Child Counseling in San Diego, California
Personalized Child Counseling in San Diego, California
At Estes Therapy, we offer child counseling services for children aged 4-12 years in San Diego, California. While we also provide teen counseling, our child counseling services employ different approaches to view the world through your child’s eyes and connect with them through their unique understanding.
Play Therapy
Children naturally explore and express complex emotions and experiences through play. At Estes Therapy, we provide a comforting environment that encourages them to play with ease and openness. Together with their assigned child therapist in San Diego, your child can safely process real-life challenges, learn emotional regulation, and express inner feelings in a hands-on and creative way. The therapist will have the goals in mind while using play to address the struggles and help them develop coping tools.
Art Therapy
Many children struggle to put complex emotions into words. By creating art, they can express their inner thoughts and explore emotional challenges. Our licensed child counseling therapists in San Diego gently guide children into conversation and reflection through art therapy techniques tailored to their age, interests, and therapeutic goals.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
When children “act out,” they can be expressing unmet needs through anxiety, outbursts, or withdrawn behavior. By recognizing their deeper emotional needs for validation, support, and consistency, their child therapist at Estes Therapy helps them and their families strengthen communication and reinforce positive patterns at home. At times, the therapist will include the parents from time to time to help the child learn how to share their emotions and ask for what they need, as well as help the parents learn how to support the child.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
For older children, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective approach that can be tailored using art, play, and relatable metaphors to make complex ideas more accessible. A therapist for children in San Diego can help your child identify unhelpful patterns in their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. From there, they will guide your child in developing healthier coping strategies.
San Diego Therapy for Kids: Emotional and Behavioral Issues that We Address
At a young age, children can experience various emotional and behavioral challenges. Our goal in Estes Therapy is to help your child feel safe, understood, and supported as they face these challenges with the love and involvement of their family. Here are some of their challenges that we address through therapy:
Major Life Transitions or Disruptions
Major life transitions, such as divorce, death of a loved one, or arrival of a new sibling, can disrupt a child’s sense of safety and control.
Through child counseling, the therapist is trained on what to ask and how to help the child process very painful or complicated situations. We provide your child with a nonjudgmental environment to understand big feelings and discover healthy ways to cope.
Academic Decline or School Avoidance
When children experience difficulties in school, such as falling grades, learning differences, and peer pressure, it often points to underlying undiagnosed learning challenges or difficulty managing emotions in social or structured settings.
Child counseling helps in three different ways: 1) Identifying the root of their academic struggles, 2) Equipping your child with coping strategies to support their focus, organization, and resilience, and 3) Assisting you in collaborating with the school for accommodations or support.
Difficulty with Social Skills
Making friends and understanding social cues doesn’t come naturally for every child due to low self-esteem, past trauma, anxiety, or neurodevelopmental conditions, like autism and ADHD.
Child counseling helps your child build a foundation for emotional intelligence through communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and emotional awareness.
Family Conflict and Arguments
When argument and tension among caretakers arise, a child can experience anger, anxiety, or withdrawn behavior.
At Estes Therapy, we address parent-child miscommunications, unresolved emotional wounds, sibling rivalry, and power struggles. By counseling as a neutral and safe space, children and parents can grow together in learning conflict resolution skills and healthy communication.
Emotional Outbursts or Withdrawn Behavior
When children struggle with emotional expression, communication, or unmet needs, they may display frequent meltdowns, yelling, aggression, or withdrawal behaviors.
In the safe space created by child counseling, children can explore “big emotions” with reduced shame and fear associated with them.
Health Diagnosis Management
When your child is diagnosed with physical, mental, or neurodevelopmental conditions, it may impact your child’s perspective about themselves.
At Estes Therapy, we help process their diagnosis in age-appropriate ways and guide them toward emotional and behavioral tools for managing symptoms or stress related to treatment.
Hear from Families Who Improved Their Lives with Estes Therapy
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San Diego Child Therapy: What to Expect in Our Process, Timeline, and Approach
Meeting their therapist and starting child counseling is a significant change in the eyes of a child. At Estes Therapy, we accommodate their needs with a straightforward and supportive process to help them feel at ease on their journey with us.
Here is what you can expect when your child has 6 to 12 sessions of our child counseling services.
1. Start with a Free 10-Minute Matching Call
It all begins with a brief, no-pressure call with our trained Care Coordinator. Would your child prefer a female therapist? Or someone who speaks Spanish like them? We’ll ask thoughtful questions to help connect you with the right therapist for your child.
2. Initial Sessions: Building Trust and Understanding
During the first few sessions, your child meets with their therapist in a calm, welcoming environment designed to feel like a safe space, often incorporating elements of play therapy to put them at ease. Sessions are usually weekly and typically last between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on your child’s age and developmental stage.
Your child’s therapist will take time to build rapport through engaging, therapeutic activities such as play, art, or storytelling, while also listening closely to your concerns. These early sessions help lay the foundation for a trusting relationship and a personalized treatment plan.
3. Mid-Sessions: Creation and Application of Their Treatment Plan
As your child becomes more comfortable, their therapist will begin applying tailored therapeutic techniques—whether through structured games, creative projects, or reflective conversation. Using insights gathered from earlier sessions, your therapist develops a developmentally appropriate and emotionally supportive treatment plan that meets your child’s unique needs.
For older children, this may involve elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and goal-setting to address specific emotional or behavioral challenges like anxiety, school-related stress, or social difficulties.
Parents are a vital part of this journey—your child’s therapist will regularly share updates, offer support, and suggest tools you can use at home to reinforce progress.
4. Final Sessions: See How Far Your Child Has Come
As your child nears the end of their therapy journey, their therapist will review initial goals and celebrate the progress your child has made. This reflection helps highlight key breakthroughs—such as improved emotional regulation, stronger coping skills, or more confidence in social situations.
At this stage, you and your therapist will decide whether continued support is needed or if your child is ready to apply what they’ve learned independently. Either way, your family leaves empowered with practical tools, a deeper understanding of your child’s emotions, and a stronger connection.
All the Ways Therapy Helps Yourself and Others
Here you can browse the different ways we help couples and individuals in San Diego county, California. We provide in-person/face-to-face counseling sessions and virtual/telehealth sessions.
Individual Counseling
Couples/Marriage Counseling
Premarital Counseling
LGBTQIA+ Counselng
Military Counseling
Infidelity and Affair Counseling
Child and Teen Counseling
Affordable Counseling
Online Therapy (Telehealth)
Ready to Start Child Counseling in San Diego?
At Estes Therapy, we are here to help your child grow. Whether you’re seeking help after a recent change or concerned about long-standing behaviors, we’re ready to help. While we do not accept insurance, we do provide Superbills that you can submit to your provider for a potential healthcare reimbursement.
Take the first step today by scheduling a free 10-minute matching call with us to eliminate the guesswork of finding the right child therapist for your child. You can also meet our team and read their training and experience to book an appointment directly with them.