Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in West Hollywood, CA.

As a Marriage & Family Therapist, I have extensive experience working with children and adolescents. I have worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health providing crisis intervention and assessment services to children and their families. It is my clinical approach to conduct an assessment to determine clarity and understanding of the specific clinical issues. It is my belief that treatment should consist of the therapist working closely with the parents and any other professionals working with the child to enhance their growth and improvement in treatment. My goal is to assist the child in improving their emotional, social and academic functioning.

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.

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.

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!

The teen years can be challenging, and it is not uncommon for teens to experience emotional imbalance and upheavals during adolescence. As an experienced teen therapist, I can help families address any adolescent phase of life issue you may be experiencing. I have extensive experience working with shy and sensitive teens, as well as diverse, multi-cultural families. If your teen is struggling, I can help you to discover the cause of the problem and address it. I support teens and their parents in finding alternative ways of responding to adolescent phase of life challenges. Schedule a free consultation and allow me to demonstrate the support I can offer your family.

Seeing your child struggle breaks your heart. More than anything in the world, you want him to thrive. You’re doing the best you can, but even supermoms (and superdads) make mistakes. Whatever the reason, your child is struggling and needs help. I can help YOU help your child through whatever he’s facing right now. We can work on a variety of issues like: Stress Overwhelm Divorce/separation Transitions General anxiety Sadness Lack of motivation Anger Family conflict Grief and loss Loneliness Eating disorders Body image Self-esteem Peer relationships Unhappiness Social withdrawal Sleep And we’ll develop a plan to help him get back to the happy, playful kiddo he deserves to be!

Too often therapies are not targeted at children's age levels. I specialize in play therapy with young children. Play therapy is an opportunity for children to express feelings, emotions or trauma in a safe environment. Developmentally, children are not able to adequately express their feelings or experiences in words. Through play therapy, the therapist can interact and help the child to express and heal important feelings related to their experiences. I have specialized doctoral clinical training in play therapy and child therapy. I have found play therapy, combined with family therapy, to be an effective technique to help children with anxiety, trauma, depression, and behavioral problems.

Best said by Garry Landreth, a renowned child therapist, "Toys are children's words and play is their language". Play therapy is a way of working with kids using their language of play as a means to express or communicate feelings to work through childhood wounds (trauma, anxiety, depression, divorce, grief/loss, etc). Child centered play therapy believes that in a therapeutic setting, children allowed to play freely will resolve their own problems and reach their own solutions. Because this can be a long process, I practice a prescriptive approach, meaning the play is child driven with introduction of clinically appropriate interventions for the individual child and their particular issues.

I am a therapist specializing in grief and loss and I have particular experience working with bereaved children. In my counseling work with kids I utilize art, writing and games as the vehicle to discuss difficult issues. Often is is simply helpful for children to learn that their experience of grief is normal and that they are not alone. My office is in Redondo Beach, California 90277.

Young children are one of the most complex groups to work with as a clinician. Children have a unique way of revealing very little, yet so much at the same time. As a clinician who regularly works with children, I have come to know the art of exploring beyond what a child may say, in order to understand the deeper context of what a child means. Working with young children offers an opportunity to embark on a unique therapeutic experience, one that clinicians typically don’t experience when working with adults. I appreciate you trusting your child’s therapeutic needs with me.

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.

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.

A large part of my work is helping kids and their families. More often than not, kids have stress and conflict that they bear as burdens in their lives. Depending on the child's age, I use talking and playing in therapy. The work is to provide the building blocks of self esteem, the identification and expression of one's feelings and a better sense of oneself. Through this interaction, a positive self image is developed. Imagination and creativity and self expression are valuable parts of this process.