Big Feelings, Big Support
Therapy for Children & Teens in Lakewood, Colorado and online across CO, MO & NY
Using play, creativity, and connection to help children navigate big emotions and grow with confidence.
Big feelings can be hard for children — and just as hard for the parents who love them.
You may be noticing your child becoming more sensitive than usual, reacting with bigger outbursts over seemingly small things, or struggling to tell you what's wrong. Maybe you're walking on eggshells, unsure what might upset them next. A trip to the grocery store turns into a full meltdown because their favorite snack isn't on the shelf, or getting out the door for school becomes an emotional battle. Your heart breaks because you can see they're hurting—you just don't know how to help them through it.
When these moments happen, it can feel like you're navigating them alone. You may wonder why other families seem to have it figured out while you're exhausted, second-guessing yourself, and trying everything you can think of. When nothing seems to help, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and unsure of what your child needs most.
You might be noticing your child is…
Experiencing big emotions that lead to tears, shutting down, or difficulty finding the words to express how they feel
Struggling with anxiety, worries, or fears that make it hard to separate from you, try new things, or even rest, making both of you exhausted.
Having frequent anger, meltdowns, yelling, or emotional outbursts that seem bigger than the situation
Talking down and being overly hard on themselves, giving up easily, feeling insecure with their looks or abilities, or believing they're just "not good enough"
Struggling to make friends, and even getting into fights, and comes home from school saying that they don’t fit in
Having difficulty recovering from and adjusting to changes (such as divorce, loss and moving) and challenging and traumatic experiences in a way that makes them feel stuck in the past and unable to move forward
Acting and feeling like they have to take care of everyone around them, making it hard for them to just be a kid.
With the right guidance, your child can learn to understand their emotions, build self-confidence, and feel more in control—and you can feel more connected, empowered, and equipped as a parent.
Together, we’ll guide your child towards their
more confident self.
When your child comes in for their first session, it is my top priority that they feel safe and comfortable with me. As a mom myself, I know how meaningful it feels when you are able to find a space and person with whom your child can feel nurtured, valued and able to and express themselves fully, as they were meant to.
Through play, creativity, and connection, your child will build emotional awareness, strengthen healthy coping skills, and practice new ways of responding to life's challenges. Together, we'll help them carry those skills beyond the therapy room into everyday life.
How I Help
I use a blend of play-based, creative arts, and drama therapy approaches to meet children where they are. Through play, storytelling, role play, and creative expression, children gain insight into their emotions, strengthen coping skills, and build confidence as they navigate life's challenges.
I also work closely with parents, offering guidance and practical tools so you can feel more confident supporting your child outside of sessions. Together, we create a consistent, supportive environment that helps your child build emotional awareness, resilience, and lasting confidence.
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Therapy for young children is often play-based, creative, and developmentally tailored to help them express emotions, process experiences, and build coping skills in ways that feel natural and engaging. Young children may not always have the words to describe what they are feeling, so therapy often includes play, art, storytelling, movement, imaginative activities, and other creative approaches that support age-appropriate emotional expression and connection.
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Therapy for tweens and teens provides a supportive, nonjudgmental space to explore emotions, identity, relationships, stress, and the many transitions that come with adolescence. It can also support identity development, helping teens better understand who they are and what matters to them.
Creativity may play a role in the process through art, music, games, writing, mindfulness, or other expressive activities that help teens connect with themselves in authentic ways. Some teens prefer to talk openly, while others take more time to build comfort and trust — both are welcome.
Therapy also encourages teens to have a voice in the process, helping shape goals and conversations in ways that feel meaningful to them while building healthy coping skills, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Creative Arts Therapy with Children
Play and creativity is the natural language of children, and as such creative arts therapy is especially effective. It meets them in the ways they naturally communicate and make sense of the world — through play, imagination, and expression. Many kids don’t yet have the words to describe what they’re feeling, but they can show you through drawing, storytelling, movement, or role play.
These creative approaches allow children to safely explore emotions, process experiences, and express themselves without pressure, while also building important skills like emotional regulation, problem-solving, and confidence. In this way, therapy feels engaging and natural, helping kids grow, heal, and better understand themselves.
Every child deserves a space to feel safe and heard—Let’s create that space together.
Therapy can help your child…
Make sense of big feelings that may feel confusing, overwhelming, or hard to express
Build healthy coping tools to navigate challenges with more confidence
Create more space for calm, connection, and emotional understanding
Strengthen relationships and building emotional resilience over time
Grow confidence, self-awareness, and healthy ways to communicate needs and feelings
Learn that they do not have to have everything figured out to feel supported and understood.
Your child doesn’t have to struggle alone — and neither do you.
Let’s take the next step together.
Questions?
FAQs
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I have over 20 years of experience working with children and families in a variety of settings, including schools, trauma-informed care, and inpatient mental health. My training in creative arts therapy and drama therapy allows me to connect with children in ways that feel natural and engaging for them. I understand that children don’t always have the words to express what they’re feeling, and that’s okay. Through play, creativity, and connection, I help children explore their emotions and build important skills. I also work closely with parents so you feel supported and confident in helping your child outside of sessions.
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I work with children as young as 3 years old, all the way through adolescence and emerging adulthood.
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I support children who are experiencing:
Anger, anxiety, sadness, meltdowns, emotional overwhelm
Low self-esteem and negative self-talk
Difficulty with coping skills and emotional regulation
Social struggles and friendship challenges
Adjusting to family changes (new sibling, divorce, transitions)
Trauma, stress, or overwhelming experiences
Difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings with words
Parentification, where a child takes care taking roles and responsibilities, that do not match their age.
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Absolutely. Adolescence is both a challenging and transformative stage of life, and I consider it a privilege to support teens as they navigate this important season of growth, identity, and change.
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Kids and teenagers are at the heart of my work—but I don’t work with them in a bubble. Parents are an important part of the process, so I offer support and collaboration to help what we’re doing in sessions actually carry over into everyday life.
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In my practice, therapy can begin at any age. For young children, therapy can be a proactive and supportive way to build healthy coping skills, strengthen emotional awareness, and encourage safe, age-appropriate expression of feelings. My approach is not about pathologizing or “fixing” your child, but about supporting them in understanding themselves, building confidence, and feeling more connected, supported, and empowered as they grow.
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It depends on your child, their age and your goals, but it often includes a mix of parent check-ins, guidance, and shared sessions when helpful.
I’ll support you in understanding what’s underneath your child’s behavior and give you practical, doable tools you can use at home. The goal is for you to feel more confident, connected, and less alone in navigating the hard moments.
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Yes—definitely. Many children don’t express themselves through direct conversation, and they don’t have to.
I use creative, play-based, and expressive approaches—like storytelling, role-play, and other interactive activities—to help kids communicate in ways that feel more natural and comfortable. This allows us to talk about high stakes topics and feelings in a low stakes manner.
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That is totally normal. I meet them where they are—using creativity, play, and low-pressure connection to help them feel more at ease and in control of themselves and the therapy process.
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Yes, I do. For more information, please see the Therapy for Families page, as well as the Therapy for New & Expecting Moms page.
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BOOK A FREE CONSULT TODAY