Children speak through play. We listen.

Child counseling at The Shift uses play-based techniques as the primary way of working with younger children. This approach is sometimes called play therapy, and the reason we use it is simple: for children, play is a more natural language than conversation. Sitting across from an adult and talking through feelings the way adults do in therapy is not how most kids process what is happening to them. Through guided, purposeful play, children express what they cannot yet put into words. A trained therapist observes and shapes that play in ways that help the child work through difficult experiences, build coping skills, and feel more in control of themselves.

We look at where your child is developmentally and what they are dealing with, not just how old they are. A younger child who has been through something significant may need a more play-based approach. An older child who is more verbal and self-aware might respond better to a different format. Some kids land somewhere in between. When you reach out, we will talk through what your child needs and find the approach that fits them where they actually are, not where a general age range would put them.

Child counseling addresses a wide range of challenges: anxiety, attention and behavioral difficulties, trauma, grief and loss, adjustment to a major life change like a divorce or a move, conflict at home or school, social difficulties, and trouble managing strong emotions. Parents often come to us when something has shifted in their child's behavior or mood and the usual conversations are not reaching them. If your child is struggling and words have not been enough, that is exactly what this work is designed for.

Typically, sessions are child-only. The private space is an important part of why it works: children open up and express themselves more freely when they are not managing their parent's reactions at the same time. That said, parents are a critical part of the process. We schedule regular check-ins with you separate from your child's sessions so you understand what we are working on, what you can reinforce at home, and how things are progressing. You are not left out. You just are not in the room.

The evidence base for play-based child counseling is solid. Decades of research support its effectiveness for children dealing with anxiety, trauma, behavioral difficulties, grief, and adjustment challenges. Results vary depending on the child, how consistently they attend, and what they are working through. What we can say from experience is that children who come in guarded or shut down often open up in ways that surprise their parents. The progress does not always look dramatic from the outside, but families regularly report real shifts in behavior, mood, and how their child handles difficulty.

Individual sessions are 50 minutes. How many sessions your child will need depends on what they are working through and how they respond. One pattern we see consistently: the longer a challenge goes unaddressed, the more time it takes to help a child work through it. Starting early usually means a shorter road.

No. We have actually found that the fewer expectations a child brings into therapy, the more responsive they are, especially at the beginning. If your child has questions or worries, you can encourage them to bring them up with the therapist together.

We are a private-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. Children's counseling sessions are billed at the individual session rate. If your insurance plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, we can provide a superbill after each session for potential reimbursement. We accept FSA and HSA payments. Sessions are in-person at our Humble office. If you have questions about cost, bring them up in your consultation and we will work through what makes sense.