Early Childhood & Infant mental health

Therapy for Early Childhood

Parent-Child Dyadic Therapy

The field of Infant Mental Health is focused on working with young children (from infancy to 5 years old) in their most natural context, which is often through the relationship with a parent/caretaker. This therapy is often referred to as parent-child dyadic therapy and can be used to address issues related to behavior, bonding, postpartum depression/anxiety, previous trauma and attachment.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a model that can be used to behavior challenges (including impulsivity and regulation issues), tantrum behaviors, and attachment challenges (insecurities, regulation difficulties, frustrations). PCIT is conducted using a coaching model that first focuses on child-led play between a parent and their child. This first phase allows for clinicians to coach parents on the emotional connection that can improve parent-child relationships through an attachment influenced approach. Following this first phase, the clinician will coach parents on best practices for increasing compliance and pro-social behavior within the parent-child dyad. PCIT is an evidenced based model that follows a more specific curriculum.

Perinatal Mental Health

The field of perinatal mental health encompasses the period of pregnancy through the first year after birth. Our psychologists work with postpartum depression and anxiety, pregnancy and newborn loss, trauma, infertility, identity changes and general family transitions. Our practice firmly believes that support during these transitions can have a positive impact on relationships, families, and children.

Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is a model that can be used for child ages six and under who have experienced at least one traumatic event. Traumatic grief, medical trauma, or other traumatic incidents can be treated through this model involving young children and their caretakers. Sessions will involve a pattern of child, parent, and parent/child. CPP is an evidenced based model that follows a specific structure to treat a young child’s trauma symptoms.

Wellness Program

The vision of this program is to encourage parents, from the beginning, to understand their role in their relationship with their child. A strengths based approach is used to understand interactions between a parent and child, with the aim of supporting optimal relationships, rather than assessing for pathology.

In addition, we offer parent coaching for parents of young children to provide them with strategies for managing concerns in their children such as behavioral outbursts, emotional regulation, social issues, and more. This is a very important element of therapy with children ages five and younger, and can be combined with or done separately from other models of early childhood therapy.