Unlike anyone with whom you have chosen to live in your adult life, your child arrived as a total stranger.  Though dependent on you for basic survival, your child’s personality is his/her own –just ask your parents. Many children suffer from feeling they don’t fit in, or struggle to establish their identity.  I can help your child deal with his/her emotions in a healthy way and help build a toolbox for handling difficult situations. They may be dealing with the painful feelings of watching their family get ripped apart though a difficult divorce, be grieving the loss of a loved relative or friend, or be the victim of bullying, too scared to tell anyone, for fear that that would only make things worse.  

I would like everyone to take out a piece of plain white paper.  Now stomp on it and crumble it as much as you can.  Now try to make that piece of paper back to its original form.  That is what it is like to try to recover from bullying, whether it be from peers or adults, bullying can be devastating.

But there is hope.  With therapy, we can work together to change and challenge the negative messages that you have received from others and replace them with positive messages.  A child should not have to live in sadness and fear.

Consistent defiance can be a sign of a child’s struggle to define his/her own identity.  I can help find why the behavior is occurring and develop a behavior plan to help your child and your family function more effectively.  Defiance can occur at various ages and part of it is a part of normal development.  Oppositional Defiant Disorder was once thought to be untreatable and many were afraid to diagnosis it.  This is not true.  There are many treatments for this disorder including parent training, ABA therapy, video modeling, supportive counseling and DBT.  The earlier you seek treatment, the better the prognosis.

 

I can help by determining the root of the undesirable behavior and developing a positive behavior plan that will help your child and family function more effectively.