It is my belief that children benefit most from a family-based approach to treatment interventions. As such, when working with children, the parents and/or caregivers are heavily involved in the treatment process.

Often, that takes the form of exploring family dynamics, educating parents and/or caregivers about emotional and behavioral issues and coping strategies, and assisting the family in developing a plan for addressing emotional and behavioral concerns in the home. The parents/caregivers also learn the skills their child is learning in therapy so that they may assist the child in implementing those skills in his or her day-to-day life.

The child spends his or her time with me discussing emotional concerns, learning about his or her feelings and behaviors, and learning strategies for coping with difficult feelings. Because play is the language of the child, I often employ playful techniques to engage the child in a manner that is age-appropriate and that allows the child to grasp difficult concepts more easily.