Specialties: Child Therapy, Parent Coaching,
& Family Therapy
Therapy for children and teensNothing is more difficult for a parent than knowing your child is struggling. Often this is when you most need guidance on how to best respond to and support your child. J&L Psychology offers therapy for children and teens, coaching for parents, and services for the entire family.
It is widely acknowledged that early intervention for children and teens experiencing anxiety, depression, or behavioral challenges can have long-term impact. By learning tools to express emotions and manage behaviors, kids are better able to handle daily challenges, get along with peers, listen and follow rules, succeed in school, and feel more confident. We treat children as young as 2, customizing treatment approaches that are adapted to age, developmental level, and interests. For young children, we may use play therapy to get to know them and understand their feelings. Engaging a teenage patient might include video games and role playing. If your child is an artist, it is likely that therapy will involve a paintbrush and sketchbook. How we approach children & teensWe can help children or adolescents understand their feelings, find ways to express themselves, and handle frustrations. Together we will make sense of their experiences at school, with peers, and at home. They'll learn tools to cope, communicate, and thrive.
Treatment is considered a collaborative process. We regularly check in with parents to assess how their child is doing at home and at school. When appropriate, we will reach out to school personnel and other health care providers to gain a comprehensive understanding of how a child is doing in different settings. Our child therapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an approach to treatment that helps children understand their emotions and put words to their experiences. They learn coping strategies to deal with their daily stresses and techniques for how to tolerate frustrations and anxieties. Play therapy is designed for younger children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties. J&L clinicians also draw from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, which incorporates live coaching as parents and their children interact. We understand how important it is for parents to be involved in helping their children overcome challenges and reach their potential. Parents of younger children always are included in the treatment planning and process. With older teens, we often meet separately to give them a private, safe space in which to share their concerns while keeping parents informed of treatment goals and progress. Parents are offered guidance in how to connect, communicate, and set boundaries with their child to improve treatment outcomes.
Parent CoachingWouldn't it be great if children came with an instruction manual? We all try to do our best, but sometimes we do not know what to say or do. You probably have tried so hard to help your child, and it is upsetting to continue to see your child's anxieties and struggles worsen.
Regardless of whether we are treating your child, J&L providers also offer sessions for parents so you can openly share your frustrations or concerns and work together to figure out best parenting strategies to help your child. As we learn about what is happening, and understand your perspective and, when relevant, the perspectives of other family members, we will work with you to address your concerns. We also offer guidance on how to respond to and communicate with your child. For parents of younger children, we address issues such as discipline, sleep, tantrums, and peer behavior. Parents of older children often have concerns about their child's transition to independence, boundary-setting, attitudes, and relationships. We take into account your family situation, cultural background, and your unique concerns. We can help you figure out ways to approach parenting challenges and share in celebrating successes. We also address your parental stresses, frustrations, or guilt that may interfere with having the relationship you want with your child. Families come to us with a diverse set of issues, however, one theme is a constant: Families long for closeness. They seek treatment because they want more connection and less conflict. They want a home with less tension and more peace. They want to be happier together.
One family member or several may be struggling with anger, resentment, anxiety, depression, or other stresses. We are sensitive to the experiences of each family member and work to make it safe to have honest conversations about individual needs and collective support. The process could include referring family members for individual therapy, which J&L Psychology also can provide. We often learn about the patterns of conflict that keep families stuck. Observing patterns is the first step to changing them and developing different ways of relating to each other. We also understand that families often come to us at a particular time of distress and may bring with them a long history of unresolved conflicts and personal emotional pain. We work to understand these experiences, as well, and begin the process of repair. The pain of the past may be informing the present, but it does not have to determine the future. Families can get unstuck. Families can heal. J&L Psychology will help you and your family members learn new ways of getting along together. It is possible to talk more respectfully to each other, to voice your concerns openly, to be heard and understood. Spending more time together, and with less conflict, opens the door to greater emotional safety and deeper connections as a family unit. The healthier bonds you forge together remain with you long after treatment has ended. Learn more about Family Therapy Vertical Divider
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When to seek help
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