Turning growing pains into growing gains
Therapy for deeply feeling kids
Big feelings are wearing you and your child out.
You’ve tried to offer reassurance and support. You’ve tried enacting more structure and consequences; however, neither of these approachers are working. Bedtime, getting ready for school and homework time often result in tears and big feelings, leaving both you and your child drained and discouraged. You are increasingly hearing your child say negative things about themselves and are noticing that they aren’t playing with their friends the way they used to. Your concern is growing and you are running out of ideas.
You don’t have to support your child alone.
Child counseling with East Bay Counseling provides your child and family individualized, empathic, and effective support. Child therapy provides children an accepting space to explore their big feelings in a way that feels right to them and practice new, helpful coping tools. The result is increased resilience and confidence. Child counseling also includes tailored parenting support to help your child better able to apply what they are learning in child therapy sessions to home and school environments.
Your hope is that your child would flourish and develop inner strength. Let’s partner together and make this happen.
FAQs
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The first appointments are tailored to your child’s comfort and what works best for the family. Most families have found it to work best where the parent/caregiver meets with me first to give background information, share their hopes and goals for their child, and so I can equip caregivers to introduce the therapy process and what to expect to their child. Then in the second appointment, the child participates. The ultimate goal of these first appointment is for me to begin to understand your child’s and your family’s experience, as this understanding builds the foundation for me providing effective therapy services.
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My style is warm and collaborative. My hope is that #1 your child feels understood and heard and #2 your child achieve the successful outcomes they deserve. The sessions are tailored to what works best for the children I work with and their families. Some common ways that I work with children are using child centered play, an evidenced based therapy for children ages 3-11, inviting children to express feelings and practice coping strategies through play and art, and incorporating horses as a way to enhance the therapy experience.
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I believe listening, reflecting, and validating are important parts of the process. Neuroscience research supports that these actions help calm our nervous system, which allows us to learn better. With children this is often not done through talking, but engaging in play together. I am trained in child centered play therapy, an evidenced based therapy for kids ages 3-11. Children are provided structure, predictability, and empathy that allow them to work through their struggles and flourish.
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No, the research is clear caregiver and family involvement is important for successful child therapy outcomes. I want to collaborate and support caregivers and family members to help the child bridge what they are learning in therapy sessions to outside of the therapy session. Involving caregivers and family members is done in different ways, and again, is tailored to each family I work with’s unique needs and situations. Some examples are checking in with parents/caregivers without the child present regularly or inviting parents into some of the child sessions to collaborate with and learn what their child is working on. Parent involvement and support can be both synchronous (video, phone, in person) and asynchronous (email, sending of helpful written video and audio resources).