It is a safe place for children and families to come to resolve problems, learn new skills, and find the joy in being a family again. Our senior therapists are all licensed professionals who are Registered Play Therapists, infant mental health specialists, and Collaborative Problem Solving Clinicians with extensive training and education. They work with parents and children to assess potential problems and explore solutions in order to create healthy, happy relationships.

As therapists, we know that change can be difficult. However, with the appropriate interventions, struggling families can become happy families in a relatively short amount of time.

When things are not working well

Any family can experience problems such as stress, change, loss, divorce or death of a loved one. These events can result in challenging behavior (difficulties in school, tantrums, hitting, biting, etc.), or as withdrawal from normal social activities.

Crises can and will affect everyone in the family -- our approach is to work with the child and parents/caregivers to resolve issues. Very young children often cannot articulate what is bothering them. Their language is play. It’s important to remember that extreme behaviors are typically a symptom of an underlying problem or issue. We believe children do well if they can. If they don’t have the skills or support they need, they don’t do well.

A play therapist can make the difference and open up new (and more productive) ways of dealing with the child and expose the root causes of problem behavior. We work with children up to the age of 12 and specialize in those under 5. For older children, the play is just more sophisticated, involving age-appropriate games. Early intervention is recommended before a pattern of behavior becomes entrenched and harder to change.

The Child and Family Center offers a holistic, family-centered approach to eliminating problem behaviors by helping your child develop the skills to do well. Unlike some mental health treatment protocols that medicate children with psychoactive drugs, we focus on play therapy and parenting skills to work through issues. This helps to identify any underlying problem and teach coping mechanisms.

It is an approach expressly designed for young children and implemented by professionals who are experts in early childhood mental health.

Answers for Parents

Read our Frequently Asked Questions to find out more about ABC, play therapy and child development.

How to get started

It starts with a phone call. Call 800-480-1899 and choose option 1 for Jane or option 2 for Roxanne. They will schedule an initial consultation with parents or guardians as the first step. Please note: The Child and Family Center is private pay only. We do offer a sliding scale, but do not accept insurance, Medicaid or other reimbursement. (However, we do provide a form that parents may submit to their insurance company for reimbursement.)