Barbara Murphy

Children don't always have the words to explain what's wrong — but they always have ways of showing it. I'm an LCSW, Board Certofed Diplomate, who works exclusively with children, teens, and young adults through age 22, specializing in the presentations that show up most in young people: ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, learning disabilities, and the behavioral patterns that can signal something deeper going on.

For younger children, I use play therapy — because , play is the language through which they process their world. For older children and adolescents, I shift to more verbal, insight-oriented approaches, drawing on Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic frameworks that help young people understand themselves and develop the emotional tools they'll carry into adulthood.

I trained at Adelphi University and several post grad institutes . After an extensive work history in hospital settings, I began a private practice in an office located in Mineola, NY. I also work via telehealth across New York, serving patients and families throughout New York State

My approach adapts to each child's developmental stage — because what works for a seven-year-old is entirely different from what works for a fifteen-year-old.

Play Therapy is my primary modality for younger children. Through structured and unstructured play, children express and process what they can't yet put into words. It's evidence-based and deeply effective for anxiety, behavioral concerns, trauma, and developmental challenges. For children with ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities, I combine behavioral strategies with CBT to build practical skills and self-understanding.

For older adolescents, I draw on Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic approaches — helping teens understand the patterns, relationships, and internal experiences shaping how they show up in their lives. CBT provides additional tools for managing OCD, anxiety, and panic. Everything is adapted collaboratively with both the child and their family. With the older adolescents and young adults, I help prepare them for college and living away from home

The first session is primarily for parents — a chance to share your child's history, what you've been observing, and what you're hoping changes. Understanding your family's context is foundational to doing good work with your child.

For younger children, I'll begin building rapport through play before moving into more structured work. For older teens, we'll start to create a space where they feel safe being honest — with me and eventually with themselves.

The goal from session one is simple: for your child to feel like this is a place that's actually for them