Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Estero, FL.

All work and no play? Growing up is challenging at any age, stage, or developmental level. Coping with life at home, school, with parent relationships, with peers, and everything in between, we may struggle to find the words to process what we are encountering. Play therapy is to children while talk therapy is to adults. That doesn’t mean play therapy doesn’t work for adults too! We see ages 2 through 92 for play therapy, however we find many have come to this section to learn about play therapy for their children.

GRIT Kids exists to allow parents or caregivers to aid their children in the work of self-awareness—at every developmental stage— to better understand themselves and the world around them. Simple behavioral management fails to develop the internal locus of control that is necessary for developing character and self-discipline. Forming a self-identity and learning to live with purpose is a necessary life skill for children to learn in order to live into their fullest self. GRIT Kids Coaches are trained to help you do the work of raising your child with intention so you can see that little person grow into all they are capable of.

Effective successful therapy relies on communication and the relationship between therapist and patient. Play therapy allows for the relationship, and improves the communication with children. Children live in their own world. Effective therapy goes to their world and brings back the information to the adult world. Charting behaviors and rewarding positive behaviors are effective techniques for eliminating and decreasing negative behaviors.

Many times, child therapists overdo the family system in their quest to seek effective solutions for emotional, learning or behavioral concerns with young children. And many times doctors overpathologize issues that shouldn’t be medicated necessarily. This leaves parents wondering what is the best route for their child? Introducing brainwave optimization technology. A fast, effective, natural, and less expensive way to allow your child's brain to make the optimizing changes it desires to make---on its own! Without any external force, opinion, medication, diagnostic, etc. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

“When you are feeling blue, when life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.”(Finding NEMO) I was honored to work, play, and be with children in different roles. All of them were equally beneficial. I am mom, step-mom, I was teaching children of all ages (from age 2 to age 15), I was a clinical psychologist working with terminally ill children, school psychologist at elementary and middle school, and recently even art therapist for children with a variety of disabilities. I was gifted to maintain a child in my heart and mind and to keep children’s perspective of the world. I use play therapy, art therapy, respect and admiration at work with children. They teach me!

Although it’s a hard pill to swallow, I’ve found that young children often display anxiety, disobedience, and other problem-behaviors because they are absorbing chaos within the home... often because the parents haven’t dealt with their own issues. This isn’t a judgment. Parenting is tough. But if you’re looking for someone to “fix” your kid, I’m not your guy. However, if you’re open to parent coaching, and willing to work on individual healing and/or strengthening your marriage, I’m here to help. At Lion Counseling, our mission is to help you escape the cages that hold you back and become the lion God created you to be.