Child Mental Health Therapy in Philadelphia & surrounding counties · Ages birth – 18 years

Child mental health therapy is professional, evidence-based psychological treatment for children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioral, or developmental difficulties. It differs from adult therapy in its methods: therapists working with children adapt their approach to the child’s developmental stage, cognitive level, and preferred way of communicating. For younger children this often means play-based modalities; for older children and teens, more structured, talking approaches. The goal across all ages is to reduce distress, build coping capacity, and improve day-to-day functioning.

Indicators worth taking seriously include: persistent anxiety or worry that interferes with daily functioning (school refusal, avoidance, sleep difficulties); persistent low mood, withdrawal, or loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities; explosive anger or emotional outbursts disproportionate to the trigger; significant behavioral change following a life event (divorce, bereavement, a move, new sibling); difficulty forming or maintaining peer relationships; or simply a gut feeling that something isn’t right. You don’t need certainty — reaching out is enough.

When you first contact us, we’ll have a conversation about your child — what you’re seeing, how long it’s been going on, and what you’re hoping therapy might address. We’ll verify your insurance coverage and then match your child with a therapist based on their age, presenting needs, and clinical fit. We don’t book ongoing sessions until we’re confident we have the right match.

Matching is done thoughtfully before sessions begin, taking into account your child’s age, diagnosis or presenting concerns, personality, and the clinical experience and therapeutic approach of available therapists. We confirm a therapist can see your child on an ongoing basis before scheduling starts.

The first session is an intake appointment. The therapist will gather a full clinical history — developmental background, current concerns, relevant family context, and your goals for treatment. The second session is typically your child’s first individual therapy session.

We’ll ask you to complete consent documentation before therapy begins. We don’t use a lengthy pre-intake questionnaire — instead, we gather clinical history directly in the first session.

Yes — mental health therapy is covered by most major insurance plans. We’re in-network with most providers and will verify your benefits and authorization requirements before anything begins.

Give us a call. We’ll check your benefits and give you a clear picture of what’s covered — so you can make an informed decision without navigating it alone.

It depends on age and clinical approach. For younger children, sessions use play therapy — structured therapeutic play using art, games, puppets, or sandplay to help children express and process what words can’t yet capture. Our state-of-the-art play therapy rooms are purpose-designed and fully equipped for this. For older children and teens, sessions are more conversational — working through emotions, building cognitive coping tools, and developing insight and self-awareness. All sessions are 1-on-1 with a consistent therapist.

Sessions are 60 minutes.

Yes. The therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in child mental health treatment. We don’t rotate therapists — your child’s therapist gets to know them deeply, tracks their progress carefully, and adjusts the approach as they grow.

Choose between our Roxborough (7201 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia PA 19128) or Northeast Philadelphia (1917 Welsh Road, Philadelphia PA 19115) locations, both with on-site parking.

Private-pay sessions are available at the location of your choice. Insurance-based sessions are available at one of our clinics.

It varies significantly by presentation. Some children benefit from a focused short-term course of 8–12 sessions around a specific challenge or transition. Others with more complex or chronic presentations require longer-term support. Your child’s therapist will set clear goals, review progress regularly, and always be transparent about where things stand.

Your child’s therapist will keep you informed on the themes being worked on and give you practical strategies to reinforce skills between sessions. Family sessions are available when parents and children benefit from working through things together.

Your child’s therapist will keep you meaningfully informed on progress, goals, and what to look out for at home. Confidentiality within sessions helps build the trust that makes therapy effective — your therapist will be transparent with you about how they navigate this.

Very common, especially with older children and adolescents. Resistance at the start doesn’t predict poor outcomes — our therapists are experienced at engaging children who are sceptical, withdrawn, or reluctant, building rapport gradually.

Tell us. If it’s not working, we’ll find a better match.

Yes. Beyond family sessions, we can connect you with our social work support and our Parents as Teachers program, which provides free parenting coaching and resources. You don’t have to carry this alone.