Many of the children and teens I see are demonstrating or have:
- Shy, withdrawn, or clingy behavior
- Acting-out, angry, or disruptive behavior
- Defiant, oppositional or controlling behavior
- Behavioral problems at school or with peers
- Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- A history of trauma, abuse, or neglect
- Attachment challenges due to adoption or experiences in foster care
- A history of social deprivation due to early care in an orphanage
- Challenges related to anxiety or post-traumatic stress
- Some questions and confusion about their histories
Many of the parents or adults I see are working on:
- How to be the kind of parent they wish to be
- Making sense of their early experiences of being parented and how this impacts their parenting style
- Feeling triggered by their child’s behaviors
- Working effectively with their partner (if partnered)
- Building confidence as a single parent
- Managing their own symptoms of anxiety or depression as a result of parenting a child with a tougher start
- How to communicate proactively with their children about adoption issues
- How to navigate and build open adoption relationships in an intentional, child-centered way
- Understanding their own identities as adoptees, birth parents, or adoptive parents
What I offer:
- A partnership with parents as we work together to understand the meaning behind behaviors and the likely needs of your child
- Dynamic, directive, and creative approaches to meeting the goals of individuals and families as identified through the therapy
- Focused attention to the parent as it relates to the management of their own emotions, their capacity to attune to needs, as well as their capacity to use consistency and build routines to respond to those needs
- Attention to recognizing and building upon the strengths of each individual and unique family
