Children & Teens Counseling & Therapy

Solving problems & acquiring skills
Without getting stuck in negative patterns & destructive labels

Children & Teens Issues
  • Anxiety & depression
  • Behavior problems
  • Worry & fears
  • Nightmares
  • Trauma & abuse
  • Learning difficulties
  • School difficulties
  • Poor communication
  • Low motivation
  • Low self-confidence
  • Poor social skills
  • Low self esteem
  • Smoking, alcohol, drugs
  • Addictions
  • Pornography
  • A.D.D., A.D.H.D. & O.D.D.
  • Obsessive compulsive
  • Asperger’s
  • Acting out
  • Rebelliousness & anger
  • Coping with illness
  • Coping with disability
  • Bereavement
  • Enuresis
  • Encopresis  
Family Issues
Introduction

I have been working with children and teens since 1973, when I started my teaching career. Since then I have worked in many professional capacities helping children to grow and be successful in life, including Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and Supervisor, Clinical Psychologist, and more. (Please refer to my C.V. for a complete list of my licenses and professional experience).

 Children and teens usually feel quite comfortable working with me. I work with children and teens in a personable, caring, sensitive, eye-to-eye, informal yet professional manner (as I do with adults). I utilize a Positive Psychology, Humanistic, practical problem solving approach to treat disorders and to help my clients achieve their goals. In addition, being a musician and composer I am able to offer music (and art) therapy.

My treatment approach helps increase self-esteem, healthy functioning, general happiness, and life satisfaction for the child or teen, as well as for the parents, siblings and family as a whole.

My interventions are focused, clear, positive, interactive and caring. I help my clients to acquire the understanding and skills needed to solve problems and achieve goals. I do my best to provide interventions that are brief, effective, and lasting.

Depending upon what is most helpful and appropriate and desirable for my clients, I may work either with: an individual parent, both parents, with one or more children with or without their parents, with the whole family, or any combination of the above.

I recommend, when possible, for the parents to receive my help in how to help their child (children). My reasons include:

  1. This is a more natural approach to family functioning
  2. It is better for the child not to have to deal with any potential negative feelings or experiences, such as, there is something wrong with me, I am sick, my friends or siblings will make fun of me, embarrassment, shame, guilt, etc.
  3. It is good for parents to be as effective, helpful and healing with their children as possible.

 However, at times the best thing for a child or children is to be seen by a professional. In such circumstances I am qualified and happy to work with the child.

Reasons for working with the child can include:

  1. The child does not feel comfortable speaking honestly about the issues with his/her parent(s).
  2. The parents find it too difficult or emotionally painful to deal with the issues with their child.
  3. The parents act inappropriately with the child, and it is best for the child not to  wait until the parent receives help in learning how to appropriately interact with his/her child.

 In such instances I will meet first with the parents alone to get the parents’ description of the situation, as well as their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and goals. After meeting with the parents I will meet with the child (children). Sometimes for the first session or two the parents will accompany their children in the session, if the children are young and would feel more comfortable with their parent(s) present. During the ongoing treatment I will work with the parents and the children individually and together.

 I help parents and children learn to express their thoughts, feelings, needs, expectations, disappointments, love, anger, frustration, etc. in positive constructive healthy ways. I help the family to clear away the negativity, stop dysfunctional behaviors, and increase positive, healthy, loving, respectful, and enjoyable behaviors.

When I work with teens, I usually see the teen alone. teens tend to be, or at least want to be, independent from their parents, and often would prefer working with a therapist or counselor, than finding solutions by speaking with their parents about their psychological, emotional, and social difficulties. Teens often feel uncomfortable talking with their parents about the difficulties they have. Dating, sex, and identity issues are examples of topics that most teens do not want to speak about with their parents.

When appropriate, I work with the parents as well to help them in creating family communication and dynamics which are supportive of my work with their teen child.

Sometimes, I work with the family in my office or in their home. When appropriate I consult with the child’s teacher, school, youth leader and others involved in the child’s education and development. 

Often children “act out” because of conflict or special difficulties, such as marital conflict, which are being experienced by other family members. At times marriage counseling and/or family counseling is an important part of the process.

Oftentimes my helping the parents to improve parenting skills can alleviate the problems of their child or teen.

We live in challenging times, and the most loving, caring, and well-motivated parents experience difficulties in raising their children – YES even in “the best of families.” All parents, whether married, divorced, single or widowed, get along great with each other, or do not get along well with each other face difficult challenges when it comes to parenting.

Families who are dealing with difficulties related to step-parents, step-children, divorce, trauma, poor health, loss, illness, or other psychological issues face even more difficulties – for the parents and their children.

Parenting advice & guidance can really help improve the family dynamics and happiness

Often, just a little practical guidance, and the learning and utilization of specific effective parenting skills can greatly reduce the anxiety and frustration for both the parent(s) and the children, and increase individual and family harmony and satisfaction.

Good parenting increases self-esteem, healthy functioning, general happiness, and life satisfaction for both parents and children.

Feel welcome to call me to ask any questions that you may have and to learn how I can help you and your family.

I Help Children & Teens to Acquire Skills
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