Play is the language of children, and I love to play. 

Often it is hard for children to communicate with adults about what is causing them distress, and sometimes this knowledge is outside a child’s awareness. So problems tend to show through behavior, causing the troubles that lead you to seek help. Fortunately, children’s distress reliably shows up symbolically in their play, as well as problematically in their behavior. Using play therapy with your child, I can help you figure out what is troubling your child, and design interventions to help reduce their suffering. I work collaboratively with you as parent or guardian, sharing my thinking and meeting as often as needed. I also offer written resources regarding limit-setting, dealing with grief, and trauma.  

Typically, I meet first with parents/guardians once or twice to get a sense of your concerns, obtain historical information, and to establish trust. I then meet with your child for several sessions, and gather information, as needed, from outside sources like schools and other clinicians. My goal is to understand the totality of your child’s experience in order to figure out how best to help. After this, I meet with you again to share my formulation and treatment plan. Often children need other services besides play therapy, and I have many professional contacts in the community that I collaborate with. 

Areas of expertise:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Mood dysregulation
• Behavioral problems
• Grief and loss
• Family conflicts
• School difficulties
• Peer relationships
• Sibling issues
• Reaction to divorce