Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Asbury Park, NJ.

Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara provide comprehensive and educative consultations with parents to better understand their children's conflicts and self-destructive tendencies. As experienced, licensed and board certified clinical psychologists--who hold advanced degrees and certifications in clinical child psychology, Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara strongly believe that, for children to improve, the initial step has to involve their parents working with compassionate, high-level psychologists who can clarify for and guide them. Although Dr. Joel a and Dr. Sara do not presently accept children as direct clients, they will help you to find appropriate referrals for individual child therapists when necessary.

Unwittingly, young children often become the center of conflict by appropriating the burdens of each family member and acting out the family issues. This leads to significantly disruptive behavior at school and home. The solution is to approach families, home life and school life as connected systems. Together, we can uncover and unpack the interwoven pressures and forces that shape our children in unhealthy ways to find positive alternatives to create peaceful and productive growth for everyone.

I have worked with children from birth to 17 years in various modalities including individual, group, parent-child, and multi-family group therapy. Many parents have concerns related to behavioral difficulties at home and/or at school. While my goal is to help improve these behaviors and provide the child with tools and coping skills so that they can make better behavioral choices, I also believe it is important to involve the parent as much as possible in the therapy, so that the parent can maintain their authority and respect. In addition, I believe that it is important to focus on the parent-child relationship, to ensure that there are positive and playful interactions.

As a licensed family therapist, a former elementary school teacher and having raised a family, I have devotion and experience in addressing the needs of children. When parents contact me to provide therapy or anger management for their young children, I respond by bringing the parent or family into treatment as well. While I provide therapy for teens as individuals, I provide parenting skill therapy, explore educational concerns and offer family counseling as treatment to address the child's issues.

Except for truly special needs children, I find most of the work I do helping a family with a young child will involve the family. It's very hard to hear from a therapist that you may have to adjust how things happen at home. What does some therapist know about that child you've been living with, you may find yourself resentfully wondering. But hang on, take a breath, and give it a try. Sometimes the simplest answers are all that's needed. By way of example, take a look at that British nanny currently on the reality show circuit; such simple solutions, and such dramatic changes. With more complex problems, make sure you've gotten a clear diagnosis. Too many children are misdiagnosed.

Through my parent coaching business, which you can find more information about on my website I work collaboratively with a pediatrician to offer guidance and support to parents and families around struggles they are facing with their children. Please visit my website so that you can learn more about our unique approach to parent coaching that can help you with guidance for your young children.

Parents are oftentimes spilling over with questions, frustration and even hopelessness when they bring their young son or daughter into treatment. Their own stress tolerance and understanding of what’s going on have long since been exceeded. As for child, he or she is almost always skeptical or even fearful about sharing his or her inner world with an outsider. Therapy aims to strengthen and augment the parents’ efforts in raising their child or adolescent, not replace it. Working together with the parent, our therapists establish themselves as a champion for their child and as a guide to aright their child’s development; they help to get it back on track.

When working with adolescent patients, psychologists at the Lukin Center strive to uphold the adolescent’s privacy while supporting the parent(s) and prioritizing the adolescent’s safety. We focus on four main issues that affect adolescents, including Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and Behavior Disruptive Disorders, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder.

Is your child bullied or isolated from others? Is your child reluctant to go to school, has trouble making friends, or seems withdrawn and lonely? Many children have trouble with self confidence, anxiety or social skills. Improving self esteem, emotional regulation, and social skills deficits in the younger years reduces difficulties later. We all want the best for our children, and as a parent myself I know how it can hurt to watch your child suffer and not know how to help. Find out how your child can be helped by in-person counselling, online coaching, or online educational programs.

We have four clinicians who specialize in children and adolescents. Anger, anxiety, school refusal, trauma, OCD, performance anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, defiance, eating disorders, and even depression and self-injury are all areas of focus in our work with children. Our clinicians are well trained and understand how critical effective intervention as early as possible is, since children are forming behavioral patterns, relationships, and personality traits. We also understand how important the role of the parents and the entire family can be in supporting a child to change. Likewise, we recognize how much the entire family can benefit from experiencing the child's growth.

Small children aged 3 to 8 typically do not participate in family therapy because the vast majority of therapists consider such children too young to articulate their feelings or understand complex patterns of behavior. Butler thinks otherwise, as she perfects her skills using an approach called narrative therapy. Often described as “post-modern,” narrative therapy allows clients to put away old, tired versions of the stories they tell themselves [and everybody else] about their lives. Playing more to the clients’ strengths than their weaknesses, the approach urges clients to see themselves as much more than the presenting problem and to identify ways in which they are already taking steps

Children are sweet, sensitive, naive and trusting. Many children enter a world where there is more chaos than they deserve. Chaos challenges the ability o function optimally. In working with adults, parents and caregivers, I guide and educate adults in children lives how to Make best available choices while functioning under stress. By doing such, the adult is modeling for the child(ren) effective, strategic and positive ways of coping. As well, I work With children helping them identify, define and express their sometimes complex emotions. By effectively processing feelings children are then able to go on to play , properly develop age appropriately and build a healthy strong self.

I am knowledgeable about young children, as I have a doctorate in child psychology. I am happy to advise or help parents with young children, who are taking a little longer to potty train, having a lot of tantrums, bedwetting, falling behind in school, may have a learning disability. I work closely with the parents, and in many cases would not treat the child directly. I usually focus on and get to know the parent, how I can best support them as a parent, as a spouse, and as a person in the world.