We believe the family plays one of the most important and influential roles in most people’s lives.  Our family-focused approach produces long-term results by helping individuals and their families resolve problems together as a unit.

We have extensive experience working with children with the most difficult backgrounds and pervasive problems including sexual abuse, physical trauma, behavioral and emotional handicaps, anger control opposition/defiance, and depression.  Our counseling will help your child develop new social skills, improve their self esteem, and reduce the frequency of problem behaviors.

ADD/ADHD
This diagnosis is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity more than the general comparable level of development of same aged children, symptoms seen before age 7, impairment in at least two settings, which interferes with social, academic, or occupational functioning that is not better accounted for by another disorder.  Symptoms can include: lack of attention to details, carelessness, difficulty sustaining attention, does not seem to listen when spoken to directly, does not finish tasks, lack of organization, avoids or reluctant to engage in tasks that require much mental effort, loses things, easily distracted, forgetful, fidgety, cannot remain seated, runs about or climbs, cannot be quiet in leisure activities, blurts out, cannot wait a turn, interrupts or intrudes on others.

SEPARATION ANXIETY DISORDER
The essential feature is developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety concerning separation from home or from those to whom the individual is attached. It is recurrent and excessive, distress, fear, worry, or reluctance/refusal when separation or anticipation of separation occurs, can include nightmares and/or repeated somatic complaints (headaches, stomachaches, nausea, or vomiting most common).  Onset before age 18 or early onset before age 6.

CHILD ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE, OR NEGLECT
It is often the case that our clients come from a background were they have experienced physical or sexual abuse and/or neglect by a caregiver or other person(s). Oftentimes these children and/or adults have not dealt with these issues and they become a focus of treatment. Persistent difficulties with these past issues can lead to more severe disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, etc.

CONDUCT DISORDER
An essential feature  is a repetitive pattern of behavior that violates the basic rights of others or major societal rules and involves aggressive behavior causing harm to people, animals or property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violation of rules/laws. This behavior causes clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.  Symptoms include: bullying, threatening, intimidating, fighting, cruelty to people or animals, forced sex, use of a weapon to cause harm, fire setting, deliberate destruction of property, breaking and entering, lying to obtain goods or favors, defies parental rules, run away overnight, truancy.

OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER
The essential feature of ODD is a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior toward authority figures more frequent than other children of the same developmental age.

Symptoms include: loses temper, argues with adults, defies requests or rules, deliberately annoys people, blames other for their mistakes or misbehavior, angry, resentful, touchy,  easily annoyed, spiteful or vindictive.