Counseling for Kids & Teens with Cancer or Illness | Orange County, Corona & Norco

I offer counseling to children and teens ages 5-18. If your child is experiencing a major life change, a major illness such as cancer, or has gone through a traumatic event, I am here to help. I specialize in treating kids, teens & their families navigate through medical illness or cancer. The entire family is involved in the treatment process to allow for healing & change. Therapy for children & teens looks very different due to their developmental age at each stage of life.

Kids: For kids ages 5-11, I offer a number of playful therapeutic modalities including play therapy, sand play, art, expressive art & puppets, bibliotherapy (storybook-based) and medical play therapy (using medical supplies to help normalize their experience). My counseling approach includes the parents/guardians in the process to help increase healing & reduce distress. If your child is experiencing a medical illness, I can consult with their medical team to ensure continuity of care that addresses their psychological & emotional needs throughout their treatment. Where applicable, healthy siblings are considered in my overall therapeutic approach.

Teens: For teens ages 12-18, I offer age-appropriate interventions that are customized to their personal interests, talents, & skills. My therapy approach focuses on building safety & trust with your teen to help them open up about whatever they are struggling with. If your teen is going through a medical illness such as cancer or a chronic illness, I can help them adjust to the changes, cope with their diagnosis, and process their feelings to help reduce distress. If consultation with their medical team would be helpful, I will coordinate & communicate with their medical team to improve coping skills & reduce distress. I often give "homework" activities to teens (and their parents/family where appropriate) to encourage positive change, improve family relationships, and help them to better understand themselves.