+ ADHD

• I have worked extensively with children diagnosed with ADHD both in the school and clinical settings. I have helped parents understand what an ADHD diagnosis means and how to meet their child’s needs. Most importantly, I provide psycho-education and CBT-related coping skills to children on how to live a life with an ADHD diagnosis. I work collaboratively with the child’s doctor, school, or other providers to help the child achieve their goals.

+ Behavioral Issues

• Through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and biblio-therapy, caregivers, children, and the clinician figure out the root cause of the child's behavior. Treatment is a collaborative approach. Typical goals for behavioral disorders are to develop better coping skills, set better boundaries, and learn how to effectively and assertively communicate one’s feelings. My area of interest and research is how to decrease behavioral issues while increasing parental-child attachment.

+ CHILDREN

• I have extensive training in play therapy and have helped many children and their families with behavioral issues such as anxiety, agitation, low self-esteem, school issues, relationship issues, test taking anxiety, social anxiety, lack of motivation, sadness, anger, trauma, adoption, ADHD, and divorce. I am able to build a strong bond with children so that they feel comfortable in a safe (and fun!) space to express themselves.

• What is play therapy? It's truly the only way children can communicate and express themselves. Play is the language that children speak. Most kids’ brains are not developed enough to verbalize exactly what they’re thinking or feeling. The goal of play therapy is to communicate with children on their level. In turn, play therapy should lead your child to be able to express themselves better. All of the children I see look forward to coming to therapy since we have fun together! It is a special time for a child to get an adult’s full attention and express whatever they want in sessions in a safe environment. I teach children coping skills they can use outside of sessions when interacting with peers, family members, or anyone they may interact with.

• I see kids of all ages. For kids under 6 years old, I always recommend parent(s) to be present so that they can learn how to help their child at home.

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+ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

• CBT offers insight on how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another. CBT can be for any age. Oftentimes,I will pair anCBT skill with art or play therapy component to make it kid-friendly. I have utilized CBT with clients with anxiety, depression, OCD, grief, adjustment disorders, ADHD, and other behavioral and mood related disorders. In session worksheets may be utilized depending on the concern. Homework may be utilized in session so the client can practice the skill at home.

+ LGBTQIA+ POPULATION

• I can help clients with their coming out process, parenting a child who came out, gender or sexual identity questioning, transgender counseling, experiencing discrimination/bullying, and any other stressors that may arise.
• Your identity may not even be a stressor, but you may be looking for a therapist who you can feel comfortable seeing which is why I think it’s important to express my comfort and knowledge in working with this population. I am an ally, prefer She/Her pronouns, and prefer to be called Kayla.

+ Mindfulness-based therapy

• Mindfulness-based therapy is a therapy that has been beneficial for all ages! Through the use of center-rhythm breathing, guided imagery, journaling, meditation, and more mindfulness-based interventions I have helped clients become more aware of their present moment emotions and cognitions. Mindfulness is an evidence based intervention that has been shown to help decrease levels of stress, depression, anxiety, while also helping with somatic symptoms.

+ PARENTS

• In addition to seeing your child for therapy, I also have parenting sessions as needed throughout your child’s treatment. Parenting sessions can be check-in’s on the phone between the child’s session or it could be a full session with parent(s) in-person, on phone, or video. During these parenting sessions, we would create a plan on how you can help your child at home to continue the treatment we are doing in play therapy sessions. While working with chilren, I find it most helpful in treatment to help you (the parent) learn how to assist your child at home with the behavior changes we are working towards. Parenting sessions are also a nice break you can get from being with your child so that you can refocus on coping with your own stressors that come along with parenting.

• In session, I offer a compassionate interpersonal and behavioral approach for parenting skills. Through psycho-education and bibliotherapy, parenting sessions review appropriate developmental norms for the child’s age and diagnosis along with the discussion on how the parent can feel most supported. I keep up to date with the most current research and will utilize it as an area of reflection in session. Through the use of CBT strategies, activities may be assigned each week to the caregiver.

• I can also assist with co-parenting issues that may come up. It is important that as parents you are on the same page with parenting. If you decide to reward your child in a specific way then it is important that both parents are aware of the goal set for the child. If the child does not achieve their set goal, then both parents have to communicate and agree that the reward was not earned at that time. If you are trying to co-parent while separated or divorced it can be difficult. These parenting sessions can assist you in having a safe space to communicate with one another and get on the same page.

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+ Play therapy

• I utilize a child centered play therapy approach when working with children. Play therapy has helped many children and families that have come in with a variety of presenting problems. Children communicate through play! I pull from Theraplay, CBPT, and PCIT modalities and do what best fits the child’s needs. Games utilized in session could be board games, cards, puzzles, along with arts and crafts, puppets, and other toys.

+ PRENATAL & POSTPARTUM MOTHERS

I have enjoyed my work with women on their motherhood journey. I help mothers with fertility issues, prenatal stressors and postpartum depression and anxiety. It is very common for women to experience miscarriages and this isn’t really talked about in our society often. So it can feel lonely and anxiety provoking when you try again to get pregnant. Therapy can be a place to openly talk about your anxiety and worries that come up. It is also okay to continue to feel anxious or stressed while pregnant as you are preparing for a huge life change. And once you give birth to your child, you will find your life shifting daily. You may find the adjustment difficult or that you are emotionally not feeling like yourself. While experiencing any of these stages of motherhood, it is a great time to come in for therapy for support and treatment to help keep you get back on the right track to feeling like your best self again. I have had multiple clients I have seen from the time they started to contemplate trying to get pregnant through their child being born and after. Each stage comes with their own stressors and therapy provides a great amount of support where you can openly express how you’re actually doing. My clients love to utilize my flexibility of telehealth sessions in which we can have video or phone sessions if coming into the office is too difficult.

+ TEENS

• Being a teen can be extremely stressful as you have a lot to worry about. Teens are experiencing an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms which parents have to look out for. It’s common for teens to feel a low self-esteem due to what others say on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. There may be changes in friendships and relationships which cause stress, anxiety, and sadness. The application process to get into high school in Hudson County can be as stressful as applying to colleges. I personally think every teen could use therapy as it’s such a stressful time in anyone’s life. It is a time they’re trying to figure out their identity, which is stressful enough. I have a great bond with all of the teen clients I see and really enjoy my work with them. I keep up-to-date with social media, pop culture, TV shows, and movies they’re watching so that we can speak the same language. I genuinely enjoy seeing the progress a teen client can make in therapy and find it so rewarding once they “graduate” from therapy with more confidence.

+ TELEHEALTH

Are you looking for the option of online therapy? I offer the option of telehealth sessions (video and phone counseling). If you are residing in New Jersey or New York, you are eligible for telehealth services with me. I stay up to date with the latest technology; I’m frequently available, and easy to reach. The best way to reach me is by email or text as I will be able to respond quicker than playing phone tag in between sessions. Telehealth sessions are great if you have a sick child at home, you’re sick yourself, there’s a snow storm, you’re stuck at work, you’re traveling, or you just prefer to do a session while in your pajamas at home. I treat telehealth sessions as the same as in-person and find them just as beneficial in our work together. The ability to do telehealth sessions also comes with flexibility in scheduling.

+ YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

• Young adults (20’s and 30’s year olds) have a hard time adulting as their life transitions. Either you’re in college and having a hard time balancing school and relationships or you are transitioning into the work world and finding that it is not everything you’d hope it’d be. You may find that you’ve found success in your career, but continue to experience relationship issues, anxiety, or depression. Whenever there’s a life event, such as graduating from college, getting married, having a baby, a breakup, a career change, etc., you will feel some form of stress. I help my clients with ways they can cope with this stress in a healthy way. This is a time in your life where there are constant decisions that need to be made. You may fear that you’re making the wrong decisions and don’t know what your future holds. That’s a common fear for young adults, or young professionals, to experience. I can help you get through it all so you can feel confident moving forward with your decisions.