I work with children ages 3 to 17. Some arrive at the practice stressed, and managing transition or loss. A few opt to remain in strength-focused primary prevention after symptoms have lifted. Many of my patients manage childhood onset anxiety disorders, mood disorders, learning differences, autistic spectrum disorders, thought disorders, and behavioral problems. Children in this practice represent a range of ethnic backgrounds and family compositions.
School
School
- School stress
- Bullying, scapegoating, & exclusion
- Stress associated with academic struggles
- Difficulty with unstructured play
- No friends
- Argumentative towards teachers
Cognition and Perception
- Learning disability
- Intellectual impairment
- Inflexibility
- Repetitive thoughts
- Perceptual distortions
- Poor self-concept
- Atypical thought processes
Behaviors
- Socially awkward
- Aggressive / acts-out
- Refuses to attend school
- Struggles with transitions
- Easily distracted
- Retreats or startles easily
Feelings
- Worry
- Fear
- Anger
- Irritability
- Sadness
- Resentment
- Loneliness
- Shame
- Grief
Traumatic experiences or stress
- Serious accident
- Childhood physical health concerns
- Parental death
- Family medical ailments or loss
- Sexual abuse
- Socio-economic hardship
- Exposure to violence and violent media
- Parental rights terminated
Life transition
- Immigration and stress due to acculturation process
- Multiple relocations
- Recent move
- School transition
- Adoption
- Amicable divorce
