Frances Barry
Child Psychotherapy
Child Therapy is Therapy in a Child's Language
All feelings are welcome
It may not make sense why your child is afraid of elevators. But the fear itself is real, and that's what matters.
Feelings don't need logical reasons.
Every feeling, however it shows up, is welcome. Curiosity is always the starting point, never judgment.
Big Feelings. Clear Limits.
While I welcome all feelings, I will set limits if a child’s behavior breaks any one of my three rules - a child cannot harm themselves, hurt me, or damage anything in my office.
When limits are needed, I set them calmly and consistently.
For many children, that steadiness is itself a relief. Together, we'll gently explore the emotions under the disruptive behaviors and find healthier ways for those feelings to move through them.
Words are one way to connect
The best therapy happens in the language a client feels most comfortable with. For adults, that's usually words. For children, words are just one option — and often not the most natural one.
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Your child chooses how they want to communicate.
Play is always another option
A child might talk, or let me know about their life through a puppet show, a dollhouse story, or an entire world they've built from scratch.
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A plain 20-inch cardboard box, one of the most popular items in my office, has been an animal sanctuary, a burial chamber, and a fighting opponent.
Children are fluent in the language of play.
Every behavior has a why.
Take a child who refuses to do homework. On the surface, it looks like defiance. One layer down, there's often dread. And deeper still? The belief of "I'm not smart”.
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So, I don't just address the homework battle, your child and I dig together, uncovering the feelings driving the behavior and the beliefs fueling those feelings.
Every why leads somewhere new.
​Part of the work is asking: is this belief true? A child who thinks "nobody likes me" might need help building social skills — or they might just need enough small positive experiences to see that the belief was never accurate to begin with.
Lasting change happens when we work on all three — not just what's visible on the outside, but what's driving it from within.
Parents are part of the process
In parent consultations, we'll talk about what's hard for your child and what's hard for you — both are important.
I want to hear about what's been happening in your family's life and how your child is responding to therapy.
Your child's journey is one we take together.
Therapy is a team effort
The partnership extends beyond our sessions. Your child has a lot of people in their corner — and we should all be on the same page.
With your permission, I'll reach out to the teachers, school counselors, pediatricians, and psychiatrists who are already part of your child's life, so we're all working toward the same goals.
You're always at the center of that conversation, nothing gets shared without your consent.
