Compassionate Support for Children, Parents, & Families

Children are always communicating, even when they do not yet have the words to explain what they are feeling or need. They may communicate through play, behavior, movement, withdrawal, big emotions, or difficulty with everyday routines and transitions.

When your child is struggling, it can be hard to know what is happening beneath the surface or how best to help. You may feel worried, frustrated, exhausted, or overwhelmed by conflicting advice. You may also wonder whether you are doing enough or responding in the right way.

I work with children, tweens, teens, young adults, and parents navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, emotional regulation, developmental differences, family stress, and life transitions. My approach is compassionate, creative, and strengths-based, with a focus on understanding each client rather than trying to fit them into a one-size-fits-all model.

Therapy provides space to become curious about what is happening, identify the needs beneath the challenges, and build practical tools that support greater confidence, connection, and well-being.

My Approach

I hold close the wisdom of Mr. Rogers: “For children, play is serious learning.” In my practice, play therapy creates a safe and natural way for children to explore feelings, process challenges, and develop problem-solving skills. Parent-focused sessions allow us to gain a deeper understanding of your child’s needs and uncover the “why” behind challenges, while also giving you space to process your biggest parenting stressors, questions, and uncertainties. Together, we’ll find practical tools to strengthen family communication and connection with compassion, collaboration, and focus on what matters most to your family. 

Therapy is also about empowerment. I help children build confidence in who they are and support parents in feeling equipped to meet their child’s needs. Together, we work to reduce stress, build resilience, and create a more harmonious family environment.

Beyond the Therapy Room

I bring playfulness and empathy into my sessions, whether that means following a child’s lead in imaginative play, engaging in sensory exploration, or simply creating space for their voice to be heard. Clients describe me as compassionate, creative, and down-to-earth. I value the courage it takes to share your story and will work to ensure you and your child feel safe, respected, and understood.

Outside of work, I find joy in fantasy books, exploring the outdoors, plants, dogs, and being playful in everyday life. Just as I encourage children to bring their whole selves into therapy, I also bring authenticity and curiosity into the therapeutic space.

Play is one of the primary ways children communicate, process experiences, and make sense of their world. Through imaginative play, art, movement, sensory activities, and the therapeutic relationship, children can express thoughts and feelings they may not yet be able to describe verbally.

In play therapy, I follow the child’s natural curiosity and meet them within their world. From that foundation of trust and connection, therapy can gently introduce new perspectives, strengthen emotional awareness, increase flexibility, and help children practice different ways of responding to challenges.

Play therapy may support children experiencing:

• Anxiety, fears, or separation concerns
• Frequent meltdowns or emotional overwhelm
• ADHD, autism, or other developmental differences
• Difficulty with transitions or routines
• Low confidence or negative beliefs about themselves
• Friendship or social challenges
• Grief, trauma, or stressful life events
• Family changes or relationship difficulties

The goal is not to change who a child is. It is to help them better understand themselves, communicate their needs, and develop skills while feeling accepted and supported.

The transition from childhood into adolescence and early adulthood can bring changing relationships, academic pressure, identity exploration, increasing independence, and intense emotions. Young people may feel overwhelmed by expectations while also struggling to explain what they need.

I offer tweens, teens, and young adults a grounded and supportive space to talk honestly, explore who they are, and develop tools for daily life. Therapy may address:

• Anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm
• ADHD, autism, or executive functioning challenges
• Friendship and relationship concerns
• School stress and academic pressure
• Identity, confidence, and self-esteem
• Family conflict or communication difficulties
• Major transitions, grief, or stressful experiences
• Difficulty expressing or regulating emotions

Therapy is collaborative and responsive to each young person. Depending on their needs and interests, sessions may include conversation, creativity, games, movement, visual tools, or practical problem-solving.

The goal is to help young people feel seen and respected while developing greater self-awareness, confidence, emotional flexibility, and trust in their own voice.

Parenting can bring deep love and connection alongside uncertainty, frustration, exhaustion, and worry. When your child is struggling, you may find yourself questioning your instincts, reacting in ways you did not expect, or feeling unsure how to balance empathy with boundaries.

Parent-focused therapy offers space to slow down and better understand what may be happening beneath your child’s behavior. Together, we can explore your child’s emotional and developmental needs while identifying practical strategies that feel realistic for your family.

Parenting support may focus on:

• Understanding behavior as communication
• Supporting emotional regulation
• Navigating meltdowns and intense reactions
• Creating more manageable routines and transitions
• Setting clear boundaries with warmth
• Strengthening parent-child connection
• Responding to anxiety or avoidance
• Supporting a neurodivergent child
• Managing parenting stress and emotional triggers
• Improving communication within the family

Parent support is not about judging your choices or asking you to become a perfect parent. It is about helping you feel more grounded, confident, and connected while finding approaches that align with your child’s needs and your family’s values.

Child and Family Connection

Children grow within relationships. Even loving families can become caught in cycles of stress, misunderstanding, conflict, or disconnection, particularly when a child is struggling to express what they need.

When helpful, therapy may include parent-child or family sessions designed to strengthen communication, increase understanding, and create new experiences of connection. The focus is not on identifying one person as the problem. Instead, therapy explores the patterns developing between family members and how everyone can contribute to greater safety and cooperation.

This work may be helpful when families are navigating recurring conflict, parent-child disconnection, major transitions, grief, divorce or separation, developmental changes, or difficulty understanding one another.

Reaching out for support can feel vulnerable, especially when you are worried about your child or uncertain about what your family needs. My hope is to offer a space where you and your child feel safe, respected, and understood while discovering new ways to grow and thrive together.