Common Challenges:

• Not listening or not following rules

• Inattentive and distracted

• Lying

• School grades dropping or having difficulties with teacher

• Perfectionistic - a.k.a. cannot accept mistakes

• Not accepting responsibility for their actions - a.k.a. blaming everyone else

• Hyperactive

• Nightmares

How I Can Help:

When tweens experience trauma they either begin holding everything in (which can create a lot of anxiety and depression) or they let everything out (which can lead to a lot of disruptive behavior). I will help you recognize which path they are on so you can better understand what they may be experiencing and what they need in order to feel supported.

I will help your tween and you learn about trauma and develop coping strategies to help decrease all the things listed above and help you both get to a connected place of understanding.

This is done through the evidenced based approach Dialectical Behavior Therapy and/or Eye-Movement Desensitization Therapy (EMDR), of course, with my added flair of fun! The length and type of treatment will depend upon you tweens individual needs.

What You Can Expect:

Depending on your tween’s comfort level, I will likely meet individually with your tween and then encourage them to invite you into the session to share what they have learned. This will help you to learn the skills they are gaining in session so you can help them practice outside of session (yup, I snuck that in there, you’ll both have therapy homework!). If your tween decides to share their traumatic experience with me, I will encourage them to share this with you after it has been processed (don’t worry, I’ll prepare you!) as this aids in further healing.

What Your Tween Can Expect:

Simply put - a fun and safe place for healing. I have seen therapists sit with kids this age and do talk therapy - and while that may be effective for them - it is not my style. Typically during the first part of treatment, where coping skills are learned to prepare the tween for sharing their experience, it’s a lot of fun and games. I will connect these fun and games to their current challenges (e.g., not following rules) so they will know the best times to use the skills they are learning. The second part of treatment may be a little more difficult as they process their trauma, but I do my best to prepare them ahead of time and go at a pace that is comfortable for them.