Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Sierra Madre, CA.

I utilize developmentally appropriate, play therapy to gain knowledge and understanding of how young children perceive themselves and their world. Older children, tweens and adolescents benefit from therapeutic activities and talk therapy, as vehicles for gaining insight and self-understanding. I have provided therapy, on campus at a K-8th grade school and previously worked as a Certified Child Life (Development) Specialist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. As a mother, I deeply empathize with parents whose children are experiencing difficulties and welcome your questions and concerns regarding the therapeutic process for your child.

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.

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.

At LA Therapy Network we have therapists whose specialty is helping couples and/or single parents with young children! Children often need therapists who understand their special needs, but also a therapist who can work with you, the parent to understand and help your child through whatever difficulties he or she is experiencing, or that you are dealing with as parent. Let us help you through the tough times or to learn how to be a more effective parent! We offer parenting support, family therapy, play, art and sandplay therapies! Because we are a group of private practice therapists, we can offer you services as a collaboration which can make a huge difference to your treatment! LA & LB!

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.

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.

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.

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.

My practice is specifically focused on children, adolescents, and young adults. Working with younger children requires a playful insight and I frequently employ play therapy and games to challenge anger, anxiety, and frustrations. Further, through play I am able to work with children on managing social situations, dissapointments, and develop problem solving techniques. Following these sessions I work closely with parents to train on these behavioral interventions in order to further reinforce in the home environment. This consistency and collaboration allows us to more effectively shape behaviors and booste self esteem beyond the therapy session.

Experiencing difficulties with children can be both shameful and exhausting for parents. These issues leaves parents with a sense of powerlessness that they can't help fix the problem. By seeking therapy for your child, you are already providing a huge help for them. Difficulties can arise by known changes such as divorce, moves or deaths in the family. Other times it may be less clear why there has been a change in mood, personality, or behavior. Through age-appropriate activities I work with children to resolve conflicts, increase self-esteem and build communication skills.

When children feel accepted the way they are, they are free to change. I create a safe place in which a child can express his or her emotions and feel understood and valued. Opportunities within the session for responsibility, decision-making, and control help children trust and accept themselves. In therapy, play is for children what words are for adults. Children work through and reveal their thoughts and feelings through their play. Lacking the extensive vocabularies and associations of meanings that adults have, children often are more comfortable exploring and expressing themselves through play, games, and art.

The inner world of a child is rich with emotion and depth. It can be difficult to watch your child struggle, whether it is socially, academically, or in the home. Child therapy can be beneficial in not only providing current support and problem-solving, but can also serve to be preventative for potential longer-term issues. Young children in particular have a language of their own -- play! I will work with your child using play and art therapy techniques to communicate and develop more effective coping tools to thrive in his or her environment and family.

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.