Play Therapist and Child Counselor in Denver
Making the decision to seek a play therapist or child therapist to help you can be one of the scariest things a parent encounters. Most parents recognize that their child may benefit from professional counseling but experience anxiety about the outcomes and impressions upon their family.
At Barnemat Consulting, child therapist Dr. Kimberly Stokka Merendino helps parents get past this hurdle so their children can get the counseling and treatment they need. Dr. Kim provides a needs-based approach for all her clients. She specializes in play therapy for children aged birth through 8 years old, but can and will see children up through their teenage years.
After completing her Master’s degree, Dr. Kim began working with young children and discovered that there was a gap between her counseling education and training and the realities that young children undergo throughout development. Using this as fuel for her further play therapy education and experience, Dr. Kim went back to school and focused her studies on the development of children from birth through the age of eight. With this extensive knowledge of how to be a child therapist, she is able to better understand, interact with, and assist young children.
Expert Witness / Consultations
Dr. Merendino also offers her expertise in court or as a coach for parents. She consults with mental health professionals, educational professionals, and in legal proceedings. She has testified all over Colorado and outside of the state, drawing upon her decades of education and expertise.
Play Therapy and Why it Works for Children
The term “play therapy” has become more commonplace in recent years, but is still unclear for some families as to how their child might benefit. Dr. Kim is a child therapist in Denver that draws upon her extensive training and background and combines that with standardized practices of play therapy to help her thoroughly understand your child and his/her needs. By engaging in play with your child, Dr. Kim takes the fear and expectation out of a therapy session and replaces it with an experience that helps your child feel comfortable.
In play therapy, Dr. Kim will interact with your child in a comfortable setting. While play therapy is typically conducted within her Denver office, it is possible to meet with your family in your home, at your child’s school, or even at a park. Dr. Kim wants your child and you to feel comfortable with the venue in which the counseling occurs. Play therapy allows Dr. Kim to observe your child as they problem-solve, deal with unmet expectations, take initiative, and learn how to process and regulate their emotions. By observing these and many other facets of play, Dr. Kim can assess your child’s functioning in many areas, including social-emotional development. You can also visit our page to get answers to your frequently asked questions about play therapy.
A Child Therapist Unlike the Rest in the Denver Area
Dr. Kim’s main focus for your child’s counseling is preventive care. The vast majority of her play therapy clients do not have a mental health diagnosis; however, they are being seen to ensure certain behaviors and actions that may have cause for concern do not become more serious issues as the client develops into an adolescent and teenager. Dr. Kim helps her patients learn how to recognize their emotions and then engage with said emotions to learn control, adaptability, and acceptable expectations of families, schools, and social situations.
Dr. Kim does not believe that the typical therapy schedule is effective for young children. Typically, this includes an evaluative intake appointment, followed by weekly appointments until a person is considered “cured enough” to stop seeing their therapist. Instead, Dr. Kim wants to meet the needs and expectations of your family and your child without restrictions. This means she is available as a play therapist or counselor between sessions, if needed, to support parents. Dr. Kim will provide the level of communication necessary to allow each family to feel confident in their parenting decisions. Many of Dr. Kim’s play therapy clients are seen on a weekly or monthly basis; however, others are seen on a needs-only basis, meaning the child receives care and guidance when the child needs it.
Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul. – Friedrich Frobel
When looking for a child therapist to counsel your child and help with their development, socioemotional reactions, or even to help them understand and deal with a high conflict divorce, Barnemat Consulting is the optimal choice. Dr. Kim has decades of experience as a play therapist and child therapist in addition to her breadth of understanding of childhood and adolescent development. As a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Dr. Kim has completed specific coursework and supervised hours that have allowed her to be well-trained in working with very young children. Currently, Dr. Kim uses her expertise to train other therapists who are working towards their designation as a play therapist in Denver or who need additional training on how to work with young children and their families.
Please reach out to Dr. Kim today to seek help and assistance for your family’s development or even for counseling children in high conflict divorce situations. She will work with you to ensure she is giving your child the treatment and understanding he/she needs while providing the flexibility and support you need. Dr. Kim’s play therapy practice is located in Denver. Please contact her today.