Kids Deserve Specialized Therapy!

Kids Deserve Specialized Therapy!

The needs of children and teenagers are completely unique from that of an adult. Their minds, bodies and souls function on a different plane and I find most children feel much more deeply than we give them credit for. Because of their specialized needs, I believe they deserve a specialized space for their healing and growth tailored for them.

As a former Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), I have specialized training and expertise working with children and teens through life’s most difficult health and mental health moments. I have also worked as a pediatric in-patient Social Worker at Rady Children’s and Sharp Mesa Vista, as well as in pediatric outpatient mental health at San Diego Family Care. I use these experiences and trainings to guide my work in my private practice.

Lastly, as a parent, I understand the importance of incorporating guardians into therapy and will work with you as you learn new ways to support your child too. We set our children up for success by teaching them that it is okay to ask for help from a young age, and that they are good and worthy no matter what challenges they face. Together, we can build a strong foundation for your child to thrive and overcome any obstacles that may come their way.

Kids and Teen Specific Therapy Interventions

I am training in a multitude of evidenced based therapy modalities specifically for children. This allows me to get to know your child and chose the type of therapy that will be best suited to help them reach their goal.

  • IFS is a client-centered model of therapy. This means I follow the client’s expression about his/her parts and engage those parts as they appear. In IFS we believe all parts are welcome and inherently good, although sometimes misunderstood (very much like a child seeking attention in maladaptive ways). My job will be to help your child understand their parts and guide them towards finding their own inner peace.

    To learn more visit: https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/child-counseling-internal-family-systems-therapy

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidenced based form of treatment that involves bi-lateral stimulation to help reprocess childhood trauma. It has been proven effective on kids as young as 2 years old.

  • "TF-CBT is a structured, short-term treatment model that effectively improves a range of trauma-related outcomes in 8-25 sessions with the child/adolescent and caregiver. Although TF-CBT is highly effective at improving youth posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnosis, a PTSD diagnosis is not required in order to receive this treatment. TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as improving the participating parent’s or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills, and supportive interactions with the child."

    To learn more visit: https://tfcbt.org/about/

  • Play is the language of children. Play therapy is therefore the most logical way for a therapist to come to the child’s level and speak in his or her own language.

    In this therapy, I view the use of as the child’s words, and the child is encouraged to explore their feelings, to understand and accept them and furthermore to process them using their imagination and creativity.

  • Creating art, viewing it, and talking about it provides a way for children (and adults!) to cope with emotional conflicts and increase self-awareness. It also lets them express unspoken and often unconscious concerns about their illness. As a therapist I use art and a client's visual representation of their challenges to help them understanding their behavior and work to resolve conflicts.

  • In addition to the above listed interventions specifically for children and teens I also pull from guided imagery, medical play for medical based concerns and many more interventions tailors to your child's specific needs