Therapy with Children

Everything mentioned in other sections applies to the therapeutic relationship with the child. The primary difference when working with children is that play is their language - their medium of communicating and processing what's percolating inside. I have fine-tuned a skill of figuring out how the child is experiencing life and use that to attune with the child, scaffolding from where they are to a life that works for them. This happens in a play-based setting where I primarily use a child-centered approach interwoven with rich interpersonal neurobiology.

Child-Centered
Play Therapy

Common reasons people seek support

In child-centered play therapy, a child takes the lead in the play space. The intentional setup allows them to choose toys and activities that reflect what's percolating inside, and through my responses as clinician, they very quickly realize it's a very safe space to "work on" (play out) what's percolating. Perhaps they feel like everything is unfair. This shows up in the play. Perhaps they feel like their world is chaos. This shows up in the play. Perhaps they've internalized that they're "a bad kid" ...you guessed it. This shows up in the play.

A neutralized narration of the activities demonstrate to the child how engaged I am in their world and ensures that I accept them regardless. Limits do get communicated, as needed, and is reinforced by their choice, but my acceptance of them is unconditional. This gives them the safety to work exactly where they are. Astute emotional reflection of what they're feeling behind the what they're doing lights up their mirror neurons - this means not only do they feel seen and understood but it also engages their internal co-regulation.

This process (along with a lot of other steps not explained here) meets the child exactly where they're at, working from what they're capable in any given moment of working on. This is only the lightest of summaries of child If you're interested in learning more, Dr. Brenna Hicks has a podcast specifically for parents. The initial episodes are great for starting with the basics!

Bottom Up Approach:
Interpersonal Neurobiology

Interpersonal neurobiology recognizes the relationship between the mind/nervous system and our connection with others. This very intricate system maps like a constellation with any number of variables of a situation, including but not limited to the presence of the other person and what is detected from them (their tone, their eye contact, their body movements, their breathing, their proximity, their words), sensorial input from the other person and the environment and what those sensory variables uniquely mean (ex. cleaning spray could mean calm or could mean a caregiver is in a mood that feels overwhelming to the child), internalizations associated with the scenario (ex. I am so loved, or I always mess up). Each of these variables light up a the constellation of nervous system reaction. Understanding the depth and complexity of a kiddo's (and our own!) reactions offers us the ability to adjust and employ the "ingredients" necessary for mitigating dysregulation, prevention of dysregulation, and ultimately towards more predictable regulation.

Educating the child and the family on this process throughout the therapeutic work together empowers everyone on coregulation during childhood and initiates the path for lifelong regulation. This is just a snippet of this interpersonal neurobiology. If you're interested in jumping in to more, Robyn Gobbel's materials are fantastic! I recommend starting with her book Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors.

Here are some common reasons people seek support through play therapy:

Note: Diagnostic or pathological terms are used here only to communicate what people have expressed in seeking support, not to assume clinical diagnosis nor that one is necessary to pursue.

"behaviors" (maybe you just notice using that word a lot? just need a little help figuring things out)
big reactions that don't seem to match the situation
frequent or intense dysregulation
teachers have hinted at or outright suggested getting a little support
social complications
child(ren) going through a household separation
anxiety
depression
mood that just seems "off"
child acts as if everything happens to them, not seeming to be aware that they have influence over their situation
externalizing behaviors, i.e. when the child detects things are "not okay" the child acts externally, ex. with physical or verbal aggression
internalizing behaviors, i.e. when the child detects things are "not okay" the child responds internally, ex. self-deprecation
impulse control
executive functioning - ex. child forgets that they were getting their shoes on 15 seconds after they head for their shoes
teachers suspecting ADHD
sensory issues
lots of sadness, suspicion of depression
nervousness, nervous behaviors, anxious tendencies, anxiety
nightmares
habits that can be unhealthy (ex. lip biting)
hurting oneself, especially in reaction to unbearable feelings
refusal to go to school or concerns about integration
physical aggression, violence, "scary" behavior
sibling conflict that feels beyond manageable or healthy
teachers or loved ones mentioning terms such as PDA or ODD
how to support a child with neurodivergence
parenting with neurodivergence
Autism
trauma
grief, loss
strengthening the family system

So What Does That Look Like in Action?

Sessions are just under an hour - usually about 45 minutes with the child and often the last 5-10 minutes reconvened with the caregiver.
In-person at 3407 W Slaughter Lane (some virtual sessions are considered)
Private pay fee is $150/session, calculated accordingly for longer sessions if warranted (ex. $225 for 90 minutes). I am In Network with Aetna and Curative insurances. I am happy to provide superbills for you to request any reimbursement from other insurance companies - their response will depend on their policy for your coverage. I expect to be in network with other major insurance companies by late spring to early summer.

We often create "challenges" (aka homework, but we'll never use that term!) to reinforce/practice in-session concepts/strategies out of session. These are offered, not required.

Caregiver Sessions are highly encouraged! Evidence (and my experience) shows that caregiver involvement in the therapeutic process cultivates the most robust, long-lasting results. Ideally these are held every 4-6 weeks.

I am confident and comfortable working with school staff, observing in school settings, contributing in the development of school behavior plans, and collaborating with other professional providers. The first two hours of collaboration are at no additional fee.

Many families choose to seek evaluations from clinical psychologists. I am happy to educate on options and facilitate this process.

There are some occasions that it might be helpful to have sessions off-site, which is an option at the normal session fee, plus a possible travel fee depending on the distance.

Next steps?

Text, call, or email to make an initial consultation! That's fancy speak for a hearty phone call (no charge) to go over your personal situation and how my services might be of help. If it doesn't seem like a good fit, I'm happy to provide some help in finding someone who is.