Child & Adolescent Counseling
Children and teens are having to deal at earlier ages with a wide range of issues such as drugs and alcohol abuse, sexuality, violence, peer group pressures, social media and shifting family values. I work with children of all ages with a variety of mental health and behavioral issues. My goal is also to help parents find solutions to the real-world problems facing their child right now, while also helping their child to develop the resiliency he or she needs in an increasingly complex world. I also aid parents in developing positive parenting skills that can make their parenting years more effective and less stressful.
I have a strong understanding of children’s physical, mental, and behavioral development from infancy through adolescence. I draw on over twenty-five years of experience working with children, as well as the latest research in the fields of child and adolescent psychology. I work with children on a variety of issues such as: autism, anxiety, hyperactivity and attention deficit, adjustment to life changes such as parental divorce and blended families, academic and social difficulties at school, as well as many other issues.
Children and School
The school environment plays a major role in a child’s life and in their ability to thrive and to learn prosocial adaptive skills that can last a lifetime. Below is a list of some of the stressful situations and milestones to be aware of in your child’s life as they mature:
Elementary School:
Tests and class presentations: Getting up in front of a class to make a presentation or even taking a minor test can cause extreme stress in some children.
Social status and being different: Children often feel that they stand out from their peers in ways that cause embarrassment. Being the center of attention, receiving either positive or negative feedback, can be stressful.
Sense of danger: School lockdowns, or even routine fire drills—any situation that reminds young children of potential threats—can cause anxiety.
Middle School:
Busy schedules: Aside from the stress of homework, a child’s schedule can get overbooked: sports, plays, playing an instrument, various other competitions and enrichments. Downtime for children is important and often in short supply.
Peer pressure & social media: One’s peers become increasingly important in middle school as children enter a new phrase of increased awareness of their world beyond their home. Social media in particular, with its 24/7 availability, has heightened the sense of comparison and often a sense of inadequacy. This is a time when body image issues surface for many children. There is also often the beginning of pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol, or at least an increased awareness of what their peers think about these issues.
High School:
Social acceptance: High school is a time of intense social pressures, and children have a strong and genuine need to establish a friend group. Social isolation can lead to intense feelings of loneliness and lack of self-worth, and in some environments also lead to bullying. Serious drug use can also occur as a means for coping with the growing complexities of school.
Academics pressure: Classes become more demanding and the pressure to make good grades in order to get into college grows each year.
Romantic relationships: Sexual identify issues may surface, and the importance of being in a romantic relationship increases in high school.
Issues with parents: As children begin to assert their independence, issues over rule setting, and conflicts with parents may begin or increase.