CHILD AND ADOLESCENT SERVICES
ADHD
Our sessions foster a supportive environment for your child to understand their ADHD and develop tools to achieve.
ADHD is one of the first “maybe’s” teachers and parents consider when a child is presenting as disruptive, difficult to contain, fidgety and/or forgetful. We work together to develop an academic plan that responds to their needs and helps them succeed, in school and beyond.
Schedule permitting, I will regularly attend IEP meetings with their school to discuss ways to provide ideal support.
If you are unsure of your child’s ADHD diagnosis, or need an Academic Accommodation, please see this page for more information.
Anxiety
One of the most difficult parts of managing child anxiety is that it manifests in a myriad of negative behaviours. Short tempers, racing thoughts, and acute focus on unwelcome thoughts are indicators of anxiety.
Our treatment begins with creating measurable milestones and clarifying your child’s goals. We search out the root of their anxiety to help them cope long term. My office is a space to celebrate their successes and support them through challenges.
I work with your child to help them name their fears, identify their triggers, and learn coping skills that empower them to manage their anxiety independently.
Anxiety in Children
Anxiety has both physical and mental qualities, which are also both short and longer acting, but let's focus on the more immediate symptoms: restlessness, behavior changes (ups and downs - anxiety tends to impact the body in waves, the more intense forms will be exhausting and be seen as hypervigilance (trying to do a lot of things at once, antsy, talkative), and when those pass, the person will appear to recover, and be calmer.)
Cognitively (insight/judgement), you often see racing thoughts and there will often be an impact on the person's concentration. Alternatively, there can also be an oddly acute focus on innate details or unwelcome thoughts, such as not being good enough, being a failure, not being who they should be and not being at the spot in their life where they ought to be. Sweating is the most often physical sign, along with rapid speech, excessive eye contact and an attempt to control oneself more than necessary - essentially, the person just looks uncomfortable, and not an ease. Often, there will be an expectation of the future being largely negative, or the most pessimistic predictions about what may come being the most likely occurrence. In reality, a level head should be able to discern both positive and negative qualities. The individual's personality can impact this as well, so it is best to always compare what you are seeing with what you know of the person, on their best day. Their best day is aim, everyday. While agitation is more often associated with depression, aloof or sedate behavior is also commonly seen with younger children - 7 years old - 13 years old. Short tempers are also a hallmark of pre-pubescent anxiety.
Anxiety in Adolescents
Having largely overcome most of the difficulties of adolescents, we often forget the intensity of the emotions or the fear of what is unknown. When identified early, early obstacles can often be easily mastered and the experience used to make more informed choices in the future. Regardless of the age, gender, race, culture or sexual identify, all children and adolescents need to be equipped with positive self-talk just as much as anybody else. Every youth has different hurdles and will be either further supported or triggered by a wide range of situations, but there are still many themes that young people face. For example, some universal challenges that all students and kids face are:
- Looking for acceptance from their peers
- Looking for acceptance from their parents
- Low self-esteem
- Fear of judgment from others
- Lack of patience towards one’s goals
- Not using social media in a productive way
- Pressure from school, state tests, college pressure and pressure from society as a whole to be successful
When approaching any child or adolescent, it is often useful to keep the above mentioned points in mind. This is what Unfold Psychology offers - a source of expertise and professional support for both your child and your family.
Depression
Many teens suffer from feeling unheard or invisible in the world. The added demands and intense pressures of adolescence can make them susceptible to developing depression.
Too often, depression in adolescents is dismissed, but depression can manifest in many ways: changes in appetite or weight, energy decrease, outbursts, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, or even suicidal thoughts.
Creating a safe space for your teen to talk about their issues gives them a chance to identify the source of their maladaptive thoughts, and create strategies to address their challenges early.
Oakland – Montclair
1955 Mountain Blvd, Suite 101
Oakland, CA 94611
(650) 993-9321
Hours:
Mon-Sun, 10AM-9PM
SFO – Pacific Heights
3022 Fillmore Street, Suite C
San Francisco, CA 94123
(510) 250-9156
Hours:
Mon-Sun, 10AM-9PM