CHILD THERAPY IN TYSONS, VA.

When your child is struggling, you deserve understanding and real guidance.


Expert Child Therapy & Mental Health Services in Northern Virginia

When your child is struggling, it can be difficult to know whether what you are seeing is a phase, stress, anxiety, ADHD, big emotions, or something that could benefit from professional support. You may be dealing with meltdowns after school, constant worries, trouble with friendships, difficulty following directions, low confidence, irritability, or a child who seems to hold everything together all day and fall apart once they get home.

At Fairfax Therapy Group, we provide child therapy in Northern Virginia for children and families who need practical, compassionate support. Our therapists help children better understand their emotions, develop coping and communication skills, build confidence, and practice new ways of responding when life feels overwhelming.

We offer in-person child therapy at our Tysons, Virginia office and virtual therapy throughout Virginia. We accept Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and CareFirst PPO insurance plans.

  • When Should You Consider Therapy for Your Child?

    Parents often contact us because their child seems more anxious than other children their age, becomes overwhelmed easily, struggles to calm down once upset, avoids school or activities, has frequent emotional outbursts, has difficulty making or keeping friends, experiences low self-esteem, seems sad or withdrawn, or is having a hard time adjusting to a change in the family.

    Sometimes the concern is less obvious. A child may be doing well academically but spending enormous amounts of energy trying to keep up. They may appear cooperative at school and then become dysregulated at home. Other children may struggle with organization, impulsivity, transitions, perfectionism, sensory overwhelm, or executive functioning.

    Child therapy gives us an opportunity to understand what is happening underneath the behavior rather than simply trying to stop the behavior itself.

  • Anxiety in children does not always look like saying, "I'm anxious." It may look like stomachaches before school, difficulty sleeping alone, asking the same reassurance questions repeatedly, perfectionism, avoiding new situations, becoming upset when plans change, worrying about making mistakes, or having meltdowns when something feels uncertain.

    Our child therapists help children learn to recognize what anxiety feels like in their bodies, understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and gradually build confidence facing situations that feel difficult.

    Treatment may include evidence-based strategies from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, exposure-based approaches when appropriate, emotion regulation skills, relaxation strategies, and parent coaching so families know how to support progress outside the therapy room.

  • Children with ADHD may understand exactly what they are supposed to do and still have difficulty getting started, remembering instructions, staying organized, managing frustration, or stopping themselves before acting.

    Therapy for children with ADHD can focus on emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, organization, routines, problem solving, self-esteem, communication, and executive functioning skills.

    We also work with parents to develop realistic expectations and strategies that make everyday routines easier. Rather than assuming a child is being lazy, defiant, or unmotivated, therapy can help families understand the skills a child may still be developing and create supports that make success more likely.

  • Neurodivergent children deserve therapy that recognizes their strengths while helping with the parts of life that genuinely feel difficult.

    Our therapists support autistic children and other neurodivergent kids who may experience emotional overwhelm, masking, anxiety, friendship difficulties, sensory stress, executive functioning challenges, or frustration when expectations do not match the way their brain works.

    The goal is not to make a child appear less autistic or force them to behave more like their peers. Therapy can instead help children better understand themselves, communicate their needs, develop coping strategies, build confidence, and navigate environments that may not always be designed with neurodivergent children in mind.

  • Some children feel emotions intensely and have not yet developed the skills to manage them effectively. What adults see as yelling, shutting down, refusing, crying, arguing, or having a meltdown may be a child reaching the limits of their ability to cope.

    In child therapy, we help kids learn how to notice emotions earlier, name what they are experiencing, tolerate uncomfortable feelings, communicate what they need, and practice safer and more effective ways of responding.

    For younger children, these skills may be taught through games, movement, visuals, stories, and activities rather than relying only on conversation. Therapy should make sense developmentally, which means a six-year-old's session should not look exactly like an adult therapy session.

  • Depression in children can sometimes look different from depression in adults. A child may appear irritable rather than sad, lose interest in activities they used to enjoy, withdraw from friends or family, seem unusually tired, become increasingly self-critical, or begin saying things such as "I'm bad at everything" or "Nobody likes me."

    Therapy can help children put words to experiences they may not yet know how to explain. We work on identifying patterns that contribute to low mood, increasing connection and meaningful activities, developing healthier ways of responding to negative thoughts, and rebuilding confidence.

Concerns Treated

CHILD THERAPY PROCESS

We Get to Know Your Child and Family

Child therapy begins with understanding what is going on at home, at school, and in your child’s relationships. Your therapist will learn about your child’s strengths, challenges, developmental history, and the concerns that brought your family to therapy. Together, we identify clear goals and create a treatment plan that fits your child’s needs.

Therapy Is Adapted to Your Child’s Age and Personality

Child therapy should not look exactly like adult therapy. Depending on your child’s age, sessions may include games, drawing, movement, visual tools, role-play, problem-solving activities, and conversation. These activities help children build skills for managing emotions, coping with anxiety, improving confidence, communicating more effectively, and handling difficult situations.

Parents Are Part of the Process

Lasting change happens outside the therapy room, so parents are often an important part of treatment. Your therapist may provide parent coaching, progress updates, and practical strategies for responding to big emotions, reinforcing positive behavior, reducing power struggles, and helping your child practice new skills at home.

  • "One of the most painful experiences is seeing your child struggling and not knowing how to help. Our team walks alongside families to better understand their children and feel more confident in supporting them".

    — Lori Zastrow, Assistant Clinical Director

Our Northern Virginia child therapists help children and families understand what is happening, develop practical skills, improve communication, and create meaningful changes that extend beyond the therapy room.

Let’s work together!

Request an Appointment!