Children and teens come to see me because they struggle with relationships, behaviors and moods. In my work with children and teens I determine where I can help them make improvements. I will often involve family members and their school where indicated. I use a variety of methods such as play, art, pretending, and workbooks in order for them to talk about their struggles and to help find solutions.
Many children under the age of 12 will engage in something called play and art therapy with their therapist. While there are a few different types of play therapy, the philosophy rests in the notion that the child will process their inner tension/conflicts through creatively playing or doing art work with the therapist. While an adult might sit on a sofa to talk about what ails them, this is not the best approach for working with a child or teen.
Play and art therapy (in their varying forms) are dynamic, creative, evidenced-based approaches in working with children. Art is also introduced to children and teens as a means of self-expression, acquiring problem solving skills and for promoting open communication.
I work with children who are 10 and older both in English and Spanish using Telehealth.
The benefits of child or teen therapy include:
- encourages self-expression
- develops self-confidence
- cultivates problem solving skills
- develops social skills
- restores appropriate behaviors
- promotes open communication
- facilitates healing from past stressful or traumatic experiences
- teaches appropriate expression of feelings
- allows the development of healthy decision-making skills
- enables the communication of problems and concerns to others
- supports the learning of new ways of thinking and behaving
