Child and Family Therapy
Specializing in psychotherapy for children and families in distressing times
Providing child online therapy across CA,
in-home & outdoor therapy (including parks and backyards!) in Oakland & Bay Area
Therapy to heal anxiety and trauma for adolescents and children
Whole-bodied healing that includes Child Play Therapy, Trauma-Informed Therapy (EMDR & Somatics), and Nature-Based Play
These times of community & global crises are immensely stressful for both parents and children. Our young ones often tune into the stress of their environment and soak it up like a sponge, causing emotional, physical, and behavioral difficulties. Children are like the “canaries in the coal mine”. They let us know that something is wrong.
Your child is struggling and you have done the late-night Google searches, the teacher phone calls, the pediatrician appointments, and you are feeling scared, stressed, and maybe at your wits end. You are not alone and it is not your fault. The fact that your child needs help is not a failure on your part as the parent, I promise you this. It is, however, our responsibility as adults to reach out for more help when our young ones are needing further assistance.
What child & family therapy can help with:
Bearing the difficulties of these times (climate emergency, natural & unnatural disasters, racial injustice, gender injustice, community violence, late-stage capitalism, genocide, political conflict, and polarization)
Processing distressing times within the family (grief/loss, divorce, separation)
Emotional wellbeing (anxiety, fears/phobias, compulsive behaviors, irritability, depression)
Replacing self-harming behaviors with healthy coping skills & joyful habits
Relationships and emotional connection with parents and caregivers
Relationships with siblings and peers
Sleep and eating patterns
Academic & school performance (including accessing appropriate accommodations & supports for children in the school environment), reduce school avoidance
Identity exploration and affirmation (gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, culture)
How does child therapy work? How are parents/caregivers involved?
Child therapy utilizes a mixture of play-based therapy, somatic & sensory techniques, expressive arts, nature, books, and games to process distressing emotions, promote positive self-esteem, and practice new ways of being in the world.
Parents and caregivers are instrumental in supporting their children in practicing the skills from therapy and deepening emotional connections within the parent/caregiver-child bond. I will work closely with each child’s family to provide psycho-education, coaching, and collaboratively create a plan for wellbeing for the child and the family as a whole. I also collaborate closely with a child’s whole team including but not limited to family members, teachers, case managers, psychiatrists, and pediatricians.
“The home is the original school of love.”
—bell hooks
My name is Jess, I am here to partner with you in your healing journey
I am a therapist in Oakland, CA who has been fortunate to support the healing of hundreds of children, teens, and families as a special education teacher, a school social worker, and as a child/teen trauma-healing therapist. I am well-versed in the world of 504 plans, IEPs, neurodiversity, and collaborating with a child’s whole team including family, teachers, case managers, pediatricians and psychiatrists to support wellbeing.
I work from a liberatory stance that affirms the innate rights of youth.
FAQs
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I prefer to offer child therapy sessions in-person either in the family’s home or outdoors. Often, it works well to do a mixture of both!
Outdoors: I offer child therapy sessions outdoors in neighborhood parks. Outdoor play therapy is a wonderful way for children to access mental health services. I provide outdoor park therapy mostly at Dimond Park in Oakland, CA. I can also provide therapy in a park local to you.
Family’s home: I offer child therapy sessions within a family’s home if they are local to the East Bay. In-home sessions work well if there is a dedicated space for the child and myself to be together. (the child’s bedroom, a playroom, a backyard).
Online: Sometimes, online sessions work best for families due to a variety of reasons. If this is the case, we can arrange for Zoom sessions. I incorporate a variety of digital play therapy tools to support children in being able to express themselves fully online.
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Standard rates:
**Telehealth session: $200/50 mins
**In-home/park session local to Mills College in Oakland, CA (within 3 miles): $200/50 mins
**In-home/park session (more than 3 miles from Mills College in Oakland, CA): $200/50 mins +$2/mile (calculated using fastest route from Mills College on Google Maps)
In-person and remote options for adult individual therapy.
I can provide child therapy in the family’s home, at a local park in Oakland, CA or virtual therapy from across California.