(she/her)
New to Grow
I help kids, including very young kids, manage intense feelings. I reawaken in parents the irreverent fun and joy in play, all the while improving communication and bonding with your child. As your interaction with your son or daughter enhances, we will increasingly focus on the problem behaviors that are disrupting your emotional quality of life. I coach using clear communication strategies, and modeling consistent follow-through on age appropriate expectations. You will get to enjoy your child again and prevent tantrums from becoming lifelong patterns of reactivity that interfere with their relationships and accomplishments.
Initial intake is best with parents only for children under 12 and even sometimes up until 18. This allows us to review your concerns and mental health history and then schedule my first session to be in person at my office if at all possible so that I can meet your child and interact with them through play or talking depending on their age, complete a mental status exam, learn about their thoughts and feelings, and how they feel about coming to therapy. Our third session is generally, our first meeting together with you and your child, in which we will then review goals and develop a treatment plan.
Younger children, especially using parent children interaction therapy methods for behavioral management, is more directive. Almost every week your child or teen will leave my office with a new skill they are typically to practice throughout the week. However, I am realistic about follow through and always come back to mining for a child or parents own best hopes for a solution as being the best solution and I am more of a coach helping you achieve this.
I work both both typical and neurodivergent children, including very young children, as well as teens. In younger children with behavior problems full parent involvement is a must in order to gain the results you want to achieve. As children become older, around 7-12, a hybrid of both individual and parent/child sessions is optimal for success as it becomes more about teaching age appropriate skills , having parents know the skills in order for them to be reinforced as well as learning strategies of behavioral intervention that reinforce wanted behavior in your child's environment. After 12, as your child becomes older it becomes increasingly more of an individual session with kids wanting differentiation and privacy, although, until your child is 18 years old , I find monthly sessions to still be optimal with parents.
Cash - $150 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Gravie
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
Amerihealth
Amerihealth Administrators
Arlo
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
Evernorth
GTEB
Horizon
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Tufts Health/Cigna
I have specialized training in PCIT and am completing my hours for certification. I have been working with this age group supporting families dealing with emotional and behavioral issues for over 20 years.