Child & Adolescent Counseling
Is your child/teen under a lot of stress?
Do they seem to be struggling and you don’t know how to help?
Has your child/teen experienced some sort of trauma they cannot seem to shake?
Life’s stressors affect even the youngest. Children and teens face pressures that can lead to emotional and behavioral concerns. When given an environment where a child feels safe and accepted, their walls will come down, and healing can begin.
Kendra works to create a safe, engaging environment that provides space for your child to express themselves. Challenging behaviors are viewed from a trauma-informed, developmental approach incorporating regulation and attachment-based strategies. Kendra uses a variety of modalities to meet your child’s individual needs. Some common treatment modalities Kendra incorporates are outlined and described below. The treatment modality used is individualized based on the client’s needs.
Person-Centered Therapy
Person-centered therapy is based on the idea that people are motivated toward achieving positive mental health and that the individual is the expert in their life. The therapist works to provide a safe and open environment for the client’s self-exploration as they move toward growth.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works to help people see the difference between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings in order to help the individual overcome unhelpful patterns of behavior. CBT is based on the idea that a person’s perception of an event, more than the event itself, determines how the individual will respond and feel. The therapist will help the client identify unhelpful patterns while working to reframe and restructure thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is helpful for children to address and work through their thoughts and emotions as play is the language of children. Play is the natural way children learn about themselves and their relationships. The therapist will work alongside the child to process and resolve concerns.
Attachment Theory
Attachment theory examines how early childhood experiences impact emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships. When individuals have caregivers who are emotionally responsive, those individuals tend to develop a secure attachment. However, when situations such as trauma, have occurred, it can disrupt a person’s attachment style. Disrupted attachment can lead to difficulty in managing emotions and managing interpersonal relationships. Kendra uses attachment theory to understand the underlying/unmet needs of the individual which drive unhealthy behaviors or coping skills.
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal theory is based on the idea that our bodies react at a biological and neurobiological level to heightened stress, especially when the body perceives a threat. Kendra uses Polyvagal theory with clients to help them understand their body’s responses as a result of stressors or trauma while identifying ways to soothe the nervous system to bring the body back to a state of improved functioning.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Parent-child interaction therapy is an evidence-based treatment for children ages 2-6 years old. PCIT is a short-term treatment that focuses on helping young children with disruptive behavior. The therapist “coaches” the parent/caregiver(s) on targeted skills while the parent/caregiver interacts with the child in the therapy room. The first phase (Child-Directed) focuses on increasing the warmth and connection between the parent and the child. The first phase of treatment will result in improvement in child behavior, decreased parental frustration, and increased parent/child relationship.
**Kendra generally only offers the first phase of treatment with families due to the sensitive trauma histories of many of her clients. Kendra can speak with you regarding treatment options, should you choose to pursue PCIT sessions.
Kendra has experience working with children and youth in a residential foster care setting, in a psychiatric hospital setting, and in a school setting. She has experience treating the following areas:
- Trauma
- Grief
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Anger
- ADHD
- Self-esteem
- Family issues
- Concerns related to foster care/adoption
Counseling is provided in-person in Amarillo, TX. UpTIC is a private pay (no insurance) counseling practice. Counseling sessions last approximately 45 minutes and will be scheduled at the frequency appropriate to your needs.
SERVICE FEES
Initial 50 to 60-minute individual session = $125
Subsequent 45-minute individual session = $100
Parent/child joint 45 to 50-minute session = $150
**Cash, card, or check payment is due at the time of service. Kendra does not accept insurance. Please check with your insurance provider regarding if you can submit a superbill to your provider for reimbursement.
**Please note – Insurance providers require documentation of a diagnosis code on superbills.
Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
- Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.
If you are ready to begin, call 806-738-4828 or message using the button below!