My approach is collaborative, transparent, and strengths-based, and my office is a place of safety, curious inquiry, and playful problem-solving (occasionally with the help of the very friendly dragon who resides there, especially when I’m working with little ones individually).

Most of my work, though, involves parents actively participating in sessions. Why? Because for kids under ten, that’s what works. I have a lot of training, experience, and knowledge, but YOU are the expert in your family and your child. To be most effective, I need you to help me understand your priorities, values, strengths, hopes, and challenges. 

The process starts with an assessment–I meet with parents to get a sense of what’s going on, and then I spend some time with the child (usually both with and without the parent present). After that, I get permission to touch base with other important people in the child’s life (e.g., pediatrician, teachers). Once I have enough information, I create and present a proposal to the parents that includes a tailored treatment strategy (including how often we should meet, and who should attend sessions and why) and an estimate of how long it will take to meet agreed-upon goals. When we’re on the same page, we get to work, continually assessing progress and tweaking our approach along the way. 

My goal is to help the children and families with whom I work target specific problems, experience rapid, sustainable, meaningful improvement, and move forward with increased confidence, skill, harmony, and joy.