Child Therapist in Great Neck & Brooklyn, NY

Play Therapy

Children often don't have the vocabulary to explain what they're feeling, but that doesn't mean they aren't feeling it deeply. Child counseling uses age-appropriate, engaging methods like play therapy, art, storytelling, and games to help kids express emotions, process difficult experiences, and build coping skills in a way that feels natural to them.

Related services include teen counseling and family counseling.

Kids may act out, withdraw, struggle in school, or seem "different" after a stressful event, and it's not always obvious why. A trained child therapist creates a warm, playful environment where children feel safe enough to open up, often without even realizing they're doing "therapy" at all.

Who this is for: Children showing signs of anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulty adjusting to a family change (divorce, a new sibling, a move), trouble at school, trouble making friends, or who have experienced a stressful or traumatic event.

What to expect: Sessions are typically play-based and interactive rather than conversation-heavy. Parents are often looped in periodically to discuss progress, learn supportive strategies to use at home, and understand what's coming up in sessions (within appropriate confidentiality boundaries).

Common goals people work toward:

• Helping children identify and name their emotions

• Reducing anxiety, meltdowns, or behavioral outbursts

• Supporting kids through family transitions or loss

• Building social skills and confidence

• Processing frightening or overwhelming experiences in a safe way

Child counseling meets kids in their own language, play to help them feel understood and equipped to navigate big feelings.