About us

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Early Childhood Counseling Services LLC provides consultation, diagnostic assessments and mental health treatment services to young children birth to 8 years of age and their families. Our mission is to enhance the social and emotional development of young children since research shows this leads to overall success in life. Significant mental health problems can and do occur in young children and our services offer the necessary early intervention to aid in emotional and social health.  A strength based approach is used in helping young children overcome their struggles and supporting parents and caregivers in managing challenging behaviors. Our services are provided in a home-like setting which is welcoming and provides a comfortable and safe feeling for children and families. 

Our staff are Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors and  Licensed Independent Social Workers and specialize in working with young children birth to 8 years of age. We treat a number of mental and emotional disorders and provide effective outpatient, individualized behavioral health care.  We are family focused and work closely with parents and caregivers to make the most impact.  Our staff are highly trained and have over 20 years of experience working with children and families. In addition, our staff are trained in evidence-based therapies such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and  Structured Sensory Interventions for Traumatized Children, Adolescents and Parents (SITCAP).  Also, we specialize in working with children who have experienced trauma such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, homelessness, community violence and other tragic events.

 Our services strengthen the social and emotional development of young children by addressing essential factors that influence this development . We work to nurture the parent-child relationship, assist parents and caregivers in providing safe and stimulating environments, and help parents and caregivers learn to manage challenging behaviors.  We also focus on strengthening resilience and protective factors of young children while identifying risk factors that compromise a child’s success. When children with social and emotional struggles are identified early, the prognosis for improvement is greater. 

Young children struggling emotionally and socially will often display challenging behaviors that impact their ability to be successful at home, early care programs, school, and in the community. We help children improve their emotional and behavioral functioning and help parents, caregivers, childcare providers, and  teachers learn how to manage their challenging behaviors. These behaviors include anger, aggression, temper tantrums, eating problems, sleep disturbances, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. This allows children to be successful in life and to manage better in their homes, classrooms and in the community.

Young children respond to and process emotional experiences and traumatic events much differently than older children and adults. This can make it difficult to identify the impact the trauma has had on the child and often their symptoms are misunderstood for other emotional and behavioral disorders. Many young children who have experienced traumatic events suffer symptoms of anxiety, fear, helplessness, shame, self-blame, hopelessness, nightmares, eating and sleeping problems, difficulty concentrating, irritability, withdrawal, and mood swings. We are trained to accurately diagnose and treat trauma. We help children overcome these traumatic events so they can thrive. We also educate parents and caregivers about trauma and how to effectively support children to help them heal from the trauma.

A secure attachment and strong parent-child relationship is vital for children to overcome trauma and to be socially and emotionally healthy. Our work nurtures the parent-child relationship to make this as strong as possible. This also helps children be resilient and provides protective factors necessary to help them grow and develop in a healthy manner.  Research shows that the presence of at least one caring person in a child's life provides support for healthy development and learning and that this leads to overall success in life.