Child & Adolescent Therapy
Helping youth feel understood and empowered.
Growing up isn’t always easy, and sometimes children and teens need a little extra support along the way. Big emotions, anxiety, OCD, difficult or traumatic experiences, and everyday stress can leave youth—and their families—feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next.
Therapy offers a safe, supportive space where children and teens can feel heard and understood while learning practical tools to cope with challenges, manage emotions, and better understand their thoughts and feelings. Along the way, they can build confidence, strengthen resilience, and develop a healthier sense of themselves as they grow.
What to Expect
Therapy begins by getting to know your child or teen—their experiences, strengths, challenges, and what helps them feel safe, understood, and supported. Together, we’ll identify goals and create an individualized approach to help them better understand their emotions, build confidence, and develop practical skills they can use in everyday life.
Depending on their needs, therapy may focus on managing big emotions, building coping skills, strengthening boundaries and assertiveness, or navigating anxiety and intrusive thoughts. For children and teens struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder
(OCD), treatment may include learning how to respond differently to intrusive thoughts and gradually reduce compulsive behaviors. For those who have experienced trauma or other difficult experiences, therapy provides a supportive space to process what they’ve been through at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Parents and caregivers are an important part of the therapeutic process. When appropriate, caregivers may be included through check-ins, parent support, or collaborative sessions to better understand their child’s needs, reinforce skills at home, and support meaningful progress. At the same time, children and teens benefit from having a private space where they can speak openly and build trust with their therapist. While the specific details of sessions are generally kept confidential, caregivers can still receive guidance about overall progress, treatment goals, and ways to support their child outside of therapy. Before treatment begins, we’ll discuss confidentiality together—including its limits and the circumstances in which information may need to be shared for safety—so both you and your child know what to expect.
Specialties Covered
OCD & Intrusive Thoughts
Childhood Trauma
Anxiety
Low Self-Esteem
Bullying
Assertiveness & Boundaries
Emotional Regulation
Coping Skills
WORK WITH US
How It Works
1
STEP ONE
Schedule Your Consultation
Click the schedule appointment button and choose a convenient time for a free consultation call.
2
STEP TWO
Chat with Rocio Vaca, LCSW
We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, answer your questions, and see if we’re a good fit.
3
STEP THREE
First Session
We’ll dive deeper into your needs, goals, and experiences and begin creating a path forward together.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
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We will start by meeting once per week for the first three sessions and determine the frequency together, thereafter.
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Yes, our availability is centered around weekend and evening hours.
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Yes, telehealth is widely recognized to be just as effective as in person care. Research shows that outcomes are comparable because clinicals are still able to assess symptoms, adjust treatment and provide guidance in real time.
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If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911.
If your crisis is not immediate, please call our office at (714) 485-9226 and we will be happy to schedule the earliest appointment available.
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The number of sessions needed varies and depends on your unique goals, concerns, and circumstances.
Rather than a fixed number, counseling is best viewed as a flexible process that is guided by your needs, pace, and goals, which can be discussed and refined together over time.
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Yes, counseling is confidential with a few legal and ethical exceptions, such as safety concerns involving harm to yourself or others. Your counselor will explain these limits clearly at the start.
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No. Many people begin counseling without having everything figured out. Your counselor will help guide the conversation and support you in identifying and working through what’s most important.
Credentials You Can Trust
Our clinician is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who attends annual continuing‑education workshops and participates in peer consultations to continue development and evidence‑alignment.
License # 113199