Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

I love working with "naughty" children. Not because I enjoy seeing parents stressed out - I understand how taxing it can be to parent a strong willed child. Rather, I love working with these families because I have seen over and over again the radical shift in parents lives when they learn PCIT and how to channel their child's defiance against them into resilience and perseverance with them. "Naughtiness" is just a sign that peace and warmth can come back to the family with PCIT.

I have a history of working with children with ODD and their parents. I work with both the client and their family to help them understand how to better communicate their needs to reduce fighting, aruging, and tears.

If you’re a parent of a toddler or preschooler, you might be feeling stuck in the daily power struggles and lost in the sea of conflicting parenting information about what to do. If you're an expecting or new parent, you might be struggling to manage your own stress, anxiety, or sleep problems. It is not uncommon for me to hear parents say, “I love my child, but it’s hard, because everything’s a fight.” A strategy session may be all you need to recalibrate a starting point and find your footing.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is defined as a pattern of disruptive, and noncompliant behaviors (anger, outbursts, defiance, etc ) usually directed towards an authority figure like parents and teachers. These behaviors can cause significant distress for both the parents and the child. Behavioral parent training has been shown to be effective in helping parents manage difficult behaviors and reduce family stress.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is one of the best treatments for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I coach you to use play therapy skills to strengthen your bond with their child and build your child's motivation to please you. When this strong foundation is established, I coach you in using very strict and consistent discipline skills that were developed especially for children with ODD.

I work with children and adolescents who struggle with ODD. I have a behavioral training background and believe in treating the whole child. That means for those who are diagnosed with ODD it impacts their home, school and the community. I work with all three of those areas, consulting and treating to make sure the child/adolescent receives the best care. ODD is a diagnosis that very easily can burn out families. I provide family/ caregiver support on treatment needs.

ODD can be a very difficult diagnosis for any child or parent. Understanding it is important for the child or adolescent to succeed. I have experience working with children with ODD and helping them thrive at home, in the community and at school. I believe if we help the child to express their needs, appropriately and allow them to have personal power while cooperating in structured environments both the child and overall family will succeed.

Research has consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for treating children 2-7 years of age with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.