Child Counseling in Austin, TX
Nurture Emotional Growth
Children often grapple with big feelings they can’t yet name or control. When worries or changes in behavior show up, getting support early makes a real difference. Our child-focused therapy helps kids understand their emotions, put words to what they’re feeling, and build resilience that lasts.
4.9★
Average rating in our most recent client survey
15 years
Serving Austin families since 2011
4,000+
Clients served
30 therapists
With varied licensure and levels of experience
Recognize Early Warning Signs
A rough week is normal. What deserves attention is a pattern that holds for several weeks or starts getting in the way of school, friendships, or sleep. Things we hear from parents most often:
- Ongoing worry or clinginess that doesn’t ease
- Slipping grades or refusing to go to school
- Stomachaches or headaches with no medical cause
- Big outbursts over small triggers
- Pulling away from friends and favorite activities
- New fears or changes in sleep
Not sure if it’s just a phase? Reach out — a short conversation with our team can tell you a lot, with no commitment.
Engage Through Play
Play therapy techniques allow kids to express themselves in a natural, less intimidating way. Through imaginative games or art, they reveal emotions they might struggle to explain verbally. This approach fosters trust and gives us insights that guide effective treatment plans.
What actually happens in a session?
First, we listen to you: what’s changed, and what you’re hoping for. Then sessions with your child look a lot like play — games, drawing, stories — because play is the language kids naturally use to work through feelings. Underneath it, your therapist is watching for themes and gently building skills.
You stay in the loop the whole way: we share what we’re seeing and what to try at home, without breaking the trust your child builds in the room. The first meeting is usually with you, not your child.
Curious whether your child would click with a therapist? Getting started begins with a simple, low-pressure intake.
Develop Healthy Coping
We introduce child-friendly techniques like breathing exercises, simple mindfulness, or “worry journals” to manage stress. These tools help children learn self-soothing skills they can use at school or home. As they gain control over their feelings, their confidence steadily grows.
Skills are practiced in session, then coached at home so they stick. Not sure which of these your child needs most? Get started, or ask for a call if you’d rather talk it through first.
Strengthen Communication
Teaching kids to verbalize needs and emotions reduces frustration and outbursts. We also work with parents, offering strategies to support healthier interactions at home. That teamwork keeps things consistent between sessions and home, so positive changes have room to take hold.
Expect regular parent check-ins, concrete strategies for tricky moments, and consistent language between the therapy room and your kitchen table. Questions about how this works with school, siblings, or two households? Ask us — we’ve seen it.
Foster Lasting Resilience
Child therapy isn’t just about short-term fixes; it’s about laying a strong emotional foundation for the future. By learning to cope with small challenges now, children build inner strength for bigger hurdles later in life. Over time, they become more independent and self-assured.
How long does it take — and what about cost?
Every child is different. Many families notice a shift within the first handful of sessions; deeper goals take longer, and we review progress with you as we go rather than leaving therapy open-ended. If we think you’re done, we’ll say so.
We work with several insurance plans and offer clear self-pay rates — see Rates & Insurance for specifics. Coverage for children’s therapy varies by policy, so we’d rather check yours before you begin — get in touch and we’ll check it.
Therapists on our team who see children include Eleni Milliken, LPC-A and Wynden Rogers, LPC-A — you can request a specific therapist when you get started.
The Client Therapy Journey
Wondering what happens after you reach out? Here’s the whole arc, from first call to confident goodbye.
1Reach out
A short, low-pressure conversation about what’s been going on and what you’re hoping for. It takes just a few minutes, and there’s no commitment.
2Get matched
Matcha, our custom matching platform, pairs your child with the best-fit therapist — because with children, fit matters more than method.
3Parents first
The first meeting is usually with you, not your child. You share the history, and we plan the approach together.
4Sessions that look like play
Games, drawing, and stories — the language kids naturally use — while your therapist gently builds skills underneath.
5Review, grow, graduate
We track progress with you and say so when your child is ready — confidence that lasts is the summit.
How We Work With Children
Every child is different, so your therapist draws from several evidence-based approaches and follows your child’s lead.
Play therapy
Play is the working medium of childhood. Games, sand, figures, and stories are how children process feelings they can’t yet put into words.
Child-friendly CBT
The connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions — taught in kid terms, with feelings charts, characters, and practice instead of lectures.
Kid-size mindfulness
The same skills we teach adults, delivered in 60-second playful doses: belly breathing, grounding, and noticing a feeling before reacting to it.
Parent coaching
Regular check-ins, shared language, and concrete strategies for home, so progress doesn’t stall between sessions. You’re part of the team.
EMDR for children
For children carrying a difficult event, EMDR helps the memory lose its charge — adapted for young minds and paced gently.
Expressive arts
Drawing, storytelling, and creative work give feelings a shape a child can look at, talk about, and change — especially when words are hard.
Find the right therapist for your child
Choose whichever way feels easier. Scroll down to meet the AMC therapists who work with children and request someone by name.
Or answer a few questions in Matcha, our custom AI-assisted matching tool, and we’ll suggest therapists whose experience and availability may fit your family’s needs.
Ash Hogle, LPC
- Works with
- Age 12+
- Focus
- ADHD, Abandonment, Anger, Anxiety
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Curative
Marla Sanderson, LMFT-S
- Works with
- Age 12+
- Focus
- ADHD, Abandonment, Adoption / Foster Care, Anxiety
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Curative
Margot Goralczyk, LCSW
- Works with
- Age 12+
- Focus
- ADHD, Abandonment, Adoption / Foster Care, Anger
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Curative
Giselle Otamendi, LCSW
- Works with
- Age 4+
- Focus
- ADHD, Anxiety, Asperger / Autism Spectrum, Attachment Issues
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, Integrative Approach
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, EHN
- Languages
- English, Spanish
Emma Lapin, Internship Student
- Works with
- Age 6+
- Focus
- ADHD, Anxiety, Body Image, Depression
- Approaches
- Adlerian Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based
- Insurance
- Private Pay / Self Pay
- Languages
- English
Jinjin Lu, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 4+
- Focus
- Abandonment, Anxiety, Body Image, Depression
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Kristy Demers, LCSW
- Works with
- Age 8+
- Focus
- ADHD, Abandonment, Anger, Anxiety
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Microcurrent Neurofeedback (MCN), Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Curative
Eleni Milliken, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 8+
- Focus
- ADHD, Asperger / Autism Spectrum, Emerging Adults (18-35), Existentialism / Identity
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Expressive Arts, Integrative Approach
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Showing 8 of 9 therapists for Child Counseling.
What our clients are saying about us
The breathing technique, being gentle to myself, and learning to recognize when I am not living in the present moment, among other coping skills my therapist has been teaching me have helped me tremendously with anxiety. She is easy to talk to, gentle, and listens without judgement. I am so thankful I found her and recommend her to everyone.