Children and Teens Mental Health

Our process begins with a comprehensive caregiver assessment, followed by sessions primarily focused on the child or teen—with space for meaningful caregiver involvement.

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Initial Assessment (Caregiver + Child/Young Adolescent – 1 hour)

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Our work begins with a collaborative intake session involving one or both caregiver(s) and the child or teen. This session allows us to gently gather context around your child’s emotional world, strengths, current challenges, and family dynamics—while beginning to build a foundation of trust.

We believe that complete transparency, honesty, and inclusion from the beginning is essential for creating sustainable and meaningful progress. Involving the child or teen from the very first session helps them feel respected, informed, and empowered—rather than “talked about” or excluded.

We may spend time speaking together as a group and also offer a short one-on-one check-in with your child, depending on their comfort and developmental level. This helps ensure that our approach is rooted in consent, collaboration, and care from the very start.

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Ongoing Appointments (Children/Teens + Caregiver Check-In)

Each ongoing session includes approximately:

• 75–85% direct work with your child or teen

• 15–20% caregiver involvement toward the end of the session

This format allows children and teens to build trust and express themselves freely, while still including caregivers in a structured way to support emotional growth and consistency between sessions.

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Our Approach

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We use an integrative and comprehensive mind body approach that blends:

• Expressive and creative therapy modalities, including play, art, storytelling, and metaphor—especially with younger children

• Somatic strategies/tools that help children and teens regulate their nervous systems, build body awareness, and process emotions safely

• CBT- and exposure-based strategies for anxiety, OCD, and emotion regulation (tailored to developmental level)

• Ongoing caregiver collaboration and co-regulation tools for use at home

• A neuroaffirming and identity-affirming lens that honors each child’s unique rhythm, communication style, and emotional landscape

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This well rounded approach helps children feel safe in their bodies, confident in their voice, and supported in their growth, while also equipping caregivers with meaningful insight and guidance.

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Caregiver Involvement​

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When working with young adolescents and children, we include brief, consistent check-ins with caregivers in each session to share insights, offer tools, and align on strategies. Depending on the nature of the initial assessment teens may not need their parents support. 

 

Typically these check-ins may occur during the last 15–20 minutes of the appointment and are designed to help you:

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• Support your child’s emotional regulation outside of therapy

• Understand how therapy goals are unfolding

• Learn practical strategies to foster progress at home

• Strengthen your own confidence and capacity as a parent

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Independent Teen Therapy

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We understand that not all teens have caregivers who are able to attend therapy alongside them. If you're a teen seeking support independently, you are, of course, welcome to book a session. 

Therapy can be a powerful space to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences and we are happy to work with you to create a tailored treatment plan that reflects your goals, needs, and boundaries.

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We will always:

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• Respect your privacy and autonomy

• Work collaboratively with you at your own pace

• Help you build coping tools, self-understanding, and emotional resilience

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