Are you worried about your child?

Have you noticed that they seem worried all the time, preoccupied with a million different things? Or are they stressed and unhappy? Worried about the demands of school, of sports, of friends, of everything? Sometimes your child is self critical: believing that they are not good enough, not smart enough, not interesting enough, not fun enough, not pretty enough. They find it hard to let go of past mistakes, or are always worried about tomorrow and what will happen to them in the future. They may seem anxious, sad, or even angry, about how everything is just too much! Or perhaps your child becomes overwhelmed by anxiety, panicking at school or at the prospect of too much homework. They might worry about their thoughts or feelings, and think that something is very wrong with them. Or your child may be stuck in bad habits: repeating behaviors over and over again, because it makes them feel better and gets rid of horrible feelings of anxiety.

Using cognitive behavior therapy, I will help your child take back control of their feelings. I will help them learn skills and strategies to manage their anxiety, reduce their worries, and improve their mood. Adopting a problem solving approach that focuses on difficulties they are having right now, I help young people understand their unhelpful thinking patterns, and problematic behaviors that keep them trapped in negative cycles, and prevent them from just enjoying life.

Along with working directly with young people, I will work with you, to help you understand how you can best help your child. Nothing is more frustrating than not knowing if you are doing the “right thing”; whether you are helping, or hindering, your child. I am very flexible in how I work with parents: for young children, I often work just with parents, knowing that younger children need the most help from people around them to make real progress. With older children, parents often join in the therapy session, because a collaborative partnership, where everyone is working together, will make the most difference. For teens, I usually let them make the call! However, whatever your teen wants, I will make sure that you feel informed and in touch with the therapeutic process.

My goal is to help your child feel capable and confident, let go of worries and stress and begin to look forward to their future. I will also aim to help you feel like you are doing the best for your child, helping them to learn to enjoy life to the fullest and fulfill their true potential. If this sounds like what you and your child are needing, contact me for a brief phone consultation or to schedule an appointment today.

Background: Dr. Simpson completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester in England, specializing in cognitive-behavior therapy and child and adolescent mental health. She worked in multidisciplinary teams in the UK for 12 years, taking a lead role providing psychological services to children and adolescents. She is experienced working collaboratively and in consultation with schools, pediatricians, psychiatrists and other professionals. Dr. Simpson also has experience supervising psychology students during their doctoral training, and is a skilled presenter, teaching on a range of psychological disorders and interventions. Dr. Simpson is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Clinical Psychologist.

Dr. Simpson has been with Bridges Therapy and Wellness Center for 9 years, since the first year the practice opened. She was promoted to Clinical Director in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing and supervising all clinical staff. Dr. Simpson is also the HIPAA Compliance Officer at Bridges Therapy and Wellness Center. She may be contacted with any concerns regarding privacy rights.