Therapy for Preschoolers and Their Parents
Are you concerned about your preschooler’s social development or emotional regulation?
Has your child experienced a trauma or loss? We can help. During the ages of 3-4, your child’s personality is emerging. You may have heard of the phrases “the terrible two,” “threenager,” and “the four-year-old itch.” Your child may have started saying “no” to everything, refusing to eat, bathe, or attend daycare/preschool, and is constantly testing your limits. Although these years can be some of the most stressful, they are also important. Research has shown that the 0-3 years are the most critical developmental period of a child’s life, which can significantly influence a person’s success later in life. Therefore, if you have a concern about your child, it is never too early to address it. Therapy for preschoolers and their parents can help get things on track.
Kentlands Psychotherapy is here to help. Our Clinicians for Preschool-Aged Children are trained in therapy modalities designed for the young, such as Play and Sand Tray Therapy. Our therapists provide a nurturing space for your child to explore and ultimately change their behavior and a nonjudgmental space for parents to process what happens at home and school with their child.
Were you having trouble managing your young child’s behavior? Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) might be just what the doctor ordered! Please visit our PCIT page for details.
Daniela Nogales is currently the only clinician at Kentlands Psychotherapy who works with preschoolers aged 3 to 4. Preschool services are generally provided in the child’s home or at the preschool, where the child feels safe and comfortable. We see children in the immediate Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Potomac areas of Montgomery County, as well as in some other parts of the greater DMV. Please call us for details.
Minimum* Age Accepted |
Clinician |
| Preschoolers (3+) | Daniela Nogales, LCPC |
| Kindergarten (5+) | Elsy Estrada, LCSW-C |
| Elementary Schoolers (6+) | Jessica Stutzman, PhD |
| Elementary Schoolers (6+) | Jacy Perkins, PMH, CNS-BC |
Sometimes, the best help is to support the parent. Our therapeutic parenting coach, Dr. Jill Jacobson, is a licensed psychologist who can help you “drill down” into what is working and what might work better with some changes. She can also help you set realistic and practical goals and stay accountable for executing them. Read more here for details!
Frequently Asked Questions
We just had a baby, and my preschooler is having a more difficult time adjusting than we had anticipated. What can we do?
Congratulations on your bundle of joy! Having a baby is a joyous time for your family, but it can also be stressful, especially if your child becomes a first-time big sister or brother. Your child has been the center of your world for their whole life and has most likely had every need met without delay. Suddenly, they are told they must share their attention, be quiet during the baby’s nap time, and maybe even help with the baby. That doesn’t feel like a fair trade-off to them! Luckily, this resentment can turn into a passing phase with the proper guidance.
Patience, compassion, and empathy can go a long way in addressing this issue. Making it a priority to spend a bit of particular time with your child when possible can also really help. Doing this allows children to see that their unique bond with you is not gone forever. If that is not enough to turn things around, seeing a young child clinician can help. Using various age-appropriate therapeutic techniques, your child will work with a therapist to express their frustrations and learn to welcome the new baby with open arms. In some time, your child will happily take an active role in the baby’s life.
Our daycare called for a meeting to tell us that our child keeps biting the other children. We’re concerned about what this could mean about our child’s personality. We told our son to stop biting, but the behavior has continued!
Your son may feel frustrated at times, as we all do. However, he may not yet have the vocabulary or emotional maturity to express himself more appropriately.
That is typically when biting occurs. Your therapist will work with you on a treatment plan tailored to your child to address the cause of the biting and how to address the problem. Depending on the location, your therapist is also available to work with your daycare center to ensure that your child is getting their needs met and not feeling overly frustrated at their daycare center, which can exacerbate the biting.
My daughter is so shy. She attends daycare and has play dates, yet is not interested in playing with her peers. Should I be concerned?
We recommend that you bring her in for an initial evaluation appointment to have a chance to have a professional observe and interact with her so you can get some expert feedback. It is essential not to feel worried; however, feeling anxious about it will not help, and early intervention is critical. Your therapist will work with your child on appropriately socializing with her peers and assess if there may be any contributing factors to her shyness. The good news is that therapy is incredibly beneficial for shy kids.
My child is suffering from separation anxiety. She only wants to be with me; she even rejects my husband and mom! I feel bad for them and am exhausted because I can never get a break! How long is this going to last, and should I get help?
Yes, this will eventually get better, and we can help you speed that process along. Children sometimes become particularly and firmly attached to one parent (often shifting back and forth between parents). It can be very hard for mom or dad to do their household chores while carrying a toddler all over the house with them or to successfully leave them for an hour at the childcare center to get in a workout at the gym, or in your case even leave her with your mom for a couple of hours so that you and your husband can have a date night.
We are here to help you and your child so you can get some breaks without being riddled with guilt.
Your child will also be going into preschool or daycare soon, so they must be away from you. We can help you work with your child to ease separation anxiety. With therapy, your child will continue to have a strong bond with you, becoming more independent and broadening her attachment connections with others.
Learn more about what to do regarding separation anxiety in this video.
Video Credit: Didi Tonev
My child has tantrums multiple times daily, and anything can trigger them. Going out in public has become embarrassing, and I’m losing my patience. I need help!
Your child is learning and responding to new stimuli daily, which can be overwhelming for a small child.
Children can become emotionally flooded without the skills to manage their feelings. In addition, due to their limited language skills, they may resort to more primitive coping strategies that may have worked in infancy, such as crying, hitting, stomping, and even collapsing on the floor.
Tantrums can be one of this age’s most frustrating and embarrassing challenges. The good news is that our preschooler and young child therapists are well-equipped to deal with tantrums in toddlers and young children. Your therapist will work with you and your child, perhaps using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, to develop strategies for dealing with your child’s frustrations and how to lessen these tantrums’ frequency, intensity, and durations while they are learning more adaptive ways to deal with emotions and frustrations so everyone can start enjoying going out again.
It's not an easy time to be a kid. Perhaps it never is, but now it's especially true. Let us help you understand and support your child's needs.
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