Play practices and so perfects the skills needed in adult life.

Child and Adolescent Services


 

Children

Children need to learn skills to help them cope with life’s stresses, skills to support emotional control, and skills that encourage positive personal relationships.  If given these skills early, children will grow to be independent adults.

Many times, children are not able to communicate verbally about the things that are bothering them. Since children communicate differently than adults, children can benefit from Play Therapy – a special kind of therapy designed to meet their developmental needs. Play therapy is particularly appropriate for children 3-12 years old because play is a natural form of communication and learning for children. The parts of the brain involved in play are directly linked to emotions, and play can often be used effectively to encourage behavioral change and to teach new skills.
 

Adolescents

Adolescents commonly experience disappointment and discouragement.  Often by challenging their parents and by expanding interpersonal relationships with peers, adolescents are working to develop their own identity. Navigating the teen years can be complicated by the teen’s still-developing capacity to share his or her emotional experiences.

As a professional who has personally experienced parenting teens, I have learned to engage teens by supporting them, problem solving with them, and providing objective feedback as they establish personal roles and values. Teens will often accept feedback from a respected professional when they will not accept feedback from their parents.