Services for Young Children
(Ages 0-5)

IS THIS YOU OR YOUR CHILD?

You’re a parent working hard to help your child and trying to understand what your child needs or wants. You might feel disconnected from your child or uncertain how to make the relationship feel better. Perhaps you feel as if you have tried E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G but your child does not seem to calm down, communicate what they want or need, or follow the rules. You’re fed up.

Is parenting really supposed to be THIS hard?

You may have concerns about your child’s development and have questions. You wonder if they should be talking by now or playing on their own. You notice it takes a lot of your time and energy to calm their tantrums.

What else can I do? Nothing seems to be working!

Providers at Mensink Counseling & Consulting have specialized training in working with young children. We will support you in answering your developmental questions and address your child’s social-emotional concerns.

DID YOU KNOW?

Infant and early childhood mental health (I/ECMH) addresses social-emotional and relational disruptions in young children. Young children may exhibit symptoms associated with:

  • Difficulty managing emotions

  • Sleeping and eating disturbances

  • Toileting delays

  • Excessive crying

  • Challenging behaviors (aggression, eloping)

  • Developmental delays

As a caregiver, you play an important role in your child’s emotional wellness and will actively participate in therapy and services. You and your provider will work together to support your child in enhancing age-appropriate development and create a plan to strengthen the parent-child relationship.

To learn more about infant mental health, see Why Infant Mental Health Matters.

How We Can Help

We’re here to help you navigate your parenting journey, build your child’s skills for coping and calming, and improve the relationship with your child.

We work with you to find answers and support your child’s growth and development!

Together, we will decide what will be most helpful, and effective, to meet the needs of you and your child.

See below for specific therapies and services geared towards working with young children.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)

This evidence-based intervention is for families with young children to address stressful experiences and symptoms associated with trauma and adjustment. Children will learn to cope with big feelings, and caregivers will learn strategies for supporting their child through emotional states. Parents play an active role in this therapy to make meaning of the child’s experience and to learn skills to support their child’s emotional regulation. CPP is a culturally-informed intervention and will acknowledge the unique needs and experiences of the family. To learn more about CPP, see What is CPP?.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

PCIT is a research-supported therapy intervention that targets behavioral concerns in young children (ages 2-9). This intervention supports children’s emotion regulation and attention, decreases behavioral problems, and increases compliance in following rules and demands in the home, school, and community. To learn more about PCIT, see What is PCIT?.

Circle of Security-Informed Intervention (COS-IT)

Attachment refers to the emotional bond with a significant person, usually a caregiver, and begins to develop during infancy. By early childhood, attachment is solidifed, and how we soothe ourself, seek help, and manage our emotions are directly related to these early experiences. Circle of Security focuses on the parent-child relationship and strives to enhance how a parent and child interact with one another. In this intervention, parents will meet with a provider without the child present to better understand their child’s needs and how to respond to them to promote security and emotional safety in the relationship. To learn more, see The Circle of Security Network.

Do you worry about whether your child is on track developmentally?

Sometimes, children experience delays in their developmental milestones such as late-in-age crawling, talking, and walking. Delays can occur with toilet training, feeding independently, and in completing daily tasks such as brushing their teeth and washing their hands, among other tasks. Other developmental areas that could also be of concern include cognitive, physical, and social-emotional. We offer an evaluation specifically designed to assess development in childhood.

If you feel this assessment would be a good fit for your child or you’d like to learn more, see Developmental Wellness Checks and Diagnostic Evaluations for more information.