SERVICES
Please scroll below to read more about my offerings for adults, child-parent dyads, children, and pre-teens/adolescents
ADULTS
My practice is a healing space for those who are on the cusp of growth and transformation. Underneath the pain that brings you to therapy is an undeniable longing to come into contact with a more vibrant sense of self. I work with adults during life transitions and have particular skill with: pregnancy and postpartum, college and graduate students, and early career professionals.
In addition to individual therapy, I practice infant parent psychotherapy, which is a dyadic intervention focused on the development of a mutually satisfying relationship between a parent and their infant(s). This form of therapy can be beneficial for parents who might be feeling disconnected from their baby or ambivalent about parenting, parents of fussy babies, or babies with developmental differences. I have a special interest in working with “first generation parents;” in other words, parents who may be the first in their families to parent without the direct influence of immigration, poverty, or violence, but are nonetheless grappling with the legacies of historical and intergenerational trauma.
CHILD PARENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
I am on the roster of clinicians trained to provide Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). CPP is a relationship-based treatment for children from birth to age 5 and their parents/caregivers. CPP may help when:
Children have been through scary or painful events, such as: the loss of a loved one, separation, serious medical procedures, abuse or violence at home or in the community
Children show difficult behavior
Family members have challenges in physical health or mental health difficulties
Caregivers would like help with parenting and improving parent-child relationships
Parent participation is critical. Young children depend on their caregivers for safety and security. In addition to weekly parent-child sessions, you and I will meet together to reflect on your child’s play and how we can use CPP to strengthen your relationship with one another. While not a substitute for individual therapy, these parent sessions will also serve as an opportunity to process your own relationship to the traumatic event for the purposes of creating a family story that leads to healing.
Parent sessions can occur via phone, video conference, or in the office at a frequency commensurate to you and your child’s treatment needs.
For more information:
Visit the official CPP website: http://childparentpsychotherapy.com/
Download the CPP symptom screener (“How Young Children Show Us They Need Help”)
CHILDREN
Children typically express their inner worlds through play. Through metaphors, representational, and dramatic play, children can develop insight into their fears and problems, learn new coping skills, and improve their relationships with others. Children are naturally intuitive and creative; my approach to therapy is to energize these qualities so that your child can reach their full potential.
Children thrive when the adults in their lives have a shared understanding of their strengths and needs. Parents are strongly encouraged to meet with me, at a minimum, monthly, to discuss your child. Additionally, I am very comfortable working in multidisciplinary teams and have considerable experience collaborating with and providing consultation to teachers and medical providers, among others.
PRE-TEENS AND ADOLESCENTS
Therapy can help teens feel better about who they are and learn positive ways of communicating their emotions. If you're a teen visiting my page, it might help you to know that my style is relaxed, calm, and interactive. I encourage authentic self-expression and work with teens to develop goals in their own words.
In addition to helping young people with symptoms of depression and anxiety, I especially enjoy working with:
Issues of identity development and exploration, including gender identity and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; mixed race identity; children of immigrants
Adopted teens and teens in foster care
Highly sensitive and introverted teens
Issues related to academic stress and perfectionism
Adolescence is a turbulent period that can challenge even the most nurturing parent-child relationships. I value parent participation in treatment. At the same time, therapy with teens is most effective when there is a felt sense of privacy and confidentiality. Ultimately, your teen’s safety will be a guiding priority in the therapy.