Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Newport Coast, CA.

I work with parents and their children with problematic behaviors. I use play therapy to win the trusting relationship which enables me to communicate with young children. I teach parenting skill to couples and individuals who are raising children so that they are independent of my services. I find that even special needs children can be helped by a therapeutic relationship.

Young families today have a lot of challenges living in Southern California due to the high cost of living, pressures of family life, and the demands of working. All of these responsibilities can contribute to a high level of stress and anxiety for parents. Many parents also deal with additional issues as having a special needs child, a family member experiencing trauma, divorce and blended families, a defiant child, and possibly marital problems. These circumstances can be overwhelming and difficult to deal with. You may feel alone and hopeless regarding your situation. Isolating, avoiding the problem, and repeating old arguments will not change the circumstance.

I have 15 years of experience counseling children in a variety of settings. I build trust with children and intuit their individual needs quickly. I value them strongly and they sense my genuine, unconditional acceptance. I offer play therapy ( ages 2-12) and counseling methods that incorporate the approaches of Gary Landreth and John Rosemond (Family Psychologist) along with my own methods. I have a wide variety of child interventions and tools I've acquired over the years and remain up to date on the latest breakthroughs and research in Child Therapy. I've written functional analyses and emotional/social goals for children's school IEPS per my additional Masters in Education/Counseling.

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.

Do you have a child that is having difficulty at school or at home? Is your child finding it difficult to maintain relationships? Even the best parent needs help from time to time . I can help children deal with the sadness and anxiety of struggling with a divorce in the home, bullying, sexual identity or a traumatic event. Through specific play and art therapy techniques, I can help to unlock a child's emotional world and identify thoughts and behaviors that are becoming problematic.

The developmental stage of parenting a young child is unpredictable and at times chaotic although simultaneously it is the greatest blessing. Parents go thru an adjustment period while learning how to be parents and provide that child with all their needs. Childrearing has its numerous challenges and yet it is the most important role and individual can commit to when becoming parents.

My experience has covered working with young children as a mental health professional. I work with children who are 6 years and up. If your child is under the years of 12 years old it will be necessary for you to be involved in treatment as much as your child is. Lastly, I aim to help to develop the relationship between the parent(s) and minor in treatment and provide support to the client and parenting support to the parent for the client's benefit.

If your child is suffering from trauma, grief or showing behavioral issues that have seem to come out of nowhere, play therapy is the answer. In our family playroom we offer a variety of therapeutic toys and games, including sand tray to help your child express the thoughts that cannot be verbalized. I am trained in play therapy, expressive arts therapy and sand tray, and have seen great results in children of all ages.

I work with 12 year olds and up. For young teens we use games, pillow fights, exercise, drawing, any medium that would make it more comfortable for the teen to open and share. When beneficial, I bring the parents into the end of the session so that they know what the teen is needing in their assistancxe with that next week. Art and journaling are a significant part of homework to allow the youth to express and reduce their emotional overload.

Prepare to Change counselors have been serving children and adolescents in many south Orange County communities for many years. Counseling for children can be effective and helpful, but sometimes a child’s needs are so huge that therapy isn’t enough. They may need structure and more of a foundation at home. To improve family life, our experts also believe in empowering parents so they can become the agents of change in their families.

Many times, child therapists overdo the family system in their quest to seek effective solutions for emotional, learning or behavioral concerns with young children. And many times doctors overpathologize issues that shouldn’t be medicated necessarily. This leaves parents wondering what is the best route for their child? Introducing brainwave optimization technology. A fast, effective, natural, and less expensive way to allow your child's brain to make the optimizing changes it desires to make---on its own! Without any external force, opinion, medication, diagnostic, etc. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

Blending a family should be a happy event. A new marriage should be all about partnership and building life together. But all too often blended families are filled with conflict rather than harmony. Instead of compromise, it’s often about who’s right and who’s wrong. And the relationship with the step-children is always going to be strained. It’s no wonder that second marriages with blended families have a higher likelihood of divorce. But if you and your spouse are unified and take everyone’s needs into account, your family could function more smoothly. Many stepparents are defensive about “their” children. Each has a different upbringing and different parenting experiences and styles. What m....

Young children often have difficulty expressing their needs and because of that they display tantrums and maintain a state of irritability, anger and sadness. They don’t know how to make sense of how they feel. They need the help of adults to guide them to understand what their thoughts and feelings are and how to be aware of their needs and feelings. Dr. Simina has worked with young children and teens for the past few decades in psychotherapy, which she helped them figure out and efficiently communicate their needs and feelings that is at the heart of their self of calmness and positive self-image. She also utilizes art therapy, an evidenced-based type of therapy for children and teens, which ultimately increases their sense of identity and...(view profile to read more)