“Quiet I bear within me,
I bear within myself
Forces to make me strong.
Now I will be imbued with their
glowing warmth.
Now I will fill myself
With my own will’s resolve.
And I will feel the quiet
Pouring through all my being
When by my steadfast striving
I become strong
To find within myself the source of strength
The strength of inner quiet.”
-Rudolf Steiner
Children (birth-9 years)
I help children experiencing a variety of feelings such as anxiety, frustration, depression and other issues involving challenges with attention and behavior. I work with children and families who have experienced varieties of trauma, and have helped parents and schools understand how trauma affects behavior, and what strategies can be used to help children “rewire” the brain. Many children now experience overstimulation in the form of sensory issues, or processing (thinking) challenges.
Perhaps, someone else has diagnosed your child and you might wonder if I can work with certain diagnoses.
First, a little about wording. I work with children (not diagnoses) by helping to uncover what in the child’s environment might need to shift. I have worked with children who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders (including separation anxiety), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, developmental trauma, reactive attachment disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and adjustment disorder.
Second, a recent study concluded that 63% of parents surveyed are “skeptical of people who give parenting advice and recommendations if they don’t know my child and my situation specifically.” I work out of the understanding that before coming up with a course of action, we have to discover 3 things about a child’s behavior:
- What is the underlying cause without automatically assuming that a child is behaving a certain way for control or attention. This takes time and sometimes evaluations by other providers (occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, neuropsychologist, etc.)
- Once we know the reason for behavior we can co-create an individualized approach and not a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Understand the child’s emotional and social developmental capacities.
One of my favorite authors, Mona Delahooke, who authored Brain-Body Parenting notes “Our biology informs our psychology. You can unlock the keys to your child’s resilience by understanding their body and how it feeds information to their brain”. I can help you unlock these keys.
New to Parenting
Prenatal: Helping parents-to-be navigate the complex feelings and thoughts about their future role and how their life will be transformed. This includes how their partnership may shift and ways to prepare for the “unknowable” ahead of them.
Postpartum: Helping parents in the first year of life adjust to becoming a new parent. If parents are increasing the size of their family, supporting them to manage the new dynamics of their family. I use RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and Pikler methods which teach caring for a baby with a high degree of respect. See more specifics on my Counseling for New Mothers page.
Individuals at any age
Wherever we are in our journey of life, it is my deepest belief that we are continuously unfolding into something new, no matter how stuck we might feel in the moment. This dynamic growth mindset is integral to my work. Often we navigate new events or situations with a trusted friend, family or colleague. However, there are times when we need more than a compassionate listener. I provide new tools for getting people unstuck out of the “thinking trap” that keeps them from moving forward to live out our highest potential. For more information, visit my Individual Therapy page.