Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Huntington Park, CA.

Stress for young children can often be challenging to discern. Parents may notice that their child begins to experience a greater incidence of tantrums and/or angry outbursts, but often attribute such changes to growing up. Children may also demonstrate strict rules for their play and become upset when their schedule is changed without warning. Sometimes parents may not be able to identify obvious signs of stress in their children, but recognize that their child has encountered a number of stressors. In any of these cases, children can benefit from therapy wherein they can explore how to express their feelings and learn to process their emotions in a safe non-judgmental environment.

From 0 to 5 years, children are at a pivotal age for therapeutic intervention. Children are growing in many important areas, especially in their social and emotional development. Family therapy can help to enhance child development and parent-child relationships. Through guided therapeutic interactions, such as art and play therapy activities, parents can enrich their bond with their child.

We offer a range of services for young children including those who are going through their parents divorce to being at risk for developmental delays, children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and individuals with adaptive functioning needs and behavioral challenges. Our approach integrates meeting the child where they are at with a mixture of play therapy and evidence-based practices from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) depeing on the needs of each client and family.

I have worked in elementary schools with children between the ages of 6 and 10. My approach with children is strength based, helping them to identify what is important to them in order to help them make better choices. I find it is important to help kids to discover their unique understanding of life so that they can start building a stronger footing to stand on in order to face the demands and pressures of living.

For about 7 years I only worked with children in my practice. The rest of my practice has been split working with adults and with kids. With kids, its all about their instinct and comfort. If they sense that the therapist isn't comfortable or experienced with kids, they won't engage in the therapy process. I use a variety of techniques working with children, depending on their age. For smaller children, art therapy and play therapy can be very successful for a variety of reasons. The main reason is that it takes the focus off of them and they feel more at ease to talk and be open. For older children who can handle "talk therapy", using simpler language can be effective.

Children are like little adults. While they may lack the maturity and experience adults do, they're highly affected by what happens around them and are often more astute than we give them credit for. I work with children ages 8 years and up who may be facing challenges or difficult emotional situations. Feel free to call my office for a free telephone consultation at 800-474-1445.

Adolescents age 12-18. For over 20 years, I have worked with adolescents/teens. Navigating adolescence can be extremely challenging. Some areas of treatment are ( but not limited to) exploration of developmental issues, self-esteem, managing academic stress, understanding relationships with family and friends, developing a healthy sense of self and communication skills in a social media age.

Young children get scared and anxious, too. They express it differently from the adults. So you may see stomach aches, headaches, crying, worry, shying away from interactions, being afraid to go to school, or even school refusal. With the help of child friendly language, I use a program to help children 6-12 overcome their fear and anxiety. Excessive fear and anxiety is not just a childhood thing that they will outgrow. If their fear seems more than normal, please take action on their behalf. You may save them years of suffering.

We enjoy working with children as young as 4 years of age. We begin with a psychological assessment, history and obtain any relevant medical information. Then we meet with the primary care givers, usually both parents, or grandparents who provide us with their concerns and observations. We recommend the child be assessed by a medical doctor to rule out any medical cause for the problem behavior.Then we educate the adults with parenting skills. If the parenting tools are not enough to correct the problem behaviors then we will do play therapy with the child to better assess the child's problem.

Children experience life just as we adults to. Taking time to discuss emotions and feelings, the child will be able to gain tools to access feeling words and express themselves appropriately. Sometimes life becomes chaotic for children (new baby, school transitions, etc.), having a safe place to talk where someone listens will create a positive outcome on their outlook.

One of my specialties is working with elementary age (and adolescents). A child or young person's struggles with difficult feelings and unhelpful behaviors can impact the rest of his or her life. Addressing these challenges during the child's critical developmental years can rebalance and set the stage for a happier and healthier future. I have a special feeling for young people in distress, and feel my professional and life experience has enabled me to be especially attuned to their feelings, needs, and pain. I have over 13 years experience working with children facing emotional and behavioral challenges. Please feel free to call.

Dr. Clark has extensive training and experience as a child psychologist (including eight years as a Director of Child and Family Services). The most effective approach, in most cases, will involve an initial interview with the child and parents to obtain background information, followed by meetsing with the parents regarding parenting strategies. For adolescents, individual therapy can also be a useful.

Working with children requires a unique set of skills and experience. Children require a careful balance of approaches in order to be reached effectively. I have more than a decade of experience working with children and families in various capacities and I have built up these skills over that time. I can help with behavioral issues, learning struggles, family conflict, and peer interactions. Let me help your family operate more effectively by addressing your child’s needs.