Children and Adolescent Services

Concerned for Your Child’s Behavior

You are sad your kids don’t have friends. When you pick up your kid, you may catch yourself wondering why you aren’t invited to playdates anymore – let alone parties.

Teachers are calling, yet you don’t know where to go. You know your kid isn’t on the same developmental trajectory as the other kids. You wonder deep down if something’s wrong. Is it autism, is it ADHD, or is it because of something that happened at home?

Your pediatrician is telling you to go to a psychiatrist, yet you don’t want your kid to get drugged.

You are at the end of your rope, and your family won’t help you with the kids anymore. You’re exhausted, not sleeping, and feeling both sad and angry with your kid. You may even feel scared at times, and it’s wearing on all of you.

“By holding the highest vision for your child
when they cannot see it for themselves,
you are lifting them up, elevating them and helping them to soar.”

~Megan Koufos

Facing Challenges of Childhood

We know firsthand how challenging it can be raising kids in today’s world, and we’re here for parents – you don’t have to do this alone. Childhood is a time of growth, attachment, new skills, friendship, and curiosity. When the “norm” is disrupted or never experienced, the child, parents, and family system are greatly challenged.

If you are seeking help with behavior beyond the “norm,” you’ve come to the right place.

Psychiatry and Childhood Development

Dr. Schaepper has specialty training in early childhood development and child psychiatry. She understands parenting and school problems, and she will work with you and anyone else in your kids’ network to help your kid get back on track.

Our role is to assess the developmental level of the child, to determine what interventions are needed, and to work with the family to maximize the child’s potential.

Interventions depend on the need of each child, which may include further medical work-up, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, self-esteem building, parenting skills, social skills, and medications.

If you are having a tough time relating with your child, Dr. Schaepper will model through play and limited setting, even getting down on the ground to be eye level, to learn how you can communicate and set healthy boundaries.

We also encourage parents and siblings to participate in the care needed, and in some cases we suggest that they seek out their own therapeutic care.

Healing and Learning Through Family Therapy

Family therapy is a time dedicated to helping a family heal and learn new ways of being with each other. The clinician will ask everyone to meet together, identify challenge areas, as well as what it is that everyone is wanting.

We might split up a few times, reconvene, or even meet individually at times, thus giving everyone a chance to feel heard. When together, we use play therapy, emotionally focused family therapy, and psychodrama techniques to resolve conflicts and create healing.

If as parents you’re feeling worn out, having a tough time with your child, and wanting parenting coaching, we have therapy available for you. Or maybe you’re recognizing your need to deal with your own anxiety and all that gets triggered within you when you have challenges with your children.

What a great time to get support, so that you can lead in your home with no regrets, feeling empowered knowing you, too, are growing alongside your child.

We are not purists in any model, as there is no one way to treat all kids that works ALL the time. We tend to lean toward the positive discipline and attachment camp, yet welcome parents to bring in anything you’ve found helpful or are curious about.

If you are transitioning through or just post-divorce, we offer co-parenting therapy, whereby you’d work together to create agreements around care and consequences with your child by using an attachment and mediation approach.

The benefits to working with our team are that we will treat you and your child like family. We will celebrate any little movement forward, interrupt anything moving off track, and help coach you to lead your family in a way that works for all of you.

Some of the more regular issues we deal with include:

  • Childhood Depression
  • School Refusal
  • ADHD
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Trauma – Loss, Abuse
  • Bullying
  • Learning Disorders
  • Not identifying with assigned gender

Challenges of Adolescence

Adolescence is a time of growing autonomy, increased importance of peer relationships, academic responsibility, and of normal risk-taking behaviors.

The ‘norm’ is varied, yet adolescents, parents, teachers recognize when “the teen is too far off.” Depression and anxiety are frequent offenders. Cyber-bullying and in-person bullying are common culprits. Unhealthy family dynamics also can contribute.

It isn’t easy to deal with lack of motivation, isolation, suicidal thoughts, use of substances, and at times aggressive behaviors.

Through talk therapy and medications, we use psychiatry to help your teen stabilize and then function in their day-to-day life again.    

Psychiatry and Therapy as Alternative Options

Whether your teen is questioning their place in the world or their assigned sexual or gender orientation, these things can make high school way more difficult than most parents realize.

Our approach is to partner with the teen, really be their clinician, to understand their perspective and to address the skills needed by both the teen and family.

Anyone who is impacted by and impacting the teen’s behavior is encouraged to attend family therapy or to come in as a consultant. Together, we will find ways to help boost their confidence, coping skills, and ability to self-regulate.

Areas of specialty include:

  • Depression
  • Suicidality
  • Anxiety
  • Not identifying with assigned gender
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
  • ADHD
  • Eating Disorders
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Learning Disorders

Collaborative Approach to Therapy and Psychiatry

We will connect you to Community resources whenever needed including autism, trauma, learning disorders, and depression. Our goal is to provide whatever will support you and your family’s needs.

We collaborate well with the schools, are confident in our treatment plans, and you can be confident that we will develop a plan that works for you and your child or teen.

Call us today to find out more or set up an appointment.