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Child and teen counseling

Help that meets a kid where they are

Play therapy, somatic work, and time with Ada, my therapy dog, for young clients starting at age 6. Kids who have no interest in talking to an adult will often talk to a dog first, and then to me.

Book children and teensStart with a free consult

60 minutes, $180 per session. With Hannah Sharp, LMSW.

Refuge Counseling Center offers a sliding scale. Ask about it on the consult call.

A small plant in a clay pot on a sunny windowsill

Does this sound like your child?

Kids rarely say what is wrong. They show it, and the people who love them are left guessing.

  • Big feelings, few words

    They melt down, shut down or lash out, and cannot tell you why afterward.

  • Something happened

    A loss, a move, a scare, or something worse, and they have not been themselves since.

  • School is a battle

    Mornings, homework, friendships or the classroom have turned into a daily fight.

Play is how kids talk

Children work through hard things sideways, through play, movement and story, long before they can put them into sentences. The room is set up for that.

  • Play therapy, drawing and movement for younger children.
  • Straighter talk, skills and EMDR for teens who are ready for it.
  • Ada in the room when a child wants her, which is most of them.

Parents stay part of it

You know your child better than I ever will. We check in regularly so what happens in the room carries into the car, the kitchen and the classroom.

  • A first meeting with you before I meet your child.
  • Regular updates on what we are working on and how you can back it up at home.
  • Your child keeps a private space too, which is part of why it works.

How we work together

  1. The first call

    A free call with you, the parent or guardian, to hear what is going on and whether I am the right fit.

  2. Meeting your child

    A low-pressure first session built around getting comfortable, often with Ada doing most of the work.

  3. The work

    Weekly sessions using play, movement, skills and EMDR as fits their age and what they are carrying.

  4. Keeping you in the loop

    Regular check-ins with you, so progress at Refuge shows up at home and at school.

Questions about children and teens

Ask something else

Do I sit in on sessions?

Sometimes, especially at the start and with younger children. Most of the time your child has the room to themselves, and we set aside time for you separately, so you always know what we are working on.

How young do you go?

Age 6 and up. For a child younger than that, reach out anyway and I will point you toward someone who works with that age.

Other ways to work together

All services

  • EMDR therapy

    Weekly sessions that help your brain finish processing trauma, anxiety, and the beliefs those experiences left behind.

    60 minutes

  • Animal-assisted therapy

    Sessions with Ada, my therapy dog, for children, teens and adults who settle faster with a dog in the room.

    60 minutes

  • Christian-centered therapy

    Trauma-focused counseling that makes room for your faith, with prayer and Scripture welcome and never assumed.

    60 minutes

  • Group counseling

    Small, facilitated groups for adults working through anxiety, trauma and life transitions, and social skills groups for kids, pre-teens and teens.

    90 minutes

Ready to stop doing this alone

You do not have to carry this alone or explain all of it to get started. Book a free consultation and we will see if we are a fit.

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