Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Willowbrook, CA.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Every behavior is a way of communication. Children communicate with their caregivers through their behaviors such as (hitting, throwing, kicking, having nightmares, screaming eating too much, not getting along with others, not doing homework, having anxiety thoughts) and so on. In therapy with children I use play and art therapy interventions in order to reduce behavior. I work closely with parents to increase communication and strength the child-parent relationship. I teach and practice reward system, time out, positive communication, boundaries with parents. I attend IEP meetings when necessary.

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.

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.

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.

Children grow and change on a daily basis, which can be a difficult process not only for the child but for the parents as well. I assist children in learning how to express themselves through fun, creative outlets that are both age appropriate and applicable across multiple settings. Such settings may include home, school and multiple social avenues.

I have years of experience treating children in pre-school through middle school. I worked in schools and at home with oppositional children, kids with learning delays, who "act out," tantrum, do not handle transitions in activity well. I have worked with violent children, academic underachievers, children with separation anxiety, bedwetting, and children who eat non-nutritional objects. Applied Behavior Analysis is oftern used to create ground-rules that reinforce acceptable behavior and discourage negative behaviors. It's important that extended family (and teachers, and caretakers, if possible) be on the same page. A united front is essential to positively modify children's behaviors