Kayla Murphy (she/her)

I have worked extensively with children diagnosed with ADHD both in the school and clinical settings. I have helped parents understand what an ADHD diagnosis means and how to meet their child’s needs. Most importantly, I provide psycho-education and CBT-related coping skills to children on how to live a life with an ADHD diagnosis. I work collaboratively with the child’s doctor, school, or other providers to help the child achieve their goals.

In session, I offer a compassionate interpersonal and behavioral approach for parenting skills. Through psycho-education and bibliotherapy, parenting sessions review appropriate developmental norms for the child’s age and diagnosis along with the discussion on how the parent can feel most supported. I keep up to date with the most current research and will utilize it as an area of reflection in session. Through the use of CBT strategies, activities may be assigned each week to the caregiver.

Through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and biblio-therapy, caregivers, children, and the clinician figure out the root cause of the child's behavior. Treatment is a collaborative approach. Typical goals for behavioral disorders are to develop better coping skills, set better boundaries, and learn how to effectively and assertively communicate one’s feelings. My area of interest and research is how to decrease behavioral issues while increasing parental-child attachment.

CBT offers insight on how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another. CBT can be for any age. Oftentimes,I will pair anCBT skill with art or play therapy component to make it kid-friendly. I have utilized CBT with clients with anxiety, depression, OCD, grief, adjustment disorders, ADHD, and other behavioral and mood related disorders. In session worksheets may be utilized depending on the concern. Homework may be utilized in session so the client can practice the skill at home.

I utilize a child centered play therapy approach when working with children. Play therapy has helped many children and families that have come in with a variety of presenting problems. Children communicate through play! I pull from Theraplay, CBPT, and PCIT modalities and do what best fits the child’s needs. Games utilized in session could be board games, cards, puzzles, along with arts and crafts, puppets, and other toys.

Mindfulness-based therapy is a therapy that has been beneficial for all ages! Through the use of center-rhythm breathing, guided imagery, journaling, meditation, and more mindfulness-based interventions I have helped clients become more aware of their present moment emotions and cognitions. Mindfulness is an evidence based intervention that has been shown to help decrease levels of stress, depression, anxiety, while also helping with somatic symptoms.