Child Therapist in Marin
What does a child therapist do?
Kids express themselves differently than adults. They don’t always know what is happening and have a hard time verbalizing what’s going on. Even for highly verbal kids, it can be hard to articulate their feelings effectively, explain what’s going on, or express what they need.
As a child therapist, I create a safe place for kids to open up, feel at ease, and share what’s on their mind.
For kids under 12 years old, I use carefully selected toys, art materials, sand trays, and figurines to help them to express themselves, learn skills, and process emotions naturally through play.
Adjunct ways of I work in depth to faciliate emotional healing and psychological transformation is working with dreams and sandplay.
I also have an adorable, non-shedding, allergy-friendly therapy dog that can be present in your child’s or teen’s sessions if you’re comfortable with that. The benefits of therapy dogs in sessions include: alleviated levels of stress and anxiety, improved mood, increased self-esteem, decreased or victory over fears, improved coping with or recovery from mental or physical symptoms, improved emotional and social interactions, and cognitive functions. They comfort patients via bodily contact and promote engaging which helps improve skills and trusting relationships.
By expressing their thoughts and feelings freely and safely, verbally or through play, kids begin to understand themselves and start to feel better.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint, but something isn’t working.”
Common Issues Discussed
Every child has if unique but here are some common topics and issues that come up in session are:
- Anxiety, overthinking, or excessive worry
- Grief and loss
- Avoidance
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
- Friendship drama
- Heartbreak
- Communication
- Self esteem
- Independence
- Applying for or starting high school or college
- Irritability or anger
- Moodiness, meltdowns, & blowups
- Body changes & body image
- Leaving for college & other separations or losses
I do not work with families that: are experiencing high marital conflict, are in the process of divorcing or separating, have a parent(s) who is abusing substances or alcohol, have a court order for treatment, or have a child or parent currently engaging in self-harm or dangerous behaviors.
How It Works
What To Expect Seeing A Child Therapist
- The consultation process is about 5 sessions. For all kids and teens, the first consultation is 90 minutes with both parents, ideally together and in-person. Given busy schedules today, I can also meet by telehealth.
- Subsequent sessions are 45 minutes. The second consultation is with the child or teen for the first time. For kids under 10 years old, I’ll meet with both the parent and child. I always make sure to meet the child at their own level. We’ll talk briefly about why they are there. I show them around the room, my dollhouse, sand-tray, art supplies, and games. I will ask them if there is something they would like to play. Once I sense the child is ready, I’ll ask the parent to wait in the waiting room.
- For teens and kids 11 and older, when we meet for the first time, they often enter the room on their own. We talk briefly about why they are here. I may show them around. The child or teen, will spend the rest of the session finishing what they started. The child or teen will have an opportunity to express themselves and experience the importance of a trusted adult listening and validating their experience. For most teens they arrive and leave on their own.
- I will see the child or teen 3 more times (45 minutes/session). Additional individual parent sessions are scheduled to gather family history and backgrounds as need. The final consultation is a feedback session.
- After the consultation process, kids and teens are seen for 45 minutes at a weekly frequency or more and parents are seen for 45 minutes at a monthly or bi monthly frequency for parent collateral sessions.
Kids Express Themselves Differently Than Adults
I have extensive training and experience as a child therapist and have worked with many kids and teens who are bright, high achieving, worrying, grieving, have self doubt or lowered confidence. Using a depth oriented, psychoanalytically-informed, relational, attachment, neuroscience and mindfulness approach, I help kids reach their true poential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your hours?
Mon. 11:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Wed. 11:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Thurs. 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Fri. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
How long are your sessions?
The initial consultation/evaluation and subsequent therapy sessions are 45 minutes and scheduled at a weekly frequency. Parent collaterals are 45 minutes and scheduled at a monthly frequency or more depending on your needs. Consultation sessions with clinicians are also 45 minutes and are scheduled as frequently as appropriate to suit your needs. Depending on your situation or at various times during your treatment, we may determine to increase that frequency to twice a week or more.
Are you accepting new patients during COVID-19?
I am accepting child, teen, and adult patients to work in person in my Marin office. I am vaccinated, have a large, ventilated office. Kids, teens, and adults, and parents need to be symptom free and wear a mask inside the building.
What are your fees, cancellation, and rescheduling policy?
As a licensed psychologist, my fee for an initial evaluation/consultation is $500 for 90 mintues. You may also schedule a free 20-minute consultation using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Ongoing psychotherapy, play therapy, parenting therapy, and consultation is $250 for 45-minutes.
I require a 7-day notice for cancelling or rescheduling appointmets.
Please Note: Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
Do you accept insurance?
No. But after working with many insurance companies for nearly 20 years, I understand how complex navigating insurance can be. It’s important for you to understand your benefits. I work with patients who want to use their Health Savings Account (HSA) or their out-of-network benefits. Through my secure patient portal, you will have access to all your invoices at any time. Each invoice includes all the information you need to submit any out of network claims. My patients have told me that this access was easy, convenient, and much appreciated.
What types of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, checks, credit cards, and HSA credit cards.
What do I do if I have an emergency?
Call 911 to go to your nearest emergency room.
If you live in Marin county, you can call the Mobile Crisis Response Team Mon-Sat 1pm-9pm 415-473-6392 or Psychiatric Emergency Services 415-473-6666.
Other resources include:
- Crisis line 800-273-8255,
- S.F. Suicide Prevention: (415) 781-0500
- Warmline: PhoneSupportfor Peers (7 days a week 1pm-9pm) 415-459-6330
How do I know when it’s time to seek help?
A good time to consider seeking professional help is when the strategies you’ve tried are not having much of an effect. If you or your child’s issues significantly interfere with school, work, family, or social life, and if you or your child has experienced symptoms on most days for a month or more, and you or your child is open, curious, and committed, then it is a good time to seek help.
How can therapy help?
Adults, teens and kids often experience great relief when they express themselves fully and connect well with a trusted therapist. Success may vary depending on the particular issue addressed, how well you or your child is open, honest, and uses the process and feedback, and the extent to which what is learned is practiced outside the sessions. Some of the benefits from therapy include: attaining greater awareness, insight, and deeper understanding for yourself or your child that leads to improved relationships, self esteem, confidence, learning new ways to solve problems at work, school, or in your family, improving communication and listening skills, changing maladaptive behavior patterns
Do you work with kids or adults?
I see both! I see bright, high achieving children and teens who are anxious, grieving, or have low self-esteem. Children and teens do not always know what is happening and have a hard time verbalizing what is going on. I also see adults for individual therapy, parenting therapy, and clinical consultation. Many bright, high achieving adults who worry, have family issues or patterns that continue to challenge them, are coping with a difficult loss, or are experiencing a new or unexpected change find it helpful working with me.
What is play therapy?
Play therapy is a specific type therapy that is designed for kids under 12 years old that helps kids feel better, have improved relationships and behaviors through play. For kids in this age range, playing comes naturally and they are often better at playing than talking. Play therapy gives kids the opportunity to explore, solve problems, and work out difficulties through play. Kids act out the issues that they are upset about and tell their story sybolically through play. I use a sandtray and carefully selected games, toys, art materials, dolls, and figures to help kids open up, learn skills, and process their thoughts and emotions through play. In addition play fosters creativity and imagination. Reserach on play has shown that play positively impacts intellectual ability. By expressing their thoughts and feelings freely and safely verbally or through their play, kids begin to understand themselves and start to feel better.