ADOLESCENTS,  YOUNG ADULTS, ADULTS, FAMILIES, AND COUPLES;

Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, Self Esteem Issues, Eating Disorders, Family Conflict

Research and Special Interest:

Racial Identity Issues

Ariel provides a safe and comfortable environment for your adolescent or young adult to open up and feel safe sharing the uncomfortable feelings they are experiencing in daily life.  Ariel is engaged and personable in her work with clients.  She utilizes a combination of DBT, CBT, and talk therapy .  Ariel helps clients who have a difficult time expressing their feelings and who oftentimes don't know what they are feeling.

When Ariel works with anxious teens or young adults she helps them come to grips with the anxiety and the effects of the anxiety which are oftentimes not wanting to feel anger at anyone and being fearful that teachers, coaches, friends or their parents are angry at them.  Ariel addresses the people pleasing that can be present for anxious kids in the hopes that making everyone happy will avoid anyone being angry at them.  She helps her anxious kids understand that they are able to take up space, lean on their family and friends, and that they don't have to feel guilty about everything and constantly apologize.

When Ariel works with kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD she not only is in a therapist role, she is also in a coaching role to help her clients understand the chaos that ensures in their daily lives with the lack of schedules for sleep, morning routine, being on time for school, a balanced diet, organizing their school work, and their bedtime routine.  There are often self-esteem issues and shame after years of untreated ADHD and anger and blame may be present toward parents in order to cover up the shame of many years of feeling that they have failed at many things they are attempted to accomplish.

When Ariel is working with kids who use substances such as pot or alchohol to deal with feelings she dives in to help them uncover what feeling they are attempting to numb with use of substances. The more awareness and understanding they uncover the closer they become to feeling the feelings and not acting on them.  There are instances where there is undiagnosed anxiety or ADHD present and teens are using substances to self medicate for those mental health issues.

When Ariel is working with kids with Oppositional Defiant Disorder who are angry at the world and acting out she helps them express that anger in a productive way by communicating feelings instead of using the anger as a defense.   Undiagnosed and untreated anxiety or ADHD may be the some or most of the reasons these kids are reading at their parents, families and others.  This may be a way to deal with the vulnerability, fear, and out of control feelings kids may have who are struggling with ADHD and anxiety without therapy or medication.