Exton (Chester County), Pennsylvania

Therapy Services

How my approach to working with children, teenagers, and young adults is different

Let’s face it – many children and teenagers don’t like therapy or counseling.

It’s boring. It’s uncomfortable. They’re not sure how it’s supposed to work.
They are asked questions about feelings they don’t recognize having and asked about their progress on goals they never signed on for—no wonder they don’t feel listened to.

I approach kids differently:

I have spent my career thinking about how to provide services to kids, teenagers, and young adults that they value and respect and, therefore, want to participate in. This eliminates the miserable and undignified tug-of-war and other power struggles that a lot of therapists endure when working with this population.

Sounds familiar?

It really doesn’t have to be that way.

Parenting in a culture of social media saturation, anxiety, and disconnection

The changes over the past couple of decades have not made it any easier for parents to raise their kids than it has for their kids to grow up. The face of modern adolescence has brought a markedly new set of challenges to parents, one being the efforts made to maintain authority and credibility in what are felt to be the critical and judgmental eyes of their teenagers.

This alone has compromised the self-possession and conviction parents need in order to follow through on their choices regarding the best interests of their adolescent children and make what they know will be unpopular but healthy decisions.

Let me help you regain your inner compass and confidence in your judgment and decision-making. No longer will you have to wonder…

One of the most challenging tasks of parenting is balancing expressions of compassion and support that your child or teenager needs from you with the ability to hold them accountable for their choices. It does not have to lead to slammed doors, arguments, or disrespect. Kids look to their parents for the boundaries they know they need to function at their best, but they’ll never ask outright for them. They’re kids, after all.

I can help you learn how to balance these twin parenting tasks in ways that enhance your credibility in their eyes, as well as your kids’ willingness to become better citizens of the family, of the household, and of their communities.

“The work I do with children, teens, and their parents goes far toward resolving their challenges, stress, anxiety, and deepest fears. It is personal, practical, and unpretentious. It is also incisive and deliberate and moves forward quickly without rushing.”

I want to know…

What keeps you up at night?
What distracts you during the day?
What is breaking your heart?

Come tell me, and let me help you.

The different challenges and concerns I treat include, but are not limited to:

We can meet in person in Exton (Chester County), Pennsylvania

via Telehealth, FaceTime, or Zoom for your convenience.

INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY THERAPY

Providing assessment and treatment of a wide range of mental health issues for children, teenagers, and young adults, with a knack for working well with kids who want nothing to do with therapy.

Parent Consultation

Designed to provide guidance and support to parents facing various challenges in raising their children. Personalized consultations and coaching sessions help navigate issues such as behavior management, communication, disrespect, mood disorders, tough conversations, bullying, and many other issues in the hearts and minds of parents. Gain effective strategies and tools to promote well-being and create a harmonious family environment while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship.

Wondering if a parent consultation could help?

Sometimes a problem isn’t serious enough to need therapy, or maybe you’re not sure whether or not professional help is warranted. I offer pay-as-you-go consultation sessions during which you can discuss your concerns and I can give some input and make recommendations.

I don’t need a lot of history. I won’t ask for a bunch of details for the sake of “gathering information.” I can figure out a lot from just a little and my expertise goes way beyond run of the mill advice.

In addition, I work quickly so that in your first as much as in your last session, the consultation ends with you having a plan or a new idea or the words to start an important conversation or a different perspective or maybe some validation for what you’ve been doing.

Here are the most common reasons parents get in touch with me.

Your son or daughter acts disrespectfully around the house and you don’t know how to control, manage or stop it.
Your teen is so moody around the house that it is affecting the entire household. You want to know if this is just “typical teen behavior” or a sign or something more problematic.
You want to know if your kid’s depression, anxiety, poor school performance, or ADD is bad enough to seek professional help.
You want to know how to talk to your kids about your upcoming separation or divorce or need to move to another residence or school district.
You want help in talking with your son or daughter about drugs or sex.
Your kid is being bullied for being nonathletic / nerdy / overweight / quiet and you want to know what to do, how to help, and whether you should do anything at all.
You are struggling with your kids who prefer your ex’s house because there are no rules there and your ex has weaponized his or her popularity with them.
Your teen doesn’t talk with you about much of anything, and you are feeling totally in the dark about what is going on in his or her life.
You need help managing your son or daughter’s aggressive behavior around the home.
You need some help establishing limits and following through with consequences, or even perhaps coming up with reasonable consequences that actually incentivize a better choice.
You are unhappy with the climate at home (yelling, sarcasm, excessive sibling rivalry) and want to do something about it.
You want to constructively address your child or teenager’s insensitivity to the impact of his or her choices on others.
You are a single parent feeling bullied or intimidated by an older teen.

Therapy fees

Daytime, afternoon, and evening appointments are available.

Longer sessions are available for individuals and families who travel from a distance or prefer a more in-depth or accelerated counseling experience. These two-and-a-half-hour appointments are scheduled on weekdays before 3:00 pm for a fee of $700.

Parents can also arrange for brief 15 minute follow up appointments and check-ins, as well as occasional crisis management via text.

Let's start with a conversation Get in touch today

Step 1

Schedule a consultation

Contact me by email or phone to schedule a free 10-minute consultation to talk about how I can help and answer your questions.

Step 2

Start the conversation

With compassion and curiosity, we’ll embark on a conversation filled with ideas and strategies to create a clear pathway forward for you, your teen, and your family.

Step 3

Evaluate & Calibrate

Our work will be collaborative, affording you opportunities for making changes that are aligned with your unique needs and goals.

Our youth are stronger than we think
And if they are like the youth I meet, they need conversation and connection to bring out their superpower.

Let’s make that happen.