Services Offered
Play Therapy
Many children struggle with how to handle difficult emotions or manage and cope with stressful situations. Play therapy offers a developmentally appropriate type of therapy for children to make sense of those tough moments, build resiliency and a stronger sense of self.
I primarily utilize Child Centered Play Therapy in my work with children. Child Centered Play Therapy is a non-directive therapeutic approach in which the child leads the way. In this setting, children will find appropriate ways to cope with unresolved feelings and they can learn they are responsible for their own behavior.
Children are still learning to understand their emotions, so it’s completely normal for them to have a hard time putting their feelings into words or expressing them in ways that seem appropriate. Child Centered Play Therapy removes the pressure of finding the right words and allows the therapist to communicate and understand the child in their language, which is play.
Parent Coaching
Sometimes, the behavior a child exhibits can be a lot to handle. Your child’s dysregulation and stress can then cause you to feel dysregulated and stressed. These behaviors are hard!
Together, we can work on understanding the underlying need or reason that you are seeing the behaviors you are seeing in your child. We can develop and use some X-ray goggles to find out what is actually happening underneath. In this way, we can address the core need and nervous system perspective and move away from the whack-a-mole of trying to deal with one behavior after another.
Or maybe you’d like to learn more about how to play and connect with your child. Play doesn’t always come naturally, and it’s completely normal for it to feel a bit awkward or unfamiliar at first! Through Filial Therapy, I can help teach you some of the skills I use in the playroom, and with dedicated one-on-one time with your child, you’ll be able to practice these skills and have deeper connection and feel more comfortable playing with your child.
I also provide support to new parents who want to begin to be aware and cultivate co-regulation with their baby or young child and increase connection and attachment.
Individual Therapy
While my main focus is work with children and families, I am passionate about women’s mental health. Women face unique challenges when it comes to mental health. From hormonal changes to societal pressures, many factors can impact a woman’s emotional well-being throughout her life.
Women are also more likely to experience trauma, which can deeply affect mental health. In addition, many women struggle silently with unrealistic expectations about how they “should” look, feel, or parent.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked with many women during the transition from late teen to adulthood. This can be uniquely complex and deeply impacted by a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and biological factors. This period—often marked by changes such as starting college, entering the workforce, forming adult relationships, and gaining independence—can bring both opportunity and stress.