-call no-show. I’ll always let you know before I charge you for a missed session.

Do you accept insurance?

Not at this time. I am able to provide super bills for insurance claiming purposes. For those who can’t pay my full rate I am happy to offer a sliding scale rate, as I don’t want finances to be a reason families can’t get the care they need. If you would like to have a sliding scale rate, just let me know and we’ll work to find a sustainable rate for your family.

How often do we need to see you for therapy?

In the beginning, I feel it’s important for me to see my clients once per week so we can build our initial rapport. Once we have built rapport and we’ve seen progress on your child’s therapeutic goals, we can discuss moving to every other week, or on an as-needed basis.