Frequently Asked Questions
General Practice & Therapy
It’s normal for children and teenagers to experience changes in mood, behavior, or emotions as they grow. However, if you notice ongoing changes that are affecting your child’s wellbeing, relationships, school, or everyday life, it may be helpful to speak with a psychologist.
Some signs that support may be useful include:
- Persistent sadness, worry, anger, or irritability
- Significant changes in sleep, appetite, energy, or behavior
- Withdrawing from family, friends, or activities they usually enjoy
- Difficulty managing emotions or frequent emotional outbursts
- Ongoing problems with concentration, school, or learning
- Changes in confidence or self-esteem
- Difficulties adjusting to changes such as separation, loss, moving homes, or family changes
- Repeated physical complaints, such as headaches or stomach aches, that don’t have an obvious medical explanation
- Any behavior that causes you concern or feels out of character for your child
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to ask for help. Reaching out early can give your child an opportunity to develop skills and support before difficulties become more overwhelming.
Note: If your child is talking about wanting to die, hurting themselves, or harming someone else, seek urgent professional help rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
The main difference is that therapy is about helping your child feel and function better, while psychological testing is about understanding what’s going on.
In therapy, I work with your child to help them make sense of their feelings, manage big emotions, build confidence, navigate relationships, and develop helpful coping skills. Depending on what brought you to therapy, we may work to address different challenges such as OCD or trauma. Therapy is tailored to your child’s age and individual needs.
Psychological testing is a more structured process that helps us better understand how your child thinks, learns, behaves, and experiences the world. It can be helpful when we have questions about things like attention, learning, cognitive abilities, emotional functioning, or social development.
Sometimes therapy is the right place to start, sometimes testing is more helpful, and sometimes we use both. If you’re not sure where to start, I’m happy to talk with you about your concerns and help you figure out the best next step.
If you’re a college student looking for support, we can talk about what you’re experiencing and whether my approach is a good fit for you. If I’m not the right provider for your particular needs, I’ll help connect you with someone who is.
In some situations, medication may be one part of a child’s overall treatment plan. If I think your child could benefit from discussing medication, I can help you understand your options and coordinate care with your child’s pediatrician, primary care provider, or a psychiatrist.
Financial & Insurance
- Initial Intake Assessment: $250
- Psychotherapy (45-55 mins): $200
- Testing and Evaluation: $2,000 - $3,500
Testing & Evaluations
I’ll typically start by meeting with parents or caregivers to understand your concerns and learn more about your child. Your child may then complete a series of activities and assessments during a separate appointment. After I’ve had a chance to put everything together, we’ll meet to discuss the results and recommendations.
My goal is to make the process as comfortable and manageable as possible for both you and your child. Before we begin, I’ll explain what to expect and give you a clearer idea of how much time your child’s specific evaluation will take.
- Get a good night’s sleep before the day of testing.
- Make sure to eat a meal before coming to the office.
- Continue taking routine medications as usual, and let your evaluator know what medications you are taking.
- Bring a drink and/or snacks. Breaks will be provided and, if appropriate, a lunch break will be scheduled.
- Bring/wear eyeglasses and/or hearing aids if applicable.
- If you’re able, bring copies of any documents your evaluator may have asked for such as school records or other evaluation reports.
- If there’s an illness that may interfere with performance, please contact the evaluator as soon as possible.
- For minors, a parent/guardian must remain on site for the duration of testing. Parents are asked to remain in the waiting area to ensure that the child has privacy and fewer distractions.