Karlene Gacita

Play Therapy is to children what counseling is to adults. Through the power of play, it allows the child or teen to express themself and communicate in the therapy session. We will use play therapy interventions, to assess the child or adolescent’s world and evaluate their real-life beliefs and adversities. Storytelling, role-playing, arts and crafts, and imaginative visualization are a few of the creative play strategies that will help your child share their feelings, pain, and challenges.

When children and adolescents learn mindfulness, they are acquiring a powerful tool needed to increase confidence, manage stress, and conquer difficult circumstances to help them cultivate resilience. We will work to learn a range of breathing practices, acceptance strategies to process thoughts and feelings, and foster self-compassion. By training our brains to be mindful, we improve critical skills such as attention and emotion regulation.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an active treatment that we use for a diverse range of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, anger, solitude, panic attacks, distress in social situations, and self-criticism. Through the use of CBT, we help children and adolescents identify their day-to-day emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to help them understand how each aspect of these thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact one another.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is typically characterized by a lack of impulse control, an inability to focus and pay attention, and hyperactivity. ADHD most commonly emerges in children and teens and can continue into adulthood. In fact, ADHD is the most common mental health disorder diagnosed in young people and sufferers often have trouble paying attention in school. ADHD must be diagnosed by a qualified clinician.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is typically characterized by a lack of impulse control, an inability to focus and pay attention, and hyperactivity. ADHD most commonly emerges in children and teens and can continue into adulthood. In fact, ADHD is the most common mental health disorder diagnosed in young people and sufferers often have trouble paying attention in school. ADHD must be diagnosed by a qualified clinician.

Anxiety can be situational or chronic, but it is one of the most uncomfortable experiences to be enduring. Anxiety is our body's way of telling us to pay attention to something. I work with children and adolescents to identify their anxiety, listen to its source, and give it the attention it needs, by integrating mechanisms to calm the nervous system.

I support children and teens who experience learning disorders as well as support parents and caregivers who have children with learning disorders. My psychoeducational assessments will help to detect the possibility of any learning disability or intellectual giftedness. I can help you interpret the testing results, understand how they impact your child, and provide recommendations to support your child.