Individual and Parent/Child Therapy for Young Children
Birth to Five
People always ask, “how do you do therapy with young children if they can’t talk?”
I bet you’re wondering the same thing.
Despite what folks might think, therapy with young children is absolutely do-able! It’s so do-able, in fact, that there is an entire field of work dedicated to the social/emotional needs of our youngest children. Therapists who specialize in infant and early childhood mental health, including myself, have been trained to meet the social/emotional needs of little ones within the context of their caregiving relationships. What that means is that our work uses the connection you and your little love share to teach them how to regulate their bodies while showing you just how important you are as their caregiver.
We use the relationship you share with your child because YOU are how your child learns about their world and how they learn about themselves. If we can consistently and calmly support them through difficult moments, then we are giving them the necessary tools to navigate life’s challenges on their own while showing them they are never truly alone. Because of this, all therapeutic work includes both the child AND their caregiver.
As infants and toddlers grow into big four and five-year olds, therapy can shift toward individual sessions with your child and regularly scheduled parent consultations with you. Luckily, there is another way for your child and I to communicate and that’s through PLAY! It’s impossible and not developmentally appropriate for the work to look like the typical talk therapy sessions older children and adults participate in. I use a lot of movement and sensory-based play as well as arts and crafts and pretend play. And because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so many of the activities that would normally be done in an office-based setting have been easily adapted for telehealth.
Wondering if your child might benefit from therapy?
Young children sometimes feel like a mystery and if there’s anything I’ve learned from my own parenting experience, it’s that as soon as you think you’ve got things figured out, those little loves of ours immediately throw us off our game. Raising young children is not easy for any of us, myself included - and this is what I do for a living! Whether your infant is crying more than you would expect, your toddler is having more frequent and intense tantrums or your preschool-aged child is having difficulty managing their big feelings, therapy can help. And sometimes all we need is someone reassuring us that we’re already doing the right thing for our child.
If your baby…
Is experiencing sleep difficulties
Often appears distressed or tense
Is not easily soothed when crying
Is not easily soothed when irritable
Has been exposed to or experienced any traumatic event
Has experienced a prolonged period of separation from a primary caregiver
Is crying much less than you would expect
Doesn’t seem connected with you
If your toddler…
Is experiencing sleep difficulties
Often appears anxious or depressed
Is experiencing frequent and intense tantrums/outbursts
Experiences significant separation anxiety
Is unable to use you or other primary caregivers for support
Has been exposed to or experienced any traumatic event
Appears to have more energy than you would expect for their age
If your preschool-aged child…
Is experiencing sleep difficulties
Often appears anxious or depressed
Is having difficulties with peer relationships
Experiences significant separation anxiety
Has been exposed to or experienced any traumatic event
Engages in unsafe or concerning behavior
Appears unable to focus on activities
