Does your child or adolescent seem stressed, depressed or anxious?  Has your child lost someone they love? Is your child unusually angry, sad, disruptive or withdrawn? Does your child have difficulty paying attention?  Or exhibit defiant behavior at home? Do you sometimes feel unsure how to give your child support? 

It can be difficult for your entire family when your child is struggling.  As a child, adolescent, and family therapist, I have expertise in helping get your child and your family life back on track.   I can help children, adolescents and families in the Nashville, Tennessee area with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues including:

  • Sadness, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, trauma

  • Changes in the family, including separation, divorce, relocation

  • Social skills and relationships

  • Autism spectrum disorders

  • Behavioral difficulties

  • School problems

  • Parenting skills

  • Family communications and boundaries

I know that each child and family is unique.  We will work together to provide an opportunity for your child to explore his thoughts, feelings and behaviors that may get in the way of functioning to his/her highest potential.

Individual Therapy

As an experienced cognitive-behavioral therapist, I will work with your child or adolescent to help him/her learn to communicate more effectively, identify and cope with his feelings, identify and change negative thinking patterns, and learn to solve problems effectively.  Individual therapy can be a valuable and important place where children and adolescents can express themselves, without judgment.

Family Therapy

When a child or adolescent is struggling, it affects the entire family.  I support and encourage the whole family to communicate effectively and find solutions together.  With a respectful, solution focused, goal-directed approach, I collaborate with parents to work toward the best outcomes for your family.  Sometimes, it can be difficult for the entire family to come in for therapy, so I am flexible and will work with whichever family members are able to attend.   

Parenting Skills

I can help you discover how to set limits and give directions effectively, how to use rewards and consequences to encourage certain behaviors, and how to reinforce therapeutic goals at home. 

 Treatments

In my experience, by the time parents begin investigating treatment options, they are already feeling frustrated with or distressed about their child, and often feel a bit undermined in their ability to parent effectively.

Though the process of starting therapy with children and adolescents may involve some parental coaxing, I have found that once it begins kids discover that they can be amazing students of their internal life and behaviors, and ultimately greatly value their experience in therapy.  I hope you and your child will find the summaries of the treatment models I use instructive in sparking your curiosity about therapy or determining whether or not I might be a good match to work with your family.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  CBT helps improve a child’s moods, anxiety and behavior by examining his/her confused or distorted thought patterns and identifies where and when those patterns help and where they hurt.  I work with the child individually or the child and parent together to replace negative thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviors. 

For instance, your child may call a friend to play and the child might say, “I can’t play right now”.  The child with adaptive thought patterns will say to himself “ My friend can’t play right now.  He might be busy.  Maybe I should call a different friend and call him tomorrow.” The child with negative patterns of thinking may think, “My friend can’t play right now.  He doesn’t like me anymore.  No one likes me.  I don’t have any friends.”   Same life event.  Very different response.

CBT teaches children to become their own therapist. Using problem solving strategies and skill building techniques, we work together to change dysfunctional thoughts and replace them with more proactive thoughts and behaviors. 

CBT is highly effective in treating depression, anxiety, self-esteem, anger management, personality disorders and childhood mood disorders.

Play Therapy

I utilize play therapy to help young children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings.

I use specific language and play techniques to help children build frustration tolerance, increase attention span and develop impulse control.  It also helps them to communicate, problem solve, develop confidence and meet their unrealized potential.

Play therapy can be used to address issues of anxiety, depression, anger, grief and loss, divorce, crisis or trauma, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, etc.

Art Therapy

Art Therapy is a form of therapy that allows children and adolescents to express and communicate difficult feelings. It is especially useful for young children who can’t express themselves well through words. 

I incorporate art therapy when working with a child who has learning disabilities, social or behavioral problems at school or home or who may have experienced a traumatic event.