Child-Parent Psychotherapy

Mother and toddler touching noses for parent child psychotherapy

This is for you if: You and your child (ages 0-5) have experienced a stressful event—like a difficult birth, medical trauma, or a NICU stay—and you feel it has impacted your connection. You notice your child struggling with big fears, or you find it hard to "read" their needs.

The journey into parenthood is not just about bringing a baby into the world; it's about forming a lifelong connection. From the earliest moments of fertility exploration, through pregnancy, and into the postpartum period, the relationship between parent and child is constantly evolving. If you're experiencing challenges in bonding, struggling to understand your baby or toddler’s cues, or finding that past experiences are impacting your ability to connect fully, parent-child psychotherapy offers a unique and powerful pathway to foster a secure, joyful, and positive relationship.

A happy family of three, including a woman, a man, and a baby, outdoors during autumn. The family is smiling and closely interacting because of treatment with child-parent psychotherapy, promoting healthy attachment.

In these times of social media, trying to do everything perfect, distracted by phones, emails, and tasks, I understand that the current landscape of parenthood influences the parent-child bond. My practice is focused on exploring the bond and relationship between you and your child. I will provide tailored evidence based tools and activities that promote attunement, deeper connection, improved communication, and strong foundation for a secure attachment. This will promote your child's development and enrich your own experience of parenthood, so that you can enjoy being with your child. This isn't just about addressing symptoms; it's about nurturing the heart of your family.

Nurturing Your Deepest Connection

Father and son facing each other and smiling building parent-child relationship

As parents, we want to make sure that our children have a healthy and secure attachment, but it can sometimes feel hard to know what to do to achieve that. The bond between parent and child begins long before birth and continues to develop throughout infancy and beyond. Parent-child psychotherapy acknowledges that there are so many challenges that we face in being a present and engaged parent. In this world of high demands, distraction, and pressures all around, having a road map to provide guidance can ease your anxiety and fears about your relationship with your child. Allowing you to feel confident in your attachment and bond and enjoy being a parent.

What to expect: This is a collaborative space where the relationship is the focus. Through play, observation, and shared reflection, we work to understand the meaning behind your child’s behavior and rebuild a sense of safety and joy in your bond.

Dad and baby looking at book together improving their secure attachment

Here are common experiences where a parent-child psychotherapy approach can offer profound insight and support:

  • Early Bonding Challenges

  • Decoding Baby & Child Cues

  • Persistent Anxiety Related to the Child

  • Navigating Difficult Child Behaviors (Toddler & Preschool)

  • Impact of Parental Mood on the Relationship

  • Grief and Loss Affecting Connection

  • Supporting Developmental Milestones

By deeply exploring the nuances and individual aspects of your parent-child bond, this approach empowers you to foster a relationship built on secure attachment, clear communication, and joyful connection, benefiting both you and your child for a lifetime. Learn more on how my services can address your needs to improve the relationship with your child and help you feel more positive about your relationship

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an evidence-based treatment specifically designed for children aged 0-5 and their caregivers who have experienced stressful or traumatic events. The goal of CPP is to support and restore the bond between parent and child, helping the family process difficult memories together through play, communication, and shared reflection.

  • In CPP, the relationship is the patient. We use play, developmental guidance, and observation to help you and your child process stressful events (like a difficult birth or medical trauma). It helps you understand the "language" of your baby’s behavior.

  • Yes. This is exactly what CPP was designed for. It helps "rewrite" the story of that early stress so that it no longer interferes with your ability to feel securely bonded and joyful with your child today.