Services for Parents and Children
“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, -Friedrich Froebel, “Father” of Modern Kindergarten I meet with the child in my office usually once a week. I have a wide range of toys, games and activities available to assist in understanding and communicating with the child. Individual play therapy creates a safe place for the child to heal and grow. I meet regularly with parents during this process to monitor progress and keep communication open. Family dynamics may be holding unwanted patterns of behavior in place. Family therapy can help family members to understand these patterns, and to open up the lines of communication. Through this process, family members can learn to take on more open and authentic roles. Family therapy is often used to help family members adjust following a major event such as a death or other loss or to help the family cope with the impact of addiction. In filial therapy the therapist teaches the parent the skills used in non-directive play therapy. Filial therapy is used to strengthen the relationship between parent and child, and help the parent better understand the child’s world. The skills taught in filial therapy can then be used to address everyday conflicts between parent and child. Group therapy can be an excellent way to help children develop social skills or focus on other specific areas. It is usually time-limited and less expensive than individual or family therapy. Building Blocks Social Skills Play Group: Preschool 3–5-yr olds The preschool years are a critical time for learning to get along with peers and become part of a group. Through group play children learn to better understand the larger world and their place in it. Children who have difficulty getting along with their peers are missing opportunities for learning on many levels. This play group is designed to assist children with mild to moderate problems in one or more of the following areas: Goals of the Group include helping children: Children with these skills will be better prepared to learn the most from their preschool years and enter kindergarten ready to function as part of the class. 8-week session: $975. Includes 30 min. intake session for individual child and parent(s), eight 45 min. play group sessions, one 60 min. group parent session, and a 30 min. parent consultation at conclusion of 8 sessions. Building Blocks Social Skills Play Group: 5–7-yr olds Social anxiety and difficulty with peers can interfere with a child’s ability to focus on academic learning as they enter elementary school. This group can help them gain confidence in interacting with peers, decrease resistance to following directions and learn to function as part of a classroom community. Through group play, children learn to better understand the larger world and their place in it. Children who have difficulty getting along with their peers are missing opportunities for learning on many levels. This play group is designed to assist children with mild to moderate problems in one or more of the following areas: Goals of the Group include helping children: 8-week session: $975. Includes 30 min. intake session for individual child and parent(s), eight 45 min. play group sessions, one 60 min. group parent session, and a 30 min. parent consultation at conclusion of 8 sessions. I use a relational approach of deep listening and reflection to assist with developing a better understanding of self. Sand tray and art materials are available to help patients of all ages to get in touch with thoughts and feelings at a pre-verbal level. As these are brought to the surface we can work together to verbalize and better understand their impact on current relationships and patterns of behavior. This kind of work can be especially useful for resolving grief and early trauma. If you are part of a group of parents who could benefit from a specific workshop, please feel free to contact me and I will create and lead a customized workshop for you! Parent groups, church groups and preschools are all ideas for communities I could serve in this way. Also, check the Current Events section of my site for prearranged groups that are open to the public. Preschoolers and adolescents have a lot in common. At each of these stages, children are attempting to understand who they are and how they fit into the larger world. Often they define themselves clumsily as “not you.” This creates problems for parents, who often feel hurt and rejected by their formerly very loving children. How parents handle the challenges of the preschool years sets up a template for the relationship, a template which—for better or worse—will carry through the teen years. Learn how to use the preschool years to establish a parent-child relationship based on love, mutual respect, clear communication and appropriate boundaries. As parents, we are pretty clear on the basics of raising physically healthy children (nutrition, exercise, sleep, hygiene). But we receive relatively little information about supporting children’s emotional health. This is unfortunate because emotional health is key to living a stable, happy and successful life. In the absence of guidance, we as parents tend to flip between two positions: we either discount our children’s emotions, or we give in to them. This workshop will help you discover the middle ground, allowing you to assist your children in understanding and communicating their emotional needs. There is no shortage of advice available to parents. Books, magazines, teachers, in-laws and other parents all have something to say. Sifting through that advice and finding solutions that work for your family can be daunting. Parent consultation is an opportunity to look at problem behavior through the lens of your values, your skills and your child’s unique needs. When we take all of these factors into account, we can find solutions that are fairly easy to implement and bring big changes to family life. Issues for which families seek consultation include: For Adoptive Parents: Adoptive parenting offers it’s own unique challenges and opportunities. Finding advice that suites your family can be difficult. As a community service, I offer one free parent consolation session to all adoptive families. This is offered in gratitude for all the support I received in my own journey as an adoptive parent and infers no obligation to continue work with me as either consultant or therapist.
for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.”Individual Play Therapy
Family Play Therapy
Filial Therapy
Group Therapy
Individual Therapy for Adolescents and Adults
Parenting Tots With an Eye Toward the Teen Years
Raising Emotionally Healthy Children
Parent Consultation