OUR SERVICES
Children & Adolescents
Growing up can be hard, and watching your child or teen struggle can leave you feeling helpless and unsure where to turn. But there is hope. Whether your child is facing anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, trouble at school, difficulty with friendships, or a big life change such as divorce or loss, we can help. Our child and adolescent therapists in Liberty, MO and the greater Kansas City area provide age-appropriate skills to help children and teens manage big emotions, build confidence, and communicate more openly. With a trained therapist supporting your child and partnering with you as a parent, your family can find the peace and connection you are searching for.
WHY THERAPY BENEFITS YOU
Benefits of Child and Adolescent Therapy
Children and teens don’t always have the words to explain what they are feeling, and those feelings often show up as anger, worry, withdrawal, or struggles at home and school. Therapy gives them a safe place to be heard.
With the support of a trained therapist, your child can learn to understand and manage big emotions, cope with stress and anxiety, build confidence, and strengthen relationships with family and friends. The skills they gain now can carry them through school, friendships, and into adulthood. Parents benefit as well, with guidance and tools to support their child at home. Reaching out early can make a lasting difference, and your child does not have to face it alone.
Ages 2-4
Toddler &
Preschool Therapy
The early years are full of growth, and they can also be full of big feelings that little ones don’t yet have words for. You may be seeing frequent tantrums, hitting or biting, trouble separating from you, sleep struggles, or a hard time adjusting to a new sibling, daycare, or a change at home. But there is hope. Our early childhood therapists in the Kansas City area understand how toddlers and preschoolers grow, and they know how to meet them where they are.
At this age, you are your child’s most important source of comfort and safety, so therapy for toddlers and preschoolers includes you. Sessions are play-based and often take place with a parent in the room. Your child’s therapist will help you understand what your child’s behavior is communicating, and give you simple, practical tools to calm big emotions, set loving limits, and strengthen your bond at home.
Early support can make a lasting difference. When challenges are addressed in these first years, children build a strong foundation for emotional health, relationships, and learning as they grow.
Challenges we help toddlers with
Emotional & Behavioral
Tantrums & big feelings
Frequent meltdowns, trouble calming down
Agression
Hitting, biting, throwing
Relationships
Attachment & bonding
Strengthening the parent-child connection
New siblings
Jelousy, regression, adjusting to a new baby
Life Events
Trauma
Frightening or painful early experiences
Grief & big changes
Divorce, loss, moving, foster care or adoption
Specialized Support
ADHD
Bedtime battles, night waking
Fears & worries
Separation anxiety, clinginess, new fears
Daycare & preschool
Drop off tears, adjusting to a new setting
Therapists who work with toddlers age 2-4
Haylee O'Hara
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Ages 5-12
Child Therapy & Play Therapy
When it comes to your child, you want to be sure you choose the best child counselors in the Kansas City area. Young children come with their own unique challenges, and they often don't have the words to tell you what is wrong. Instead, their feelings may show up as tantrums, worry, trouble sleeping, struggles at school, or changes in behavior. But there is hope. It is important to choose a specialist who understands how to relate to children and can teach them the skills they need to overcome even the toughest situations.
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Our child therapists are trained in play therapy, an approach designed especially for children. Play therapy differs from regular play because the therapist helps your child address and work through their own problems. It builds on the natural way children learn about themselves and their relationships with the world around them.
Through play therapy, children learn to express feelings, communicate with others, change behavior, and develop problem-solving skills. Play gives children a safe distance from their problems, so they can share thoughts and feelings in a way that fits their age and development.
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Research supports play therapy for children facing a wide range of social, emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges, including life stressors such as divorce, the death of a loved one, moving, hospitalization, chronic illness, abuse, domestic violence, or natural disasters.
Challenges we help children with
Emotional & Behavioral
Emotional Challenges
Worry, sadness, big feelings
Behavioral Challenges
Tantrums, defiance, trouble following rules
Relationships
Social Challenges
Making friends, bullying, shyness
Attachment & Bonding
Trouble trusting or connecting, attachment disorder
Anger
Outbursts, hitting, frustration
Life Events
Trauma
Trauma therapy after frightening or painful experiences,
Greif & Loss
Outbursts, hitting, frustration
Health Challenges
Illness, hospital stays, sleep troubles
Specialized Support
ADHD
Focus, Impulsivity, Restlessness
Self Esteem
Negative self talk, fear of trying new things
Therapists who work with children ages 5-12
Haylee O'Hara
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Joni Clausen
Licensed Professional Counselor
Ages 13-17
Teen Counseling
Adolescence is a time of great change, and the teen years can be challenging for both teens and their parents. Whether your teen is struggling with anxiety, depression, stress at school, friendships, self-esteem, or conflict at home, we can help. Some of our best counselors in the Kansas City area work with teenagers, and many teens and parents find therapy helpful in navigating these difficult years. Our teen counselors have a unique ability to truly connect with the teens they work with.
The first sessions are spent building trust and confidence, so your teen feels comfortable talking about what they are going through. The first session will generally include both the teen and the parent(s).
After that, the therapist will meet mostly with your teen one-on-one, but may ask a parent to join from time to time as needed. Parents can also ask to speak with the therapist during session time.
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Confidentiality is critical as your teen builds trust. Your teen’s therapist will keep you informed about the general progress of therapy, but not the details of everything discussed. With a trained teen therapist in their corner, your teen can build the skills and confidence to handle whatever comes their way.
Challenges we help teens with
Emotional & Behavioral
Emotional Challenges
Anxiety, depression, stress
Relationships
Social Challenges
Friendships, peer pressure, bullying
Behavioral Challenges
Defiance, risk-taking, trouble at school
Attachment & Bonding
Trouble trusting or connecting, attachment disorder
Anger
Mood swings, outbursts, conflict at home
Self Esteem
Life Events
Trauma
Trauma therapy after frightening or painful experiences,
Greif & Loss
Grief therapy after death, divorce or breakup
Health Challenges
Chronic illness, sleep troubles, stress in the body
Specialized Support
ADHD
Focus, organization, impusivity
Addictions
Substances, vaping, screens and gaming
Body image, comparison, self-doubt
Therapists who work with children ages 13-17
Haylee O'Hara
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Joni Clausen
Licensed Professional Counselor
Laura May
Supervised Marriage and Family Therapist in 2023
Joshua Harms
Licensed Professional Counselor