Child and Adolescent Therapy
Child and Adolescent Therapy
Therapy That Meets Children and Teenagers Where They Are
Children and teenagers often communicate their struggles differently than adults. A child may not have the words to explain why school feels overwhelming, why emotions seem harder to manage, or why certain situations feel impossible. A teenager may understand exactly what is wrong but still feel unsure about how to talk about it or whether someone will truly understand.
Child and adolescent therapy at Coherence is grounded in understanding development, communication, and the ways emotional and behavioral challenges can look different across ages. Effective therapy with young people begins by understanding how they experience the world, how they express distress, and what may be contributing to the difficulties they are facing. The goal is not simply to change a behavior, but to understand what is happening beneath it and build skills that support lasting growth.
Families seek therapy for many different reasons. Some notice changes in their child’s mood, behavior, confidence, friendships, or ability to manage everyday demands. A child may become more withdrawn, more reactive, or increasingly frustrated by situations that once felt manageable. Parents may find themselves having the same conflicts repeatedly, whether around homework, routines, emotions, or expectations.
Teenagers may come to therapy because of anxiety, stress, social challenges, emotional overwhelm, self-confidence concerns, or difficulty navigating changing responsibilities. Some appear to be doing well from the outside while privately experiencing significant pressure, exhaustion, or uncertainty. Others may have a history of developmental, learning, attention, or social differences that affect how they experience school, relationships, and daily life.
Therapy may also be recommended following a neuropsychological evaluation, when the assessment identifies emotional, behavioral, or social concerns that would benefit from additional support. In other cases, families are referred by pediatricians, schools, or other providers who recognize that a child or adolescent may benefit from a therapist with specialized understanding of development and behavior.
At Coherence, child and adolescent therapy is provided by clinicians who work to understand each young person within the context of their individual strengths, challenges, relationships, and experiences. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP brings specialized training in working with children and adolescents, and therapy is approached with careful attention to the concerns that brought the family in and the skills that will be most helpful moving forward.
The first step is often simply understanding what has changed, what feels difficult, and what the child or teenager needs from the people around them. From there, therapy can become a place to build insight, develop coping strategies, strengthen relationships, and help young people feel more capable navigating everyday challenges.
Therapy
Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP provides individual therapy for children and adolescents experiencing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and social challenges. Families may seek support when a child is struggling with anxiety and excessive worry, changes in mood, ADHD-related emotional or behavioral difficulties, autism-related social and emotional concerns, behavioral challenges at home or school, grief after a significant loss, or difficulty adjusting to major life changes.
Some children and teenagers come to therapy because they are feeling overwhelmed by emotions that seem bigger than they can manage. Others may struggle with frustration, impulsive reactions, conflict with family members, difficulty navigating friendships, or feeling different from their peers. Emotional challenges do not always appear as sadness or worry. Sometimes they show up as avoidance, irritability, shutdowns, frequent arguments, changes in motivation, or difficulty handling everyday expectations.
For many families, the concern that brings them to therapy is only the starting point. A child may initially be referred for behavior concerns but underlying anxiety, social challenges, attention differences, or emotional stress may also be affecting daily functioning. Therapy involves looking beyond the immediate concern to better understand the patterns, experiences, and skills that may be contributing to what the child or teenager is facing.
Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP approaches therapy by considering the whole picture: the child’s developmental history, relationships, strengths, challenges, and the environments where difficulties occur. Treatment is adapted to the individual rather than forcing every child into the same approach.
The goal of therapy is to help children and adolescents better understand their emotions, develop effective coping strategies, improve relationships, and build skills that support them at home, at school, and in everyday life.
Our Process
What Families Can Expect at Coherence
- An initial intake appointment to understand the child’s developmental history, the family’s concerns, and the goals the family is hoping treatment will address
- Collaborative goal-setting and a clear treatment plan explained in terms the family can understand and contribute to
- Weekly sessions as a starting point, with frequency adjusted based on clinical need and family circumstances
- Evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, play-based approaches for younger children, and family-focused intervention
- Regular parent involvement appropriate to the child’s age and the clinical picture
- Clear and ongoing communication about progress, what is being worked on in sessions, and what comes next
- Coordination with schools, pediatricians, and other providers with the family’s written authorization
Please note that contacting this practice does not establish a patient provider relationship.
Therapy for Younger Children
For younger children, therapy often looks different than it does for teenagers or adults. Many young children do not process experiences by sitting down and explaining exactly what they are feeling. Instead, they communicate through play, drawing, storytelling, building, imagination, and the ways they interact with the world around them.
Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP uses developmentally appropriate approaches that allow younger children to express themselves in ways that feel natural. Through play and activities, children can begin to explore emotions, practice new skills, work through challenges, and develop a better understanding of their own experiences. Therapy is adapted to meet the child where they are rather than expecting them to communicate in an adult format.
For young children, progress often depends on what happens outside of the therapy room as much as what happens during sessions. Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping children practice new skills, respond to emotions differently, and create supportive routines at home.
Parent involvement is an important part of therapy for many younger children at Coherence. Sessions with parents may focus on understanding the meaning behind behaviors, recognizing patterns, responding during difficult moments, and finding practical ways to support emotional growth. When caregivers better understand what a child is communicating through their behavior, they are better able to provide the support the child needs.
The goal is to help children build emotional awareness, coping skills, and confidence while also helping families create environments where those skills can continue to grow.
Inquire About Child or Adolescent Therapy
To learn more about therapy services at Coherence or to schedule an intake appointment with Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP, reach out by email.
Our Collaboration
Therapy and Evaluation Together at Coherence
Therapy can answer many questions, but sometimes it uncovers new ones. As children and adolescents begin talking about their experiences or working on new skills, patterns may emerge that suggest there is more contributing to their struggles than was initially apparent. In those situations, a neuropsychological evaluation can provide information that therapy alone cannot.
For example, a teenager receiving therapy for anxiety may also have an undiagnosed learning disorder that has made school feel overwhelming for years. A child working on behavior regulation may continue to struggle because underlying executive functioning weaknesses are making everyday expectations much harder than they appear. In other cases, concerns about attention, autism, language, memory, or other aspects of cognitive functioning may become clearer as therapy progresses.
Because Coherence offers both therapy and neuropsychological evaluation, families have access to coordinated care within one practice when additional assessment would be helpful. Neuropsychological evaluations are provided by Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP, allowing the therapist and evaluator to work from a shared understanding of the individual’s history, concerns, and goals.
This collaboration helps ensure that recommendations are informed by both the therapeutic process and a comprehensive understanding of cognitive and developmental functioning. When additional evaluation is appropriate, families do not have to start over or retell their story from the beginning. Instead, care can build on the information already gathered, creating a more complete picture of the child’s strengths, challenges, and support needs.
coherence and Therapy
Therapy for Adolescents
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Therapy with adolescents is different from therapy with younger children. During the teenage years, young people are developing a stronger sense of independence while also managing new academic demands, changing friendships, increasing responsibilities, and often more complex emotions. Many teenagers want support, but they also want to feel respected and understood rather than judged or told what they should do.
Building a therapeutic relationship with an adolescent takes time. Some teenagers are ready to talk openly from the beginning, while others need several sessions before they feel comfortable sharing what is really on their mind. Rather than expecting immediate openness, Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP focuses on creating an environment where adolescents can speak honestly, ask questions, and explore difficult experiences at their own pace.
At the beginning of therapy, confidentiality is discussed in clear, age-appropriate language. Teenagers benefit from understanding that therapy is a place where they can talk openly, while parents also need to know how important information related to safety and treatment will be communicated. Throughout therapy, parents remain involved in ways that support progress while respecting the privacy that allows meaningful therapeutic work to develop. Finding the right balance is an ongoing conversation and is adjusted as treatment progresses and the adolescent’s needs change.
It is also common for teenagers to feel uncertain about starting therapy. Some worry they will be judged or pressured to talk before they are ready. Others may not believe therapy will be helpful at all. Initial sessions often focus on getting to know the adolescent, understanding their perspective, and establishing a sense of trust before moving into more difficult topics. Giving teenagers space to feel heard often creates the foundation for meaningful change over time.