Therapy for Children and Teens in Fishers, IN
When Your Child or Teen Holds It Together All Day… and Falls Apart at Home
Many parents notice a confusing pattern: their child may seem “fine” at school, only to come home and completely unravel.
You might see:
Big emotional meltdowns right after school
Irritability, yelling, or crying over small things
Refusing homework or shutting down completely
Anxiety that looks like anger, defiance, or withdrawal
Exhaustion from “holding it together” all day
This is often a sign your child is using most of their emotional energy to manage anxiety, expectations, and social pressure during the school day. Home becomes the place where their nervous system finally lets go.
It can feel overwhelming, and even personal, but this pattern is very common in children and teens with anxiety, perfectionism, ADHD, or high sensitivity.
*For others, the struggle shows up before school even starts.
You might see:
Morning tears, anxiety, or emotional breakdowns before leaving the house
Begging to stay home from school or frequent “I don’t feel good” complaints
Anxiety that looks like defiance, anger, or withdrawal
Exhaustion from “holding it together” all day
Anxiety doesn’t always look like visible worry. In kids and teens, it often shows up as:
Emotional outbursts or frequent meltdowns
School refusal or morning refusal behaviors
Avoidance of homework, tests, or social situations
Perfectionism or intense fear of making mistakes
Physical complaints (stomachaches, headaches, fatigue)
Irritability, mood swings, or shutting down
Difficulty with transitions (morning, after school, bedtime)
I will help your child:
Manage anxiety and perfectionism
Improve communication and relationships
Build self-esteem and confidence
Develop healthy coping skills
Navigate transitions and changes with resilience
Process and manage emotion
Develop executive functioning skills and manage ADHD
Improve school avoidance and overwhelm
How therapy help with anxiety in children and teens:
Therapy helps your child understand what is happening in their brain and body and teaches them skills to handle overwhelming emotions in healthier and more manageable ways.
In therapy, we focus on:
Identifying anxiety triggers at school, home, and socially
Learning nervous system regulation skills to calm the body, not just the thoughts
Building emotional awareness and communication skills
Reducing perfectionism, avoidance, and fear of failure
Supporting parents with tools to respond to meltdowns without escalating them
The goal is not to eliminate big emotions, but to help your child move through them without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.
What Improvement Often Looks Like (parents begin to notice):
Fewer or shorter after-school meltdowns
Less resistance in the mornings and smoother school transitions
Decreased school refusal or morning anxiety episodes
More emotional language (“I feel overwhelmed” instead of acting out)
Increased confidence and independence with school routines
Less tension around homework, mornings, and bedtime
Who I work with:
Children and pre-teens (ages 8–12) – Emotional regulation, social skills, sensitivity, family/peer dynamics, self-confidence and transitions.
Teens (ages 13–18) – Anxiety, perfectionism, ADHD, emotional regulation, family/peer dynamics, school stress, self-confidence and transitions.
Highly Sensitive Kids & Teens – Helping them understand their emotions, build coping skills, and embrace their sensitivity as a strength.
Parent Involvement:
I believe in partnering with parents while respecting the child or teen’s privacy. Parents will be included in the process through:
Initial intake and goal setting
Periodic check-ins and progress updates
Learning strategies to support your child at home
*For many children and teens, anxiety is closely tied to underdeveloped or overloaded executive functioning skills. When planning, organizing, starting tasks, managing time, and transitioning between demands feel overwhelming, anxiety and emotional dysregulation often increase. A skills-based executive functioning approach helps your child build practical tools for everyday life, including:
Starting and completing homework without shutdown or avoidance
Breaking tasks into manageable steps instead of feeling overwhelmed
Strengthening morning and after-school routines
Improving organization and time awareness
Reducing procrastination and last-minute panic
Building independence and confidence with school demands
This approach supports not just emotional regulation, but the real-life skills that help kids feel more capable and less overwhelmed in school and at home.
Your child can get there
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Your child can get there 〰️
My Approach
Each young person is unique, so I adapt therapy to meet their needs. Some approaches I may use include:
Play-Based & Creative Therapies – for children to explore feelings in a natural, safe way.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) – teaching flexibility, values, and coping strategies for stress and anxiety.
Somatic & Polyvagal Practices – helping kids and teens understand and regulate their nervous system.
Strengths-Based and Client-Centered Counseling – empowering them to build confidence and resilience.
Art Therapy - Art therapy gives kids and teens a safe and creative outlet to express feelings that may be difficult to talk about. Through drawing, painting, and other art activities, they can explore emotions, reduce stress, and build confidence. The focus isn’t on making “perfect” art, it’s about using creativity to process experiences, discover strengths, and support emotional growth.
Sand tray therapy — a creative, nonverbal way for kids and teens to express what’s happening inside. Using miniature figures and a tray of sand, they can build scenes that reflect their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This process allows children and adolescents to safely explore difficult emotions, discover new perspectives, and find their own solutions. This all happens without the pressure of needing to put everything into words.
