Your Child Doesn't Have Words for Feelings That Big
Expert child therapy brings peace to your home through understanding.
You Saw the Change Before Anyone Else
A teacher called. Or a caseworker asked a question you didn’t have an answer for.
Now one thing your child keeps doing loops in your mind after they’ve gone to sleep.
You keep asking where it came from. And a deeper worry sits underneath it.
Under all the questions is the one you rarely say out loud.
Here is what we see, again and again, with young children: much of what a child learns early, a child can also outgrow. The sooner we start listening, the sooner your child begins to feel understood.
What if this is permanent?
How Your Child Shows Us What Hurts
For a young child, sitting and talking can feel like a foreign thing. So we start where they already are: drawing, and play.
A child draws the place that hurts, and we name it together. Your child leads. We follow, and we listen for what they can’t say yet.
Watch your child find their groove, week by week. As the weeks go by, you start to notice small changes at home – the kind you can point to.
- Names a feeling instead of acting it out
- Uses a strategy when something hard comes up
- Plays again, the way you hoped they would
- Sleeps easier, and the mornings get lighter
- Trusts that a grown-up can handle what they bring
Your Child's First Few Months, in Three Phases
Getting Comfortable
Your child arrives at their own pace. We follow their lead with drawing and play, and let trust build first. Your child learns they can relax here.
Naming It Together
Your child draws the place that hurts, and we name it together. Piece by piece, they outgrow what they learned and put something better in its place. A big feeling starts to feel smaller.
Carrying It Home
Your child uses their new strategies where it counts. We work with you so the progress holds at home, long after our work together ends. Your child starts to just be a kid.
Two decades of listening
Duol Rut, PsyD, LIMHP, LPC, has spent more than twenty years learning to hear what a child cannot yet put into words.
Care in your family's language
We offer therapy that fits your family's culture and language, so your child feels understood from the first visit.
A finite path with a clear horizon
For younger children, meaningful change often takes three to six months rather than years of open-ended sessions.
How long will my child be in therapy?
For younger children, meaningful change often takes three to six months. Children do best when the work has a clear end in sight, so we aim for it from the start.
My child is only three. Can therapy even help?
Yes. For a child this young, we begin with drawing and play instead of talking, and meet them where they already are.
What if the problems started before my child came to us?
Much of what a child learned early, a child can outgrow. A hard beginning does not have to be the whole story.
Do I need to be part of the sessions?
You are a key part of this. We work closely with you so the progress your child makes holds at home.
What if my child won't open up?
That’s common, and we don’t rush it. Children open up when they trust the adult can hold what they bring, and we let that trust build at your child’s pace.
Take the First Step Today
You came here carrying a worry you rarely say out loud: that a hard start left a mark too deep to undo. Children, and especially young ones, are remarkably able to outgrow what they once learned and grow toward something better.
We’ll follow your child’s lead, we’ll listen for what they can’t yet say, and we’ll walk these next few months alongside your family.
Before long, they can get back to simply playing with their toys.
100% Secure & Confidential
All information is encrypted and protected under HIPAA privacy laws.
Payments & Services
Out-of-pocket payment accepted. Superbills available for HSA/FSA reimbursement and out-of-network insurance reimbursement.
Start With a Conversation
Fill out your info below. I’ll reach out within one business day.
Your information is encrypted and protected under HIPAA privacy laws. We will never share your details.