Therapy for Children and Adolescents
One of my areas of expertise is working with young children and adolescents to address a variety of issues, including: trauma/loss, anxiety, depression, family conflicts/divorce, behavioral problems, social or academic challenges, and developmental or adjustment disorders. I strive to focus on your child’s and family’s strengths, in order to build upon what is going right. My approach involves primarily Psychodynamic play therapy and Attachment focused techniques, but also incorporates Cognitive-Behavioral, Dialectical-Behavioral, Mindfulness, Relational, Family Systems, and Motivational Interviewing techniques as appropriate.
Therapy can offer your child a safe space to develop greater awareness and understanding of difficult feelings and provide effective coping strategies to help with managing just about any problem. Child therapy typically consists of weekly 45-minute sessions. Depending on the presenting issues and your child’s age, treatment will involve caregivers in some capacity. I work with both the parents and the child to identify respective hopes and needs. Therapy often does not follow a specific time line as treatment is modified based on the needs of the child and family. I will evaluate your child's needs during our initial evaluation sessions and then discuss my thoughts on whether or not individual therapy is well suited to your child’s needs.
What To Expect: Three Phases of Child Therapy
Initial Evaluation Phase: This phase involves building a positive and collaborative working relationship with both you and your child. I will gather information about your child’s family history, present life, areas of difficulty, and caregiver & child’s future goals. Generally this includes 1-2 parent collateral meetings and 3-5 individual sessions with your child. If therapy is appropriate and we seem to be a good match, we will discuss and establish goals.
Treatment Phase: The second phase is the part of the therapy that is dedicated to understanding the function of your child’s concerning symptoms. Play and art therapy are very large components of work with younger children. As such, child therapy differs from adult therapy in presentation, but the basic tenets remain the same. I will use art, talk, modeling, role play, and various modes of play to assist your child in learning and developing healthy ways of coping and managing behaviors or emotions.
Termination Phase: The final phase of treatment is the termination, or ending, phase. As your child works though difficult areas and develops healthier coping skills, I re-assess the needs of the child and their family to identify whether the changes seen have been effective in managing the problem or whether some adjustment in treatment is necessary. Once your child appears to be on track developmentally and in regards to our treatment goals, we will discuss plans for final sessions.
Dr. Robyn Matlon serves children, teens, and adults in Marin county, California, including Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Ross, and Novato.