Child & Teen Therapy

"All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them."

- Magic Johnson

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Every child experiences challenges differently. Some children struggle with anxiety, sadness, or emotional regulation. Others may have difficulty coping with family changes, divorce, trauma, grief, behavioral concerns, or relationship difficulties.

At Guyette Family Guidance, we provide specialized therapy for children and adolescents using evidence-based approaches tailored to each child's developmental needs. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, we carefully select the treatment methods that best fit your child and family.

Whether your child is struggling with big emotions, difficult behaviors, trauma, family conflict, or life transitions, our goal is to help them feel understood, build resilience, and strengthen their relationships.

Our Priority is Child Well-Being

Your child may benefit from therapy if they are:

Experiencing anxiety, worry, or excessive fears
Struggling with sadness, depression, or low self-esteem
Having difficulty coping with divorce, separation, or family changes
Exhibiting anger, aggression, tantrums, or behavioral challenges
Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed
Having trouble regulating emotions
Experiencing grief or loss
Struggling after a traumatic or frightening experience
Having difficulty with peer relationships or social skills
Experiencing school-related stress or behavioral concerns
Showing signs of stress through sleep difficulties, irritability, or emotional outbursts

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Our Specialized Therapy Approaches

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)

Strengthening the Parent-Child Relationship After Stress or Trauma

For children ages birth to 5, the relationship with a caregiver is the foundation for healing. Child-Parent Psychotherapy helps young children and caregivers recover from stressful experiences while strengthening attachment and emotional security.

CPP may be helpful when a child has experienced:

Divorce or separation
Exposure to conflict or violence
Abuse or neglect
Loss of a loved one
Environmental Stress
Placement changes or separation transitions
Significant family stress

Benefits of CPP

Improves parent-child relationships

Reduces trauma symptoms

Strengthens emotional security

Helps children feel safe and understood

Supports healthy development and resilience

What CPP Looks Like

During therapy, the therapist works with both the child and caregiver together through play, conversation, and relationship-building activities. Children often express thoughts and feelings through play, while caregivers learn how to support healing and emotional growth.

Based on research, CPP has been shown to improve children's emotional functioning, behavior, and stress responses while also reducing caregiver stress and trauma symptoms.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Helping Parents Manage Challenging Behaviors

PCIT is an evidence-based treatment designed for children approximately ages 2-7 who struggle with listening, following directions, emotional outbursts, aggression, impulsivity, or defiant behaviors.

PCIT may help children who:

Have frequent tantrums
Struggle with listening
Hit, kick, bite, or act aggressively
Are impulsive or hyperactive
Have difficulty following directions
Experience challenges at daycare or school

Benefits of PCIT:

Improves child behavior
Strengthens the parent-child relationship
Increases parent confidence
Creates more positive family interactions
Provides practical skills parents can use immediately

What makes PCIT different?

PCIT is a parent coaching-based therapy. Parents work directly with their child while the therapist provides live guidance and support.

Rather than simply talking about parenting strategies, parents practice skills in real time and receive immediate feedback.

Many families begin noticing positive changes within the first several sessio and feel like they have tools right away they can use at home.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Helping Children Process Trauma and Build Coping Skills

When children experience traumatic events, they often struggle to make sense of what happened. TF-CBT helps children and adolescents understand and process traumatic experiences while developing healthy coping skills.

TF-CBT is one of the most researched and effective treatments for childhood trauma.

TF-CBT may be helpful when a child has experienced:

Abuse or neglect
Domestic violence
Community violence
Sudden loss of a loved one
Serious accidents
Natural disasters
Exposure to frightening or traumatic events

What children learn in TF-CBT

Healthy coping skills
Emotional regulation
Relaxation techniques
Problem-solving skills
Ways to challenge unhelpful thoughts
Strategies for managing trauma reminders

Why is TF-CBT so successful?

TF-CBT is effective with children because it is a structured, developmentally appropriate treatment that first builds coping and emotion-regulation skills before gradually addressing traumatic experiences. It reduces avoidance by helping children safely process trauma memories while staying within a tolerable level of distress. The model also actively involves caregivers, which strengthens support, improves responses to the child’s symptoms, and reinforces healing outside of therapy.

Parents are actively involved in treatment and learn how to support their child's recovery throughout the process and implement changes at home.

EMDR Therapy for Children & Teens

Helping the Brain Heal From Difficult Experiences

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps children and teens process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR helps the brain reprocess difficult experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming.

EMDR may help with:

Benefits of EMDR:

Trauma
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Grief and loss
Depression
School-related stress
Major transitions
Family conflict
Distressing life events

Does not require extensive discussion of difficult experiences
Helps reduce emotional distress connected to memories
Builds resilience and emotional regulation
Often progresses more quickly than traditional talk therapy for trauma-related concerns

EMDR can be adapted for children, adolescents, and adults.

What does EMDR look like?

EMDR is a structured therapy that helps clients process distressing memories while focusing on bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, tapping, or tones. The therapist first helps the client identify a target memory, along with associated thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. While the client briefly holds the memory in mind, they follow the bilateral stimulation, which supports the brain in reprocessing the experience so it becomes less emotionally charged. Over time, the memory is typically experienced as more distant and less distressing, with more adaptive beliefs taking its place.

Research on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in children shows that it can significantly reduce trauma-related symptoms, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with outcomes comparable to other evidence-based trauma therapies

Parent & Caregiver Involvement

Effective therapy for children and adolescents includes thoughtful parent and caregiver involvement. While children and teens may attend individual sessions, parents are an important part of the therapeutic process.

Parent involvement may include:

Parent check-ins or joint family sessions
Guidance on supporting emotional and behavioral skills at home
Coaching around communication, boundaries, and emotional regulation
Support for families navigating separation, divorce, or co-parenting challenges

We balance a child’s need for privacy with a parent’s need for guidance and support.

What to Expect

Initial therapy intake

The first session focuses on understanding your child’s concerns, strengths, and family context. For younger children, this may include play-based observation. For adolescents, therapy often includes individual time with the therapist.

Ongoing child or adolescent counseling

Sessions are typically weekly and adjusted over time based on progress. Goals are reviewed collaboratively and adapted as skills develop.

Measuring progress

Progress is reflected through improved emotional regulation, behavior changes, stronger communication skills, and increased coping — not just conversation, but meaningful, observable growth.