Children express emotions differently than adults. Most children don’t have the vocabulary or the maturity to express what they are feeling or what they are experiencing in their inner world. Play is often the only way children can express themselves. Art, dance, and other forms of imagination and physical movement also offer avenues of expression. Therapy can help children develop an emotional language, so they can understand what each feeling is, how to express it and, sometimes, how to manage it.

Children come to therapy for many reasons, often because of:

• traumatic life events, such as a divorce of their parents, moving from the family home, or the death of a family member or of someone they were close to
• bullying or other behavioral issues at school
• sleep, attention and eating issues
• anger and deviancy issues
• feeling socially isolated, having a hard time getting along with others
• difficulty adjusting to a stepparent, stepsibling, or other family member (such as a grandparent) joining the household

Our counselors work with children and teenagers to help them cope, understand and navigate their home life, school life, and social life. Through monthly training with experienced specialists in Child and Adolescent Therapy, our counselors stay up to date on best practices and techniques for working with our younger clients.