Services Provided

Play is the language of children. Sensations, ideas, thoughts, and feelings that children cannot express with words they can act out in their play. From imaginary play with dolls, legos, and figurines arise rich metaphors of children's life experiences. For example, a child feeling unsafe may play out scary scenarios until s/he acquires a sense of mastery and safety.

Board games and card games are other play therapy tools. Psychologists like to see how children navigate rules and turn-taking, and how they handle winning and losing.

Drawing, painting, and other forms of artistic expression are also used to access a child's inner world during individual play therapy.



What are Parenting Guidance Sessions?

No matter what those parenting books say, there is no one-size-fits parenting. Parenting effectively means knowing and understanding your child's temperament and needs. It also means knowing who you are as a person and parent, and what outcome you want for your child and your family's future.

Parenting Guidance Sessions will help you understand your child's needs, temperament, and behavior, and help you gain clarity about the parent you want to be.  These sessions will give you insight into how your own experience of being parented is influencing your parenting, for better or for worse, and help you leave painful patterns of interaction from your childhood behind. The goal of these sessions is to help you become a more confident and intentional parent.


What is a School Observation and Why is it Important?

An integral part of getting to know your child is having the opportunity to observe him at school. Similar to the workplace for an adult, preschool is where young children spend the majority of their days and weeks. It is important to understand what his experience is like where he spends most of his time.

This is what I look for when I perform a school observation:

 

• Social Interaction: How does your child interact with other children? Are his peer relationships a source of satisfaction or distress? Does he collaborate with other children, or prefer to play alone? Does he have developmentally appropriate social skills? Is he able to communicate his needs? Does he make eye contact with his teachers and peers? Does he like his teacher? How does the teacher feel about him? Does he follow directions from his teacher? If not, what is getting in the way?
• Transitions: How your child handles the transition back into the classroom from the playground, or getting onto his mat for a nap following lunch may sound superfluous. But watching how he manages and navigates these transitions can say a lot about a child's temperament, how much stress he is currently experiencing, and how he manages his stress.
• Self-Regulatory Skills: The last area of focus is on how your child recovers from strong emotions and uncomfortable sensations, a skill called self-regulation. Does your child have command over his body? How does this change when he is frustrated? How long is his attention span? Does he have issues with anxiety or hyperactivity? Does he withdraw under stress? Are his self-regulation cues being misread by his teachers and peers as obstinance or defiance?

 

When do you do Home Observations?

If a child does not attend a school or is having a problem specific to the home environment, I will perform an in-home observation. The focus of the in-home observation is the quality of interactions between the parent and child, and other members of the family. I may suggest an activity to do together or watch as the family carries on their daily routine. Does the parent-child relationship appear strained? Is it marked by frustration and strife, or is it harmonious? Are family members deriving satisfaction from one another? What are the strengths of the family? Do family members appear securely attached? Or is attachment insecure or disorganized?

During my observation, I will also watch for the circumstances under which the child's target behavior arises. What is happening in the environment to prompt the behavior? What cues is your child giving that he or she is becoming anxious, angry, or stressed? What are the responses from the family members that calm the child, or make the situation worse?


What is Teacher Consultation and why is it important?

Teacher Consultation is a collaboration between two or more adults looking to support a young child's development. Teacher consultation aims to put together the expertise and knowledge of trained professionals who know and interact with a child regularly: a mental health professional, such as a Psychologist or Marriage and Family Therapist, and the child's teacher. Mental Health Professionals who work with young children are specialized in young children's mental health issues, complicated group dynamics in the classroom, and children's social and emotional development. They are astute observers of young children's behavior.

Teachers who work with young children are specialized in supporting their cognitive growth and development, helping them resolve conflicts, supporting children's friendships, and managing the classroom environment (and all of the children within). Experienced teachers have many years of hands-on work with young children, and hence have a huge knowledge base about their needs and behaviors.

Together, teachers and mental health professionals share observations, discuss concerns, and brainstorm about the best ways to support children and their families both in the classroom and at home. This mutual sharing and support can be transformative not only for parents and children but to the professionals themselves.