Mental Health

Many times, children or adolescents struggle with mental health and behavioral issues for a variety of reasons, from coping with a disability, traumatizing events, school-related anxiety, and more.  At ACCESS, we help children and adolescents, along with their family members, identify these behavioral health issues and resolve them through appropriate methods of mental health counseling. 

Who We Serve

  • Children and adolescents experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression
  • Children or adolescents struggling with behavioral issues
  • Children and adolescents who are experiencing or have experienced a traumatizing event or situation
  • Children and adolescents with language and learning disabilities
  • Children and adolescents with developmental disabilities
  • Family members of those listed above 

Meet Our Experts

Meet the mental health and evaluation experts from the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center.

Meet Our Team

Therapy Models

With the addition of licensed mental health therapists through the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center on our Academy and Young Adult campus, ACCESS is now able to provide the following evidence-based mental health therapy models for children, adolescents, and young adults:

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

    Research shows that TF-CBT successfully resolves a broad array of emotional and behavioral difficulties associated with single, multiple and complex trauma experiences. TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as improving the participating parent’s or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills, and supportive interactions with the child.

  • Play Therapy

    Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach primarily used to help children ages 3 to 12 explore their lives and freely express repressed thoughts and emotions through play. Therapeutic play normally takes place in a safe, comfortable playroom, where very few rules or limits are imposed on the child, encouraging free expression and allowing the therapist to observe the child’s choices, decisions, and play style. It is appropriate for children undergoing or witnessing stressful events in their lives, such as a serious illness or hospitalization, domestic violence, abuse, trauma, a family crisis, or an upsetting change in their environment. Play therapy can help children with academic and social problems, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, or anger, as well as those with attention deficit disorders or who are on the autism spectrum. Play therapy may also be used to promote cognitive development and provide insight about, and resolution of, inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking in the child.

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

    When a painful or upsetting experience happens, the memory of the experience sometimes stays "stuck" in the body and mind. Over time, the occurrence may manifest anew in disturbing and invasive ways.

    EMDR is effective and well supported by research evidence for treating individuals with symptoms accompanying post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma, attachment issues, dissociation, and self-regulation, anxiety, or panic. Children can experience PTSD symptoms as a result of bullying, abuse, or invasive medical procedures. Since our emotional states are a result of how we perceive the world, a child may have stress related to a memory that, to anyone else, would not seem to be a “big deal.”

Schedule a Mental Health Evaluation

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    Potential Unlocked: Parent Testimonials

    • Mental Health Therapy

      "Before receiving PCIT, our morning routines were chaotic and exhausting. We were unable to go anywhere outside of our home because of my son's social anxiety. After starting therapy at ACCESS, we went from stressful mornings full of resistance and defiance to our son being our son being able to get dressed on his own and our whole family walking out the door without tears! Our time together in therapy was a safe place as we built trust and nurtured our love for one another. Each week we all looked forward to our special time together."

      -Crystal Pennington, ACCESS Parent
    • Mental Health Therapy

      "Mental Health counseling has molded my son on how to express his emotions in a verbal way. While telling me about an interaction he had with his peer this week, he said '...it made me feel a bit uncomfaortable.' This was great progress on expressing his feelings."

      -Laura Kent, ACCESS Parent
    • Mental Health Therapy

      "My son was struggling with his emotions and negative behaviors when he was in preschool. There were daily tantrums, he threw his shoes anytime he got mad, and there were so many uncontrollable emotions. Starting Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) with Ms. Erin was a game changer for our family! Over time, the tantrums lessened in frequency and strength, and the phone calls from school became less frequent. My son is now a thriving first grader who encourages everyone to try their hardest, is always willing to help a friend, and has the kindest heart. We are so grateful for ACCESS!"

      -ACCESS Parent
      • CARF-Accredited Program

        ACCESS has been awarded the highest level of accreditation by CARF International for mental health services through the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center.

        CARF accreditation is a public seal of trust and commitment to quality based on internationally accepted standards. Achieving this accreditation demonstrates ACCESS's commitment to exceptional, personalized care. An organization receiving the highest level of CARF accreditation has undergone a detailed peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors, during an on-site visit, its commitment to providing programs and services of the highest quality. For more information on CARF, visit www.carf.org.