Therapy for Kids
At HEART Counseling, we specialize in helping kids with big feelings and lots of worries (anxiety). We also help kids who have experienced upsetting events (trauma).
Does your child seem to have “big feelings” or be “highly sensitive”? Does their behavior seem out of control, or you’re just not sure how to help them?
You are not alone. We have helped other kids and families with deeply feeling or anxious kids, and we would love to help you.
Is your family going through a time of transition, such as a divorce, a move, or the loss of a loved one?
Many of our kid clients have parents who don’t live together or are experiencing other types of family stress or transitions. It can be tough, but we can help.
Has your child experienced something traumatic – like an accident, violence, or abuse?
We are here to help. We are trauma therapists with experience helping kids after they’ve experienced – or seen someone else experience – accidents, major illnesses, violence – at home, at school, or in the community, bullying, and emotional, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.
HEART Counseling’s therapists understand how difficult it is when kids are struggling. We also know how resilient kids are when given the right tools and early intervention.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably here to find help for your child, yourself, or your family, and that’s awesome. Read more about our approach to working with kids (and their families) below.
Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.
~ Fred Rogers
How do we help kids?
We know that most kids, and even teens, don’t want to sit on a couch and talk about their feelings.
Our approach with kids and teens is interactive—we will draw and use art, play games, use puppets or other manipulatives, tell stories and read books, and use other creative outlets in the therapy room. Research has found that kids learn best through play and creativity. These tools help kids learn about and express emotions, body sensations, and more.
We always meet your child where they are and weave therapeutic concepts into many different activities. Depending on your child, we may keep things a little more “unstructured” and follow their lead, or we may structure the session more, using our clinical judgment and your child’s cues, to cater therapy to them.
We are passionate about helping kids learn about how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected.
It’s important to help kids understand what their body might be telling them—such as getting a stomachache when going somewhere new could mean that they are feeling anxious. Being able to label body sensations, emotions, and feelings can be a powerful tool for kids to cope with distress and develop resiliency.
Once we can identify how we feel, we can work on changing it. We maintain that no feelings are bad feelings; they are just feelings, and we can work with them. Helping your child with this reframe can set them up for success as they go through a life full of ups and downs.
We also collaborate with parents, utilizing “parent check-ins.”
These usually look like 30 – 60 minute video calls with just parents and the therapist. In these calls we can get a parent’s perspective on what is happening at home, school, or socially. This helps us have a more holistic approach as we work with your child.
It’s important to note that as often as possible we try to maintain confidentiality with the child. We want our kid clients to build a trusting therapeutic relationship with their therapist. However, if there is ever any indication of risk of your child hurting themselves or someone else, you can be assured that we will tell you right away.