Child Therapists in Walnut Creek, CA
See all therapists in Walnut Creek
Kelly Magee-O'Dea
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Often
children
don't know how to explain what they are experiencing, making them isolated and families feeling helpless.
I believe the goal of therapy is to engage life in a more positive and enjoyable way while improving a sense of self and deepening relationships with others. As a family therapist for 23 years, I’ve always enjoyed providing a supportive space for
children
, young adults and families to better understand themselves and the struggles they face. Together we explore tools and build on skills that bring relief. In 2023 many families are dealing with multiple stressors. These stresses are compounded when they see their
child
struggling with depression, anxiety, social problems or school issues.

Allison Gans
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I work with
children
, teens and adults. In addition to my private practice, I also work as a Crisis Counselor at a high school in Lafayette. I work individually to find better ways to cope with the presenting problem at hand. Perhaps your
child
or teen is having difficulties in school, making friends and/or struggling to get along with family members or peers. I can help with these issues. I help my clients explore ways to make healthier life choices. I collaborate with parents and teachers to help them set up a more successful experience for the
child
or teen.

Erika A Smith
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
The therapy I provide focuses on
children
, adolescents, families and adults. My clinical experience involves those afflicted by depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, identity, grief and transitions. An important part of my work allows
children
and their caregivers to work as a team to achieve therapeutic goals. I welcome caregivers to participate in
child
’s therapeutic work by providing parent consultations, check-in’s and when appropriate, facilitating parent-
child
sessions. My approach is tailored to the needs and therapeutic goals of each of my clients. I collaborate with you and together we will establish realistic goals.
Not accepting new clients

Lindsey Thompson
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I focus my work on families and adult patients. In my professional experience, I find the most growth in
children
by utilizing a family systems approach and accessing the client's innate strengths and desires for change. In adult patients, much of my work surrounds developing healthy coping skills and managing stress in more adaptive ways.

Cassandra Pianetta
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I have specialized experience working with
children
and adolescents in public and private schools.
I believe therapy offers opportunity for self discovery, healing, and growth. As an emphatic and supportive therapist, I am passionate about helping my clients heal and be heard because we all have unique voices and stories to share. I work with
children
, adolescents, adults, parents, and families to minimize conflict, support personal growth, make changes, and strengthen a sense of connectedness and well-being. Using an integrative approach that is holistic and friendly, I support personal and relational development, as well as healing.

Renee Fesperman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
My experience lies in my work with
children
and their families, as well as individuals and couples with a wide range of issues and life transitions.
As a therapist my focus is your (and your family's) emotional health and happiness. Therapy can offer strategies and coping skills as well as guidance to access your own wisdom for solving the challenges you are currently facing.

Shannon Brueckner
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Verified
Sometimes when you are a parent looking for a therapist for your
child
, your
child
may be resistant to being "sent" to counseling.
I specialize in working with adolescents and adults who are experiencing challenges in their lives - including school or work performance, relationships with family and friends, or self-esteem. As a parent you might notice your
child
withdrawing, not interacting as usual with friends and family, getting into more fights or trouble, or struggling with self-confidence. Sleeping and eating habits and other daily routines may be affected as well. When you feel as though you don't know what else to do, reaching out and getting help through counseling can be the best alternative.

Arwin Cotas-Girard, PsyD
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in
child
and adolescent therapy and comprehensive psychological assessment services for all ages. I also specialize in the evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, particularly for girls and women. I am trained in Therapeutic Assessments and consider my evaluations to be brief therapeutic interventions that may allow healing and change to occur through the process of self-discovery and reworking of narratives. I work collaboratively with my clients, their caregivers, and other important people and systems in their lives to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs.
Not accepting new clients

Sara M Pollock
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
Clinically, I specialize in helping families cope with the challenges of adolescence; I have extensive experience working with survivors of trauma, adoptive families, and
children
and youth with a history of foster involvement.
My work with adolescents, families, and individual adults is both nurturing and direct. I use a relational, strengths-based, and systemic lens. I strongly believe that the relationship we build together is of fundamental importance to the healing process and that therapy is most effective when I create conditions that allow you to bring your full self into the space. I will tailor our work together to address your particular presenting challenges, taking into account your personal history, your socio-cultural background, your many strengths, and the immense expertise you bring about your own life.

Heather L Martin
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
I work with
children
, adolescents, and young adults. My orientation is predominately psychodynamic. However, I tailor my approach to the individual needs of the client. In my work with
children
, I take a
child
-centered approach, using modalities such as play or talk therapy to help the
child
express his or her feelings and experiences that are often difficult to put into words.

bay area child counseling Parisa Rahimian, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
It is heartbreaking to see your
child
struggle and not know how to help them. Most parents who call me have tried every tool they have to help their
children
with little or no result. you might feel alone in your experience, feel guilt and shame for not being able to help your
child
or even for losing your own temper if you have an intense high need
child
. Perhaps your
child
is struggling in school, and you are dreading the next phone call to address the latest issues, or feel exhausted trying to go through the daily function without meltdowns, or worrying about your teen’s emotional state, lack of communication,or defiant behavior
Not accepting new clients

JerriAnn Grant
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Verified
I offer therapy for individuals,
children
, adolescents, and families. I work with my clients from an attachment based framework. Underlying my approach in working with clients is the understanding that what really gives us resilience and emotional health is the experience of being securely connected with other people and particularly those who are closest to us.

Jacqueline Golding
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
In an age-appropriate way, I bring this approach to my work with teens and
children
, primarily using talk therapy with teens and play and art therapy with younger
children
.
A therapy relationship that is working well supports your curiosity about yourself, openness to possibilities, and capacity to transform vulnerabilities into areas of strength and growth. My approach to therapy involves using respectful, empathic listening to create a safe place where you can bring difficult and painful feelings and life situations - a place where you don't have to be alone with them. Through our work together, you experience yourself differently. In therapy, you can try out new ways of being who you are, and when you're ready, you can bring these into the rest of your life.

Radha Richmond, Licensed Educational Psychologist
Licensed Educational Psychologist, MA, EdS, LEP
Verified
Verified
Additionally, I work with families of toddlers and preschool-aged
children
to discover if there are neuro-developmental challenges or global delays, college-aged students (including adults) who may need assessment to receive accommodations and supports, and gifted
children
to discover how to best challenge and keep them academically engaged.
I'm a licensed educational psychologist specializing in assessment and intervention of psychological disorders impacting learning and school performance (e.g. dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention issues like ADD/ADHD, neurodevelopment disorders such as autism, and social-emotional disorders). I specialize in psycho-educational assessment focusing on discovering why educational difficulties are occurring and providing intervention recommendations. Families often come to me to discover why their
child
may be failing in school, or has lost motivation to do their best, or is having behavioral/attention challenges, or when homework takes a long time and/or is a battle (among other reasons).

Anna Sasser-Christian
Associate Clinical Social Worker
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I marry the language of
children
(play) with the wisdom and insight of the parent to help your
child
heal, grow, and communicate.
Children
are not mini-adults, despite their best efforts to convince us otherwise!
Children
are ever-changing, efficiently growing into their next phase of development every-single- day. Imagine, tripling in size and skills in just a year! To make things more complicated,
children
learn, grow, and communicate through play. No wonder it can be tough to fully know how to help our
children
through life's surprises.

John Soul Moreno
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Verified
Perhaps you've noticed a shift in your
child
's demeanor, behavior, mood, or thinking. You may be feeling lost, worried, or frustrated. Whatever the case, you're concerned for your
child
and can sense that they are struggling in some way and need a safe space to express themselves. Maybe you are having trouble navigating life's hardships and it's getting harder to imagine greener pastures ahead. You may be finding yourself challenged with thoughts that seem to have more control of you than you'd like. Perhaps you need a space to dissect and unpack the troubles that are restraining you from living a more genuine and authentic life.

TheraTree Community Child & Family Counseling Inc.
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
At TheraTree we offer adult,
child
, and family counseling tailored to meet a diverse range of conflict and suffering. From supporting individuals with developing coping skills for managing stress, strengthening communication skills, and restoring and enhancing the
child
-parent relationship--we are here to support your path to wellness.

Ashley Elefant Baratz
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety and Depression. My goal is to help all clients, regardless of age, past experience, or learning differences, better understand themselves and learn how to thrive. With in-depth assessment and detailed recommendations, I can help set you or your
child
up for the best chances at success.

Andrew Lindeman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Is your
child
struggling with behavior problems, ADHD, depression or anxiety? Are you looking for a therapist with experience working with Autism (and Aspergers) Spectrum Disorders? I specialize in working with
children
and teens and have over 17 years of experience working with these populations. I have worked as a Behavior Therapist for
children
on the Autistic spectrum, have taught my own Day Treatment Intensive classroom (for
children
with extreme behavior challenges) and have worked for Contra Costa County
Child
and Adolescent Services. I have also worked in the Juvenile Justice department of Los Angeles County with Juvenile offenders.

Deidre Doyle
PhD, LEP, NCSP, PPSC
Verified
Verified
If your
child
, teen, or young adult is struggling academically, emotionally, or socially, I am here to help. As an Educational Psychologist with years of experience, I am uniquely qualified to evaluate your
child
's learning style and create a plan that helps them succeed in school. I specialize in the intervention and assessment of individuals with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Intellectual Disabilities, and Emotional Disorders.
An evaluation can uncover the causes of your
child
's difficulties with learning, behavior, or social functioning. The focus is on attention, memory, reasoning, and emotional functioning. Results provide parents with diagnoses and intervention recommendations.
See more therapy options for Walnut Creek
Child Therapists
Do I need to attend therapy with my child?
Parents are an integral part of a child’s therapy, but the specifics of their involvement vary. If your child is young, you may attend most or all sessions; if your child is older, you may attend a few sessions or none; sometimes a therapist may ask you to have a session on your own. Whatever the arrangement, you should expect to work collaboratively with the therapist, your child, and your family members to take steps to help support your child.
How long are sessions with child therapists?
Children’s therapy sessions can last 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes. The length of the session may depend on your child’s age and the type of therapy practiced. You can discuss this with therapists you consult and the one you ultimately move forward with.
How do I get a child to agree to seek therapy?
The best approach is to have an open-ended conversation with your child about how they’re doing and what they might be struggling with. When you raise therapy, discuss the concept in an age-appropriate way, for example explaining that a therapist’s job is to help kids handle their hard or uncomfortable feelings. Frame therapy positively, as an opportunity to explore and build emotional skills—it’s an important tool in the toolbox to help kids feel their best.
How can I tell if a therapist is a good fit for my child?
A child needs to feel comfortable opening up about their thoughts and feelings, so if your child feels a sense of comfort, ease, and trust with their therapist, that’s a great sign. In addition, a therapist is a good fit for your child if the two can communicate well together; a clinician should be able to communicate clearly, effectively, and in an age-appropriate manner.