About My Practice
“Work is love made visible.” – Kahil Gibran
Working with youth and their families is a niche that requires advanced training and expertise. It also requires patience, presence, compassion, and understanding. I am so delighted to bring the work of child counseling to the city of Asheville and its surrounding areas.
I offer a holistic counseling approach, working with my clients to not only identify problems, but the supportive resources in their lives as well. In some cases, especially with youth, I work directly with those resources. That may mean I speak to your child’s teacher, guidance counselor, or pediatrician in order to provide the highest level of care.
I believe that effective counseling cannot be delivered by offering a one-size-fits-all approach.
I offer an eclectic counseling approach, understanding that different problems require different responses. For example, a child who is struggling to find the confidence to assert his opinions, may benefit best from a non-direct, play therapy approach. In contrast, a child struggling to manage anxiety and regulate emotions, may need the more insight-oriented, skill building, and behavioral modification approach of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. My practice style places a high value on accurate treatment planning – the plan should best fit the problems you want to address.
Here are some of the therapeutic techniques I offer:
Client-Centered Play Therapy:
I offer play therapy for children as young as 3.5 years of age. Play therapy is a powerful tool! It allows for a child to freely choose what materials in the play therapy office she feels she needs to use in order to express all parts of her personality, try out multiple solutions to the problems she’s facing, and/or express unvoiced concerns, fears, or insecurities that cannot be voiced using adult language.
I have extensive training in play therapy and have used this technique for over 10 years. I have witnessed in my practice the healing power of play therapy for a variety of issues including behavior problems, childhood anxiety, emotional outbursts, sibling rivalry, aggression, attachment problems, low self-esteem, extreme shyness, selective mutism, parent-child relational problems, grief, sexual abuse, and trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
EMDR is a therapy that has been widely researched as an effective treatment for trauma. I am trained in EMDR and use it primarily with children and adolescents. EMDR is an appropriate treatment modality for anxiety stemming from a traumatic event or negative memory that your child cannot seem to move beyond. I also offer EMDR to adults.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT):
Trauma Focused – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidenced based parent-child therapy for children who have experienced a traumatic event. I have used TF-CBT with children and adolescents. TF-CBT offers youth and their families an opportunity to learn about trauma, understand new ways of regulating the strong fear-based emotions that often result, and a chance to talk, as a family, about what happened without becoming overwhelmed.
Sandtray Therapy:
An ideal therapy for anyone, at any age. Sandtray therapy involves using a tray made of wood that is filled with sand. The tray sits alongside bins full of figures that resemble real-life people and things as well as fantasy creatures. The client chooses what figurines are to be used, if any, and places them in the Sandtray in whatever way feels right. There is no wrong way to build a world in the sand. Often, what emerges, is a rich symbolic expression of the client’s inner world. Symbolizing solutions to problems, in addition to talking about them, can be a very powerful experience.
Expressive Art:
I offer my clients a variety of art-based mediums including crayons, pastels, markers, watercolor pencils, paint, clay, and collage. In general, I tend to encourage my clients, whether child, adolescent, or adult, to self-direct his or her art in session. However, there are times when a client shows interest in creating art, but feels somewhat timid or unsure about where to begin. In those moments, I may suggest an art activity, one that I believe will deepen the counseling work you are already doing. Without a doubt, art is a powerful therapeutic tool.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an extremely effective treatment for a variety of problems including anxiety, depression, or negative behavior. My clients use CBT during traditional talk-therapy. It is also creatively interwoven into the therapy hour with the use of art, toys, and/or games. No matter the materials used, I offer CBT in order to assist my clients with improved self-awareness, insight, and positive behavior change.
Problems I commonly treat:
Childhood Anxiety
Selective Mutism
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Behavior Problems
Parent-Child Relationship Problems
Oppositional Defiance
Attachment Disorders
Lagging Social Skills/Social Isolation from Peers
Poor Coping Ability
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
School Behavior Problems
Grief and Loss
Sexual Abuse
Sexually Reactive Children
Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems
Children of Separation and Divorce
Life Transitions
Adjustment Disorders
Mood Disorders
Body Image Issues
FAQs
For a free 15-minute phone consultation to gain clarity on whether you, your child, or your family may benefit from counseling, feel free to contact me at 443-340-0505. During our call, I will strive to offer preliminary answers to your most pressing questions and talk about the next steps.