Finding a good psychologist is hard. You need to find someone you click with, who listens without being judgmental and is able to offer advice without coming across as a pushy-know-it-all. Those of us with young children who need psychological counseling have an even harder task: finding someone who speaks fluent preschooler, and can make therapy both fun and productive. The counselor needs to be able to identify the child's issues without making them feel belittled, and to suggest ways that both the child and the parent(s) can work towards making progress.
My daughter is four, and has been battling mild sensory processing issues along with Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder since birth. By the time she was two years old, she'd developed an hour-long bed-time ritual that involving a ladder, two blankets and a CD player. If the routine didn't go as she planned, she'd stop, undo any progress, and start all over. A week before her third birthday, she and my brother were heading out of our apartment when the wooden exterior staircase collapsed. They fell three stories to the ground, her little body cradled in his arms, and she was on his chest when they hit the pavement below and his spine shattered. He was paralyzed instantly, and she was splattered in gore. Needless to say, no one was particularly surprised to hear she'd developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Needless to say, we spent a while trying to find someone to work on her fears, regressions and panic attacks and were ecstatic when we finally met with Dr. Riley at Western Psychological and Counseling Services. He listened to our concerns, was firm but kind with my daughter, and set us on a path to working through her issues and curbing her most troublesome behavior patterns. The suggestions have made life much easier, for her and for us.
The office staff is friendly, they work with many different insurance companies, and Dr. Riley also has evening appointments that we can hit after work. Best of all, seeing him is the high point of my daughter's week, something she looks forward to all day at school.
Carissa Martos is the mother of, and advocate for, two children with special needs here in Portland, Oregon. She also works to help introduce families to American Sign Language at PDX Loves Signing, LLC and with the nonprofit Signing Time Foundation.
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