Child & Teen Therapy
At Protea Wellness, we value and honor each child's unique needs. Our clinicians carefully evaluate your child and work with them, and with you, to meet your child's needs. When appropriate, we work with the entire family to help you better support your child.
Our counselors and therapists work with clients using an "integrated" style. With children and teens, this often means using creative approaches to help your child make needed changes. We combine art, play and other creative approaches with family therapy and evidence-based approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills and trauma-informed practices.
Each counselor and therapist at Protea Wellness has a different specialization but we all work from a Social Justice, Anti-Oppression, Inclusive Feminist lens. We welcome children and teens who have disabilities and diverse families, including families of color, LGBTQIA+ families and families formed via adoption.
What We Can Help With:
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Anxiety and depression
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Autism spectrum
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Developmental disabilities
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ADHD/executive functioning struggles
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Behavioral issues (tantrums, getting in trouble at school)
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Life transitions (getting ready to graduate, family divorce, moving schools, friendship issues)
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Academic stress
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Abuse and bullying
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Relationships, including friends or family, dating, sex & consent, and break-ups
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Coming out as LGBTQIA (or having a family member/loved one come out)
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Gender exploration or transition
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Processing traumatic experiences from past or present using EMDR
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Grief and loss, including sudden loss
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Internalized and systemic oppressions (racism, ableism, sexism, heterosexism, sizeism…)
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Body issues (We are Health at Every Size affirming and passionate about working with youth to fight against the oppression of the standard American Beauty Culture.)
Behavioral Issues & Developmental Concerns
At Protea Wellness, we understand how difficult it is for parents to know if their child is on track developmentally, or if a behavior problem needs intervention. Often, parents worry something is wrong, but don't know who to talk to about their concerns.
We can help you discern if your child's struggles need further testing or intervention or if your child needs an evaluation, and provide resources for getting those evaluations.
If your child has already been evaluated and been diagnosed with developmental concerns, such as autism or intellectual disability, you may be struggling to know how to get your child help. We can help you work with your child's school and other providers and help your child with the mental health concerns that can go with developmental struggles.
If your child has behavioral issues, you may feel judged by professionals, teachers and other parents. We are committed to helping you help your child, without judgement. We use a number of behavioral interventions, including 1-2-3 Magic, Helping the Non-compliant Child, and Family Therapy to help you and your child.
Behavioral issues often feel difficult, but with patience, humor and hard work, you and your child can feel and do better.
Read more about our work with behavioral issues here.
LGBTQIA
Therapists at Protea Wellness have special training and experience working with LGBTQIA youth, including those at various stages of coming out and gender exploration.
We have a separate section for this population, because we believe it is important for you and your child to understand that you will not have to teach us about LGBTQIA issues or the oppressions faced by this community. We work with kids, teens and families with any sexual or gender identity, or family relationship structure.
Working together, we are able to support your child with:
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Exploring their gender or sexual orientation
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Coming out at school
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Coming out to friends and family
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Experiences of violence, bullying or ostracization due to their gender or sexuality
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When a parent comes out as LGBTQ
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When parents open up a relationship, are poly or practice ethical non-manogamy
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Helping your child explore and potentially access medical gender transition.
Regarding gender transition, we use an Informed Consent model and work with you at a pace that makes sense for your child. Therapists are familiar with various standards of care including WPATH and ICATH, and have experience collaborating with clients in navigating these models within health, mental health, and other systems.
