Adults, Couples and Families
Children and Adolescents face their own unique challenges growing up. Therapy gives kids a safe place to explore their thoughts and feelings in developmentally appropriate ways. As many parents know, kids don’t always openly talk about their feelings. That’s why therapy for kids looks a little different. We utilize play therapy as a window into a child’s mind. Children naturally express and process their thoughts and feelings through play. What does play therapy look like? To the untrained eye it may not look any different than a child coloring, playing with a doll or creating a puppet show however so much more is going on. Children tend to act out what is bothering them or tell a story in their drawings or play that a therapist can then respond to. Parents play an active role in their child’s therapy and are given weekly updates so that they are aware of the progress and change that is taking place.
Adolescents are more capable of participating in traditional talk therapy and are also welcome to use other modalities to express their thoughts and feelings such as through art, journaling and poetry. I work with adolescents in helping them to express concerns and difficult emotions, build self esteem and confidence while learning ways to communicate needs and wants to others in a way where they are more likely to be heard and validated. Adolescents face a lot of tough challenges nowadays and in many ways have to grow up faster in today’s world. Therapy can help teens navigate through difficult choices and be a safe place to explore questions about who they are, what direction they are heading and how they can find their place in the world.
