I am experienced working with kids & teens who's mental health struggles are making it difficult to fully engage in their lives and school, and also those who may be functioning well overall and are just looking for a neutral outlet to explore their feelings. 

I enjoy working with teens and tweens (ages 8 and up) with a variety of presenting problems including:

• Anxiety

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related disorders

• ADHD

• Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs/skin picking/hair pulling)

• Insomnia / Sleep Optimization

• & more

I utilize a variety of evidence-based therapeutic approaches to fit each client's need, including DBT skills, CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and more. Find out more about my training on the About Me page. 

I am LGBTQ+ affirming for clients of all ages. If you have questions or concerns about what this means, please ask me!

I like to engage with kids and teens in an upbeat and playful way. We may be working on serious problems, but I often find that serious problems require playful and creative solutions. I make a point to help my minor clients always feel welcome, understood, and centered in their time with me.

Teens, tweens, & kids are my favorite people, and I love working with them in therapy. 

I've been told that I speak teenager, and I make a big effort to meet my minor clients exactly where they are. This means that if they come into therapy resistant or unsure of if they want to be there, I'm okay with that. I spend time with my teen clients to help them build a relationship with me so they can feel like therapy can be a safe and supportive place for them. I utilize hands-on techniques to engage teen clients in their sessions so they have other ways to express their feelings if they are struggling to open up verbally.

For minor clients, parent and/or family sessions are a required part of treatment on at least a monthly basis. This ensures that caregivers are provided with the tools they need to support their kiddo in therapy, and reinforce skills they are learning in the home. 

While it is important for kids and teens to have a space they can process their feelings without parents present, I fully believe that parents need to be involved in the therapy process in order to best help their kiddo reach their goals. In the initial session we will talk about what this looks like and how to best set this up for each specific kid/family situation. Especially for kiddos working on OCD or doing exposures at home, parents are typically an intregral part of the plan and treatment.

Typically, the initial session I like to have the minor client and at least one parent/caregiver present. Then I will meet with the client on my own for the next 3-4 sessions. This will give me time to develop rapport with the kiddo, get an idea of diagnosis and complete any assessments, and start to work on goals and a treatment plan. After this I will have a parent-only/caregiver-only session, where parents can update me on what they are seeing from their kiddo at home, and I can update them on any assessments/diagnoses and how therapy is going so far, and we can collaborate on the treatment plan/goals. From here, we will make a plan on what the next parent session will look like and when it will happen.

If there is ever a safety concern or any other time-sensitive concern shared with me by the minor client, I will share this with parents immediately. I make sure minor clients are aware of this when they start working with me and this is all clearly discussed in the initial session.

I have experience supporting kids and teens who attend public and private schools. I previously worked in a public school setting early in my therapy career, and have lots of experience in navigating this system.

I also reguarly support clients who attend Atlanta Area private schools such as Westminster, Pace Academy, Woodward Academy, The Galloway School & more. For clients who attend private schools, I am experienced and knowledgeable in requesting additional support when needed and working with the school to best support the client's mental health goals. I will attend meetings with the school to advocate for the client's needs when necessary.

My office is in downtown Kennesaw and very conveniently located for clients who attend local Cobb County Schools. My office is convenient to Kennesaw Mountain High School, Pine Mountain Middle School, Hayes Elementary School, North Cobb High School, Awtrey Middle School, Kennesaw Elementary School, Bullard Elementary School, Harrison High School, Lost Mountain Middle School, & More.

I will attend 504 plan and IEP meetings when the accommodations being requested align with mental health diagnoses, needs, and goals. Current clients may speak with me about this at any time, and I will provide you with the necessary documentation on my end for this process.*

Additionally, for older teens who are preparing for college, I have experience assisting these clients and their families in requesting mental health accomodations from college when necessary. 

(*Please Note: I cannot speak directly with the school or provide any documentation to the school until you have completed an intake and signed all documentation, including a Release of Information form for the school.)