Children & Adolescents
I provide child and adolescent therapy in Baldwin County, Alabama, including Bay Minette, Daphne, Spanish Fort, and surrounding communities. Many of the children and teens I see are struggling with emotional regulation, anxiety, anger, defiance, oppositional behaviors, school-related concerns, sensory overwhelm, or shutting down. In many cases, these behaviors are not the problem themselves, but signals of an overwhelmed or dysregulated nervous system.
I provide child and adolescent therapy in Baldwin County, Alabama, including Bay Minette, Daphne, Spanish Fort, and surrounding communities.My approach focuses on helping children feel safe, understood, and supported while building the skills needed to regulate emotions, process experiences, and respond more effectively to stress. Therapy is tailored to each child’s developmental level and may include talk-based work, play, art, movement, or sensory-informed interventions depending on what best supports engagement and progress.
As a trauma-informed clinician, I also integrate approaches that help resolve underlying experiences that may be driving emotional and behavioral patterns. This allows many children to experience relief more quickly and develop more stable, long-term regulation.
Parent involvement is an important part of this process. When a child is struggling, it impacts the entire family system. I work collaboratively with parents to increase understanding of their child’s needs, strengthen communication, and support more consistent, effective responses at home. The goal is not just improvement in behavior, but greater calm, connection, and confidence within the family.
My Approach
Developmentally Appropriate, Trauma-Informed, and Nervous System Focused
Children and adolescents process experiences differently than adults. For many, behavior is not a choice, but a reflection of an overwhelmed or dysregulated nervous system. My approach is designed to meet children where they are developmentally while helping them build the capacity for emotional regulation, resilience, and insight.
Therapy is tailored to each child and may include a combination of play-based interventions, movement, creative expression, and structured therapeutic techniques. These approaches allow children to communicate and process experiences in ways that feel natural, safe, and engaging while still being clinically effective.
At The Counseling Haven, the environment itself is intentionally designed to support regulation and engagement:
Sensory-Friendly Environment
A calming, thoughtfully designed space that helps reduce overwhelm and support emotional regulation from the moment a child enters.Play-Based Therapy Room
A structured yet supportive environment where children can express, process, and practice new skills through play, which is their primary language of communication.Creative Expression (Art and Experiential Work)
Opportunities for non-verbal processing through art and other expressive modalities, allowing children to safely explore emotions that may be difficult to put into words.
In addition to these approaches, I integrate trauma-informed methods, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) when appropriate, to help resolve underlying experiences that may be driving emotional and behavioral patterns. This allows many children to experience meaningful relief while developing more stable, long-term regulation.
What I Can Help With
I work with children and adolescents experiencing:
Emotional dysregulation, outbursts, or shutdowns
Anxiety, excessive worry, or panic
Mood changes, sadness, or irritability
Behavioral challenges, including oppositional or defiant patterns
School-related concerns, including avoidance or behavior issues
Sensory sensitivity or overwhelm
Trauma or stressful life experiences
Social difficulties or withdrawal
Transitions such as divorce, relocation, illness, or loss
Attachment-related concerns, including foster or adoptive family dynamics
Specialized Care for Neurodiverse Children
I provide tailored, strengths-based support for children and adolescents who are neurodivergent, including those with ADHD, autism spectrum differences, and learning differences such as dyslexia.
My approach focuses on understanding how each child processes the world, rather than attempting to force conformity to environments that may not fit their needs. At the same time, we build practical, developmentally appropriate strategies to support functioning at home, in school, and in relationships.
This includes support with:
Emotional regulation and sensory processing
Flexibility with transitions and change
Social understanding and communication
Reducing overwhelm and increasing confidence
The goal is for each child to feel both understood and capable, with tools that genuinely work for how their brain and body function.
My Goal
My goal is not simply to reduce symptoms, but to help children and adolescents across Baldwin County and surrounding areas develop the internal skills needed for long-term emotional health.
This includes:
Greater emotional awareness and regulation
Increased resilience and confidence
Healthier ways of responding to stress
Improved connection within the family
I work closely with parents and caregivers throughout the process to ensure that what is learned in session translates into real, sustainable change at home and in daily life.
This work is a good fit for families in Baldwin County who are looking for support with emotional regulation, behavior challenges, anxiety, or trauma-related concerns in children and teens. Many parents reach out when they have tried multiple approaches and are looking for a deeper understanding of what is driving their child’s behavior and how to create lasting change.
