FL License #: PY4314
14502 N. Dale Mabry, Suite 200
Tampa, FL 33618
(813) 265-4811
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Tampa Bay
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I work with children from 6 to 18 and their families. Some of these sessions involve doing individual therapy with the children, some of the sessions involve working with the child and the parent(s) together, and at times I meet with the parent(s) alone.
Our job as parents (or whoever fills that vital role) is to help our child get from Point A (wherever they’re at now) to Point B (adulthood). We generally hope that when our child gets to Point B, he or she is equipped with the qualities and skills to be happy, responsible adults, respectful to themselves and others, and moving in a positive, satisfying, fulfilling, successful direction in their lives.
Our hope is that, as adults, our children will be capable, competent, confident, and socially effective.
The goal of child, adolescent, and family therapy is to help that process along when it seems to be stuck or moving backwards. Often styles of parenting can get in the way. Family therapy can help parents avoid being too perfectionistic, critical, overprotective, unavailable, overindulgent, overly punitive, too rigid, too lenient, or too inconsistent.
Some of child and family therapy is about me working directly with your child or adolescent (individual therapy) to try to help him or her change in some positive way.
But success in helping your child make positive changes often is at least as much about me helping you change your role in your relationship with your child (family therapy), so that you can have a more favorable influence in your child’s life. This requires flexibility and willingness on your part to change some of your patterns and learn new skills as a parent.
It also involves helping you be the best role model you can be, since your child will be paying more attention to your actions than to your words. It’s a lot easier to help your child make the changes needed to become a happy, successful adult if you as the parent are as fully equipped as possible to facilitate the process.
It may be difficult or impossible for me as a therapist to help your child (for an hour a week, for several weeks) accomplish that without your vital role in the process (for many hours a week, for several years).
Individual therapy with your child can help your child deal with and work through problems with anxiety, depression, anger, and low self-esteem. Individual therapy can also help your child develop better impulse control, improve social skills, and empathize better with others.
Family therapy can help you learn to avoid counterproductive power struggles with your children. It can help you as parents work together more positively and effectively as a team (“on the same page”) in the parenting process. Family therapy can assist you in learning how to properly establish and enforce appropriate boundaries, rules, and limits with your children.
Family therapy can provide you with the tools to help improve your child’s motivation to take care of responsibilities and show respect at home, school, and elsewhere. It can provide guidance as to how to reduce problem behavior that your child demonstrates at home, school, and elsewhere. One of the short-term goals of family therapy is to help you develop parenting skills to provide incentives to your child to act in responsible, respectful ways. The long-term goal is for your child to become a responsible, respectful, and self-respecting adult, no longer needing your guidance.
Separation and divorce can be a difficult time for children. Family therapy can help in a number of ways:
If parents are in conflict (whether divorcing or not), family therapy can help parents learn to avoid the harm caused by dragging the children into the middle of the conflict (like the rope in the tug of war)
Helping parents avoid expressing criticism and insults about the other parent (or stepparent) to the children
Helping children work through the sense of grief and loss associated with divorce
Helping children adjust to the various life changes associated with divorce
Helping children work through and let go of any feeling of fault, blame, or responsibility they may feel for their parents getting divorced
Helping children adjust to blended families