Children & Teens

Supporting Young Minds at Every Stage

At MOSAIC Family Counseling Center, we provide compassionate, age-appropriate therapy for children and adolescents navigating emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges. Our licensed clinicians and intern therapists work closely with families to support healthy coping, emotional regulation, and positive growth. Whether your child is struggling at school, at home, or socially, we’re here to help them feel seen, heard, and supported.

Trust.
Belonging.
Connection.
Communication.

Age-Appropriate Work

with Experienced Therapists

Personalized, trauma-informed care

No two clients are alike. Your therapist will collaborate with you to select—and adjust—the right mix of approaches over time, ensuring therapy fits your needs, honors your identity, and supports lasting growth.

Age-Appropriate Therapy for Children

Play-based therapy

At MOSAIC Family Counseling Center, we use play-based therapy to meet children where they are—through play, their natural language. This approach is age-appropriate, developmentally sensitive, and clinically effective for helping children express emotions, build coping skills, and process life experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

Therapists use techniques such as art, storytelling, sand tray, and imaginative play to gently explore thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to express with words. Play-based therapy is especially helpful for children navigating anxiety, grief, trauma, behavioral challenges, or transitions at home or school.

Play based therapy is a great way to engage children to process their experiences, help them make sense of their world and learn to align better with the environments they are active in daily.

Emotional Expression: Helps children express feelings they may not yet have the words for (e.g., anger, fear, sadness).
Trauma Processing: Supports healing from difficult experiences by offering a safe, symbolic outlet for unresolved emotions.
Social Skills Development: Encourages communication, cooperation, and empathy in a developmentally appropriate way.
Behavioral Regulation: Promotes self-control, frustration tolerance, and problem-solving through structured play.
Confidence & Self-Esteem: Builds a child’s sense of mastery and personal agency in a non-judgmental environment.

“Enter into children’s play, and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.”

— Virginia M. Axline

Age-Appropriate Therapy for Teens

Considerations for Adolescent Therapy

Adolescence is a time of intense growth—emotionally, socially, and neurologically. At MOSAIC Family Counseling Center, we provide age-appropriate care that meets teens where they are developmentally, emotionally, and behaviorally. Our therapists create a space that feels safe, collaborative, and judgment-free, helping teens explore who they are while building resilience and emotional insight.

For teens, play-based therapy may include expressive techniques such as art, journaling, music, movement, or sand tray work—tools that allow them to process complex emotions nonverbally and on their own terms. These approaches can be especially effective in addressing developmental concerns related to school stress, peer relationships, family conflict, self-esteem, anxiety, or identity development.

We also integrate evidence-based talk therapy modalities (such as CBT, mindfulness, EMDR or narrative therapy) based on the teen’s preferences and readiness. Whether navigating academic pressure, emotional dysregulation, or social challenges, our goal is to support their growth, restore balance, and strengthen overall wellbeing.

Developmental Fit: Choose a therapist who specializes in adolescent development and understands the emotional, cognitive, and social changes teens experience.
Comfort & Rapport: A strong, trusting relationship between the teen and therapist is essential for progress—your teen should feel safe and respected.
Communication Style: Look for a therapist who balances open dialogue with confidentiality, while involving parents appropriately in the process.
Therapeutic Approach: Consider therapists who offer flexible modalities (e.g., talk therapy, creative expression, mindfulness) tailored to the teen’s needs and preferences.
Collaborative Goal-Setting: Ensure the therapist involves the teen in setting goals and tracking progress, empowering them to take ownership of their healing journey.

“The teenage years are not a problem to be solved, but a period of potential to be realized.”

— Harold S. Koplewicz, MD

How Parents Can Be Involved

Parents play a vital role in the success of a child’s therapeutic journey.

At MOSAIC Family Counseling Center, we encourage parents to be compassionate partners in the process. Here are several ways to actively support your child’s growth:

Create a Safe Space at Home: Foster open, judgment-free communication where your child feels heard, validated, and respected.
Honor Your Child’s Process: Healing can take time—allow space for your child to move at their own pace without pressure or expectations.
Respect Confidentiality: Trust the therapeutic boundaries, especially with teens. This builds safety and helps them take ownership of their growth.
Reinforce Coping Skills: Support the strategies your child is learning in therapy—such as deep breathing, journaling, or emotional labeling—by practicing them at home.
Stay Involved: Attend scheduled parent sessions or check-ins, and maintain open communication with the therapist to align on goals and progress.

Together, we can create a network of care that strengthens your child’s emotional resilience and supports long-term well-being.

Meaningful ways to stay involved

Participate in Parent Sessions: Attend scheduled parent consultations to discuss goals, progress, and ways to support your child at home.
Maintain Open Communication with the Therapist: Share observations from home or school that may impact your child’s emotional or behavioral health.
Support Consistency: Help your child attend therapy regularly and follow through on goals or coping tools introduced in sessions.
Apply Strategies at Home: Reinforce skills your child is learning in therapy, such as emotion regulation, communication techniques, or calming strategies.
Model Healthy Behaviors: Demonstrate empathy, self-care, and emotional awareness—children often learn through observation.

Every child’s needs are different, and the level of parent involvement may vary by age and treatment goals. We work closely with families to ensure that support is balanced, empowering, and developmentally appropriate.