Child Therapy
Support for Children with Big Feelings and Sensitive Nervous Systems
Is your child having a hard time with:
Changes in routine or environment?
Irritability, fears or anger that causes tension in your family?
School related stress or anxiety?
Behavior strategies like charts, consequences, rewards or time-outs that only seem to make things worse.
Parenting a child with big behaviors or a sensitive nervous system can be incredibly stressful and isolating. You may find yourself reacting instead of responding, and lying awake at night feeling regretful or unsure. Or maybe you’ve been overwhelmed by your child’s intense needs from the beginning—sorting through contradictory advice from doctors, family, and parenting experts without much clarity.
Meanwhile, the tension at home grows, and your worry for your child deepens.
You are not alone.
Even before COVID, children were showing rising rates of anxiety, depression, and chronic conditions like PANS/PANDAS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). Many neurodivergent children continue to face a mismatch between their needs and the environments they’re in—at school, in childcare, even in therapy.
Early stress and trauma are now known to be leading contributors to lifelong mental and physical health challenges. In children, this stress often shows up not just as anxiety or mood issues, but also as eating or sleep difficulties, digestive problems, hyperactivity, or aggression.
As Dr. Stephen Porges says, "Connection is a biological imperative." Our nervous systems are wired to connect, and children’s challenging behaviors are almost always their best attempts to feel safe, regulate their stress, or communicate needs.
If you feel like you’re walking on eggshells or struggling to understand your child’s behavior, therapy can help. A skilled child therapist provides a safe, judgment-free space where both you and your child can be seen and supported.
Children heal and grow within relationships and through play! That’s where we begin!
A Different Kind of Child Therapy: Relationship-Focused and Rooted in Safety
Maybe you’ve tried therapy before and left feeling frustrated or misunderstood. Perhaps you were handed a list of strategies that didn’t work—or made things worse.
With the right approach, healing and joy are still possible. I bring over 25 years of experience specializing in child development, attachment, trauma, and nervous system support. My approach draws on science, play, and deep respect for each child and family’s unique story.
We now know that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are powerful buffers against adversity. One of the strongest predictors of a child’s resilience is a warm, supportive relationship with a parent. That’s why my therapy is grounded in strengthening that parent-child bond—and equipping you to be your child’s best advocate and co-regulator.
My Approach is:
Collaborative – You know your child best. I work closely with you as a partner, not just an observer.
Relationship-Centered – I care deeply about the relationships we’re building together—between you and your child, and between us.
Holistic – We consider the whole child in the context of their relationships, story, sensory needs, environments, culture and daily life.
Respectful - Humans vary in many ways but we also share similarities in how development progresses. Our work together honors that and includes both “body-up” (SSP, Theraplay-inspired, expressive and sensory) activities and “top-down” (talking, teaching, practicing) strategies, depending on stage and energy level.
Together, we’ll look for the root causes and triggers behind the behavior—not just how to stop it. By gathering history, observing patterns, and reflecting together, we co-create a plan to support your child’s unique needs.
What Sessions Look Like
I often use a blend of parent-child play therapy and parent coaching. Sessions are active, sensory-rich, and often include tools like balloons, stretchy fabric, music, sand, and movement. Through play, your child reveals their inner world, and we practice new experiences that support connection, co-regulation, and growth.
Parents are essential to this process. What happens one hour a week in therapy is a foundation for the numerous daily interactions that truly shape your child’s development. Many of our activities can be woven into your family’s everyday life.
I also schedule regular parent coaching sessions without your child present. These are vital opportunities to:
Discuss goals and progress
Reflect on parenting challenges
Strengthen your confidence and clarity
In some cases, we may determine that individual child sessions are needed. If so, we’ll continue meeting regularly for parent coaching, so you remain an empowered part of your child’s healing process.
If transportation, distance, or privacy are challenges, I offer:
Home visits
School or daycare observations
Telehealth sessions via a secure portal
Through Our Work Together, You Can Expect To:
✅ Experience more playfulness, ease, and connection with your child.
✅ Feel confident using tools to handle stress and future challenges.
✅ Advocate effectively for your child with providers and educators.
✅ See your child’s sense of trust, curiosity, and confidence grow.
Why Work With Me?
I bring over 30 years of experience with young children and families—as a therapist, consultant, and educator. My background includes diverse training beyond social work and child development, including, infant mental health, nutrition, music and movement, relational neuroscience including polyvagal theory, trauma, and infant massage. I also bring lived experience as someone with a sensitive nervous system, and as a parent.
I know what it’s like to navigate this terrain—and I’m here to walk alongside you with care, insight, and hope. [Read more about me HERE.]
You May Still Have Questions…
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Even babies benefit from therapeutic support—because their healing happens in connection with you. For young children, therapy is play-based, relational, and designed to nurture that foundational bond.
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Early intervention is a powerful investment in your child’s lifelong well-being. Delaying support often leads to more entrenched challenges. Therapy now can save you years of struggle later. I offer a sliding fee scale and accept some insurance plans—let’s talk.
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That’s understandable. We can discuss options for billing that don’t require assigning a diagnosis to your child.
You can help your child thrive!
If you are ready and committed to doing the work to uncover the true meaning of your child’s behavior, their unique needs and to become your child’s best advocate, I would love to talk with you further to see if we are a good match!
If you would like to work with me individually to learn and grow as a parent first, I am available for Parent Coaching or Adult Psychotherapy. You can read more HERE.
Click the button below and then select the “Let’s Connect” button to request a FREE 30 minute discovery session.
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