Child Therapy
Getting started with sarahbean.
Over the course of time, sometimes caregivers come to a child therapist with the expectation that through a child’s participation in therapy, the child will learn the skills they need to stop the behaviors that are becoming excruciating to their community.
This is only partially true. The other part is our collaboration. This is why the first 3 sessions of my work with your child will not involve your child at all, but instead will be a deep-dive with the grown-ups to understand your own needs, wishes and goals for your family, keeping the focus on the child at the center of our conversations.
These initial sessions will provide a mindset shift for the caregivers: As adults, we cannot expect the youngest members of our family unit to be the agents of change. These sessions are a place to investigate and understand more about your expectations and the needs of your child. We work together to identify goals around your child’s symptoms, clarify your role in your child’s healing journey, and find ways to support a sense of ease and delight in your household with your child.
When you choose to work with me, your child’s work in the telehealth platform is through a process called Child Centered Play Therapy. Through this experience, the child is the author of their destiny during their time in the playroom. I will provide prompts, games and tools to provide a container for your child’s exploration. Then, your child decides which direction to take it. This approach is rooted in the belief that children intrinsically know what they need to heal when given the right conditions.
Relationships are the foundation for all healing. In conjunction with this experience, you will see a reduction in your child’s difficult behaviors as they grow in their capacity to trust themselves.
All Sessions are provided through a HIPAA compliant Zoom account.
I offer virtual play-based therapy sessions for parents + children (birth to age 5), and children ages 6-10 (individual or with their grown-up, too).
These are process-oriented sessions for children who are navigating a clinical level of need around the following challenges. They always start with 2-4 telehealth sessions with just the child’s parent/caregiver(s) to build a foundation and identify treatment goals before your child will come to therapy sessions.
Therapy is the best course of action for:
Symptoms of depression, including
low self-confidence
negative self-talk
exhaustion
lack of motivation
Stress or anxiety
perfectionism
recurring worries
fear that gets in the way of daily functioning
Neurodiversity
learning and developmental differences like ADHD, dyslexia, or life on the spectrum
Attachment ruptures
parent-child relational challenges
The effects of traumatic experiences on your relationships
your own experiences
a sense of danger or threat that impedes your child’s daily functioning
Supporting children with challenging behaviors
tantrums
backtalk
hitting/kicking/screaming.
Therapy sessions take the form of:
Individual play-based therapy sessions for children age 6-10. These sessions are a container for your child to have a sense of agency in decision-making and build emotional regulation skills to support their ongoing development.
Parent/caregiver + child play-based therapy sessions for children under age 10 (45 minutes). These sessions are a way to foster connection and repair between you and your child in a neutral, child-friendly, emotionally safe environment.
I am an out-of-network insurance provider, and can provide a superbill if you have a PPO plan. For more information about my rates and sliding scale, click here.