THERAPY FOR KIDS & ADOLESCENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS
Let’s work together to help your child feel supported and your family feel united.
You’re worried about your child or teen and don’t know how to help.
As a parent, who might notice that your child or teen is sensitive, creative, and intelligent. You might describe your child as “emotionally intense” with strong ideas about how things should go. You want your home to feel more peaceful and to learn strategies to stay connected with your child during the most difficult moments without condoning behavior that feels out of control.
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“My child is worrying about things that don’t make sense to me. She repeatedly asks me for reassurance and I’m not certain how to respond in a helpful way.”
“My child becomes easily tearful, especially after making a mistake. I wish he could be less hard on himself.”
“My child is reporting a lot of stomachaches and doesn’t want to go to new places or do new things. He is asking a lot of “what if” questions that I don’t know how to answer.”
“I’m noticing that my child is struggling with sleep.”
“My teen is self-conscious. She tends to be comparing herself to her friends frequently—and not in a positive way.”
“My teen puts a lot of pressure on himself to be the best in everything—sports, academics, friendships. I’m proud of his achievements but worry that he is going to burn out.”
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“My child will not do the things I ask! I find myself asking multiple times, getting frustrated, and yelling. How can I help her do the things she needs to do to make our home run smoothly?”
“My kid’s backpack is a mess. There are papers shoved everywhere and their locker is downright scary. They constantly lose things. We could use some help creating organization systems.”
“I don’t know how to help my adolescent manage his ADHD symptoms. It has created a power struggle and drained our relationship. How can we feel close again?”
“I want to build a closer relationship with my child but just don’t know how. My parents didn’t model this stuff for me and I need some help.”
“My kid has BIG feelings. How can I help him learn to recognize and manage emotions without accepting behavior that feels out of control?”
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"My family recently experienced a big change. My child hasn't verbalized how it has impacted them but I notice changes in his behavior. I want to give him space to process it."
"My child is struggling to adjust to a new school or grade. I want to introduce her to a therapist to give her space to share the things she may not be comfortable sharing with me."
"Our family constellation differs from many of my child's friends. As my child matures, I know that he is starting to pick up on this. I want to him to have therapy as a place to process how this impacts him and make sense of it."
I work with children & teens struggling with the following concerns:
how i can help
How I approach therapy with kids/adolescents
After a thorough clinical interview, I provide psychoeducation about diagnoses that may be contributing to current concerns (i.e., anxiety, depression, ADHD) and the best-practice interventions to address those concerns.
I build rapport with your child by learning about specific interests, hobbies, and doing fun things together.
I implement individual one-on-one sessions with your child to build skills as well as parent-only sessions to support you as a parent in creating an environment that will set your child up for success.
I approach your child with deep kindness and respect. As a parent, I treat every child I meet in a way that I would want my child to be treated when interacting with adults.
I hold your concerns and areas of struggle as a parent with compassion. I offer validation for the place you’re in presently AND new skills to move foward.
imagine if…
Your child is connected to a trusted professional.
He or she has “space” to discuss the tricky parts of life. Your child builds a foundation of reaching out for support that will last a lifetime.
Your child learns skills to navigate challenging situations and emotions.
Your child learns skills to identify emotions, verbalize emotions in a healthy way, and regulate strong emotions. He or she learns how to communicate with peers and adults in a healthy manner.
You feel confident in your parenting skills.
You not only have skills to use and begin to notice changes in family dynamics due to these skills, you also understand the why behind the skills based on your specific child.
I want you to know:
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Therapy for your child or teen can help them:
Build a support understanding of current symptoms, whether that is anxiety, depression, or ADHD.
Learn to understand that these symptoms are not their fault, but rather a result of how their brain works.
Learn strategies to identify emotions, communicate about emotions, and regulate emotions.
Have a space and safe person to discuss and share the complicated parts of life that they may not feel comfortable discussing with a friend or parent.
Increase your confidence as a parent. Help you learn more about how your child’s brain functions in order to create an environment that will set them up for success.
Increase closeness in the parent-child relationship.
faqs
Common questions about therapy for kids/adolescents
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I only use evidence-based interventions, or those that have been proven to work based on extensive research.
For anxiety, I often use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
For depression, I often use CBT & Behavioral Activation (BA).
For youths with ADHD, I offer CBT along with Executive Functioning Skills Coaching.
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For younger children, I do a parent-only appointment followed by a separate appointment with your child.
For older children/teens, I ask them to attend the first appointment.
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I often encourage parents to tell children that they going to a see a "talking doctor" who doesn't do any shots or prescribe medicine but will help them do the best they can at home and at school.
For teens, I recommend being honest and kind and linking the appointment to concerns they have mentioned.
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Yes! Meeting with parents is a very important part of the work I do.
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I do not treat self-harm, suicidal ideation, or homicidal ideation. I also do not treat abuse, substance use disorders, or eating disorders. I do not work with high conflict divorce with active litigation.
Ready to get started?