Melody Nait Sidenas

Your child has been through something hard, and now the hard shows up in ways you did not expect. Meltdowns out of nowhere. Clinginess at bedtime. The teenager who used to talk to you and now shuts the door. Or your family is becoming a blended family, and everyone is adjusting at a different speed. I work with children from age one through the teen years on trauma, anxiety, grief, ADHD, and anger, and with the parents carrying all of it. I also see adult women on their own. If you are a mom running on empty while you hold everyone else together, there is room for you here too.

With young children I use play, because a four-year-old cannot narrate what happened to them but can show you. With older kids and teens, we untangle what the hard thing taught them about themselves. I am certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Parents are part of this, not in the waiting room. I will tell you what to try at home.

The first session is mostly me listening. If your child is little, I will probably end up on the floor with toys while you and I talk, so nobody feels put on the spot. With teens, I keep it low pressure and let them decide how much to say. I will ask what has been happening, what you have tried, and what you want different six months from now.