Child & Adolescent Therapy

Being trained at Harbor UCLA, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and and Human Behavior, TIES for Families, Children's Hospital Los Angeles's Project HEAL (child trauma specialty mental health clinic), Western Youth Services, and in Synergetic Play Therapy, Dr. Berg-Martinez comes to this work with extensive experience and expertise to help your child find their way to thriving - and back to their regular schedule!

Reach out today to see if we are a good fit for what you're looking for.

Therapy for Adopted Children

With specialized training, Dr. Berg-Martinez supports children who have experienced attachment trauma, including those who have histories in foster care and adopted children, adoptive parents, first/birth parents, families, and adults with a history of foster care and adoption. Read more about the core themes in adoption on our blog.

Anger, Parent-Child Conflict, and Behavior Problems

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one way we work with parents and children through an evidence-based parent coaching model of therapy for young kids (ages 18 months to 8 years old) who struggle with behaviors like tantrums, angry outbursts, and difficulty listening and getting along with others.

Play Therapy and Sandtray

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate form of therapy that uses play—the natural language of children—to help them express emotions, work through challenges, and build coping skills. In a safe, supportive space with a trained therapist, children use toys, art, and imaginative play to explore difficult experiences they may not have the words to talk about. Play therapy can help with anxiety, trauma, grief, behavior concerns, and family transitions.

Sandtray therapy is a specialized form of play therapy that uses miniature figures and a tray of sand to help children (and sometimes teens or adults) express and process inner thoughts and feelings. By creating scenes in the sand, clients can symbolically explore trauma, relationships, and emotions in a nonverbal, creative way. It’s especially helpful for those who feel overwhelmed by talking or who have experienced complex or preverbal trauma.

Child Trauma Therapy

Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. It helps young people and their caregivers process difficult experiences, manage overwhelming emotions, and rebuild a sense of safety and connection. Through a combination of coping skills, gradual trauma processing, and parent involvement, TF-CBT supports healing in both the child and family.

EMDR incorporates bilateral stimulation and shoring up the child's internal resources to process trauma. Read more here.

Synergetic Play Therapy®

Synergetic Play Therapy® (SPT) is a research-informed approach to play therapy that blends neuroscience, attachment theory, and mindfulness to support a child’s emotional healing and regulation. In SPT, the therapist focuses not just on the child’s play, but on the relational connection and what’s happening in the nervous systems of both child and therapist.

Rather than trying to “fix” behaviors, Synergetic Play Therapy helps children understand and safely move through their emotional experiences. Therapists model emotional regulation and authenticity, allowing children to co-regulate, process stored stress, and build inner resilience over time.

This approach is especially helpful for children with trauma, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation, and it actively involves the child’s caregivers as part of the healing process.

Preliminary research suggests that SPT significantly improves emotional tolerance and regulation (Dion & Gray, 2014; Simmons, 2020).

Parenting Anxious Kids and Teens

For parents wanting to understand how to support their anxious kids, SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) treatment is also available!

SPACE is a parent-based treatment designed to help children and teens with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges. Rather than focusing on changing the child’s behavior directly, SPACE teaches parents how to respond in a supportive way while gradually reducing accommodations—things they do to help their child avoid anxiety. By shifting their own behaviors, parents can help their child build resilience, confidence, and independence, even without the child participating in therapy directly.

SPACE is great for kids who refuse to attend school, are socially anxious, avoid necessary activities, and for parents who deeply love their kids but are not sure how to help.

Anxiety Therapy for Kids

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for child anxiety is an evidence-based approach that helps children understand and manage anxious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through age-appropriate activities, skills training, and exposure strategies, children learn to recognize worry patterns, build coping skills, face fears gradually, and gain confidence in handling challenges. Parents are often involved to support progress at home and reinforce calming strategies.

Schedule a Free Consultation

FAQ: Child Therapy

How do I know if my child needs therapy?

You might consider therapy if your child is:

Struggling with anxiety, sadness, or anger
Having frequent meltdowns or difficulty with emotional regulation
Experiencing changes after trauma, divorce, loss, or a big transition
Having difficulty in school, friendships, or at home, including school refusal
Showing signs of withdrawal, worry, or regression
Is causing conflict at home frequently
You have concerns and your instincts tell you something is wrong

Which approach is right for my child?

With broad and deep knowledge of child therapy approaches, Dr. Berg-Martinez will talk you through the options and collaboratively make a decision with you about what treatment will look like.

What is SPACE treatment?

Will I know what's happening in my child's therapy sessions?

Taking an attachment-informed approach means recognizing the importance of the parent-child relationship. Though your child still has a right to privacy, how and how much you are incorporated into your child's treatment will be a collaborative decision between you, your child, and your therapist. Parent involvement is essential. Depending on your child’s age and needs, you may join sessions, receive parent coaching, participate in parenting therapy, or have regular check-ins. Therapy works best when caregivers feel supported, informed, and included in the healing process.

What happens during a session?

Sessions are tailored to your child’s developmental stage. Young children may engage in play, storytelling, art, or sensory activities; older children and teens may talk more directly. The therapist helps your child explore feelings, build coping skills, and feel safe to process what’s going on inside.

How long does therapy take?

Every child is different. Some children benefit from short-term support (8–12 sessions), while others with more complex challenges may need longer. You’ll receive regular updates and collaborate with the therapist to decide what’s most helpful.

Do you work with parents, too?

Absolutely. Supporting the parent-child relationship is a key part of healing. We offer parent consultations, coaching, and therapy as needed, especially in cases of trauma, adoption/foster care, or complex emotional needs.

My child is in school and has practice / rehearsal / club after. How can I fit therapy in?

Though evening hours fill quickly, we will work hard to find a solution for you. Prioritizing your child's mental health is not without sacrifice but early intention will save much suffering (and time and cost) in the long run. Our goal is to get your child back to thriving and living their normal life (and schedule)!

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure!

Our work is focused to get your child back to flourishing as quickly as possible so that they can enjoy school and extra curricular activities and continue on their journey without therapy. Sometimes this means that those other activities have to adjust to allow for therapy in the short-term. This may include providing a note to the school, providing telehealth sessions, focusing on parent sessions (we love working with parents!), or other creative options. And of course if we have current or anticipated evening availability, we will let you know.

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