My Approach

These are some of the ways I interact with kids and help them overcome their challenges.

Play Therapy

Play therapy is when I interact with kids using puppets, building blocks, sandbox, etc. This imaginative pretend play helps kids communicate without words. Play therapy is important for building trust and rapport, especially among young children.

Talk Therapy

I give kids a safe place where they can say anything they want to say. I encourage kids to share and explore what’s going on in their lives. They feel free to discuss things that they might be reluctant to share with parents or peers.

Floortime

I’m certified as an intermediate Floortime therapy provider. Floortime is a treatment methodology where the adult interacts with kids at their own developmental level, following their lead. The goal of Floortime is to teach kids to attend, engage and reciprocate with others while enhancing their unique abilities and strengths. I focus on the child’s interests and encourage him or her to become more creative and curious. I approach each child as an individual and tailor my treatment plan accordingly. The goal of therapy is to build skills, but Floortime is the basis of the relationship between me and the child.

Floortime was designed for children on the autism spectrum, but this therapy is very beneficial for interacting with all types of kids, so Floortime is the foundation for many of my clients.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

This type of therapy helps kids replace their negative internal messages with positive messages that help kids function better in society and build better self-esteem.

ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis)

ABA is a term common in the autism community. To borrow from autismspeaks.org, behavior analysis refers to a scientifically validated approach to understanding behavior and how it’s affected by the environment. In this context, “behavior” refers to actions and skills. “Environment” includes any influence—physical or social—that might change or be changed by one’s behavior. I’m not a certified ABA practitioner but I utilize many behavioral strategies from the ABA method. I use ABA as part of behavioral interventions. This goal-oriented approach helps build and reinforce specific skills using devices such as rewards sticker charts and behavior contracts.