Outpatient Counseling for Children

Outpatient counseling for children is a powerful tool for developing healthy coping mechanisms and building resilience. Ohel’s outpatient mental health counseling provides a safe space for children experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges like anxiety, depression, OCD, or ADHD.

Our warm, experienced therapists use proven techniques tailored to each child’s age and needs, from early childhood through young adulthood. They provide intensive support and treatment to the entire family, work one-on-one with the child to improve social and daily living skills, and teach parents communication and behavior management skills they can use to support their child’s progress at home.   A large part of the work is strengthening the parent-child connection so as to empower parents to understand and support their children.

For a 16-year-old dealing with social anxiety, the therapist might prescribe ongoing meetings with the teen and regular meetings together with the parents to help deepen their connection and support for their teen.  A 7-year-old with trauma might need weekly family-and-child sessions to process the trauma and establish safety. To help a child who refuses to go to school, the therapist might focus on exposing the child to school in small measures and coaching the parents

Play therapy rooms are well equipped with toys, games, and art materials to help children explore their emotions and experiences using the therapeutic powers of play. “We try to make sure we have the materials a child needs to tell their story,” said Raizel Keilson, clinical supervisor. “For example, for a child with trauma around the subway, we have toy subway cars. We think through what each child needs.”

Our diverse team of therapists comes from the different communities Ohel serves, including Orthodox Jewish, Latino, Black, and Asian. They specialize in play therapy, art therapy, childhood trauma, and the disorders most frequently experienced by children. We invest in ongoing advanced training to keep them current.

A parent who is concerned about changes in a child’s behavior, or who has been asked by the child’s school to get help, can contact Ohel to learn about outpatient counseling for children. In this warm, supportive environment, families get the help they need to address their children’s mental health changes, while children learn to understand their emotions and build self-esteem.