Skip to content

Serving Children and Adolescents

‘Enter into children’s play, and you will find the place where their hearts, minds, and souls meet’ – Virginia Axline

At North Star Families, located in the Los Angeles area, we believe in nurturing the emotional well-being of children through compassionate, developmentally appropriate therapy. Childhood is full of changes and challenges whether your child is facing anxiety, behavioral difficulties, family transitions, or social struggles, our child therapy specialists provide thoughtful, personalized support to help your child thrive.

We create a safe and engaging environment where children can explore their feelings, build coping skills, and strengthen self-esteem. Our approach is warm, collaborative, and guided by your child’s unique needs.

 

 

Children's toys on a wood floor
“When we see a behavior that is problematic or confusing, the first question we should ask isn’t ‘how do we get rid of it?’ But rather, ‘what is this telling us about the child’.”
Mona Delahooke, PhD
wooden cow
“It is important to address each parent and child as a unique entity, characterized by particular strengths and vulnerabilities.”
Wendy Denham, PhD

How Child Therapy Can Help

Therapy can provide children with a supportive space to express themselves and build resilience. We work closely with both children and their caregivers to address concerns and support healthy emotional development.

Child therapy can support children with:

  • Anxiety and excessive worry
  • Emotional regulation and mood swings
  • Behavioral challenges at home or school
  • Grief, loss, or parental separation/divorce
  • Social difficulties and friendship struggles
  • Adjusting to new environments or life transitions
“Curiosity and wonder are the foundation of secure relationships, with your child, with your partner, and with your colleagues.”

Dr. Wendy Denham, PhD
licensed clinical psychologist and researcher,
NORTH STAR FAMILY Founder
Part of the North Star Families team smiling

What to Expect

We begin with a parent consultation to understand your child’s experiences, strengths, and goals for therapy. Your child’s therapist develops a personalized treatment plan tailored to your family’s needs and values.

Our child therapy sessions may include play therapy, art therapy, and cognitive-behavioral techniques, along with parent guidance and collaboration to support your child’s emotional growth at home.

Our Child Therapy Specialists

North Star Families has a team of therapists located in Southern California who specialize in working with children and families. Our child therapy specialists are trained in trauma-informed, reflective approaches that honor each child’s unique emotional world. We prioritize the therapist-child match to ensure a trusting and effective therapeutic relationship.

2 people speaking to each other on a couch
Kids books on a bookshelf
“Children’s play is practice to prepare for the complexity of the social world.”
Dr. Mona Delahooke, PhD
Wooden chickens
“The only way out is through.”
Robert Frost
Woman with a child on her lap smiling and holding a toy

Providing Parent Support, Education, & Co-Parenting Therapy

Our North Star guides everything we do. Our core values shape the care we provide, the relationships we build, and the decisions we make. Combined with our team’s clinical expertise, they define what makes North Star Families different: thoughtful, compassionate, and individualized therapy for children, adults, couples, and families throughout Los Angeles.

At North Star Families, we believe strong parent-child relationships are the foundation of emotional well-being. Our reflective, developmentally informed approach helps parents better understand their children’s feelings and behavior, strengthen communication, and build lasting connection.

We offer parent support, co-parenting therapy, parenting groups, and educational workshops for families throughout Los Angeles. Whether navigating everyday challenges, life transitions, or conflict, our therapists help families find greater understanding, connection, and repair.

2 people on a couch speaking to someone in the foreground
2 dolls
“Parental stresses need to be managed for most therapeutic interventions with children to show benefit.”
Roth and Fonagy
wooden mother holding a child
“Parenting is about raising the child you have, not the child you thought you’d have.”
Brene Brown