Kids + Teens therapy in SAN FRANCISCO + BENICIA

THERAPY FOR Children

Every child deserves a safe space where they can be seen, heard, and supported. Therapy for children creates that space using play, creativity, and conversation to help kids express what’s on their minds and in their hearts.

Whether your child is navigating big feelings, changes at home or school, or simply needs extra support, therapy can help them build confidence, manage emotions, and develop healthy relationships.

At The Connective, we support children with a wide range of needs, including:

  • Behavioral Challenges: Aggression, defiance, hyperactivity, or withdrawal.

  • Emotional Regulation: Learning healthy coping skills to manage anger, anxiety, or sadness.

  • Anxiety & Depression: Addressing fears, excessive worry, social anxiety, sadness, or loss of interest.

  • Family Dynamics: Coping with divorce, blended family changes, or sibling conflict.

  • Peer Relationships: Navigating bullying, peer pressure, or difficulties making friends.

  • School-Related Issues: Managing academic stress, learning challenges, perfectionism, or social struggles.

  • Self-Esteem & Identity: Building self-confidence, fostering a positive self-image, or exploring identity.

  • Body Image & Eating Concerns: Addressing preoccupation with food, body shape, or weight.

  • Trauma, Grief & Loss: Processing difficult experiences or coping with the loss of a loved one, pet, or major life transition.

Our goal is to meet children where they are, honoring their unique strengths while equipping them with tools to feel more secure, resilient, and connected in their world.

PLAY THERAPY

For children, play is more than fun...it’s their language! Unlike traditional talk therapy, play therapy honors where children are developmentally and meets them at their level.

WHAT IS PLAY THERAPY?

Play therapy is a form of counseling that uses play - the natural language of children - to help them express feelings, process experiences, and build new coping skills. Just as adults use words in therapy, children use toys, stories, art, and imagination. Children don’t often have the words to explain what’s happening inside.

Through play they can:

  • Safely express emotions they don’t understand or can’t easily explain.

  • Recreate and work through difficult experiences

  • Practice new problem-solving and coping skills

  • Build confidence in handling big feelings and challenges

IS PLAY THERAPY JUST PLAYING?

Not at all! While it looks like play, every activity has a therapeutic purpose. The child meets one-on-one with a trained therapist in a specially designed playroom with carefully selected materials.

The therapist observes themes in the play, reflects feelings, and gently guides the process, tailoring each session to meet the child’s needs and treatment goals.

THERAPY FOR TEENS

COMING SOON!

Role of parents + Caregivers

While we may conduct individual therapy sessions with your child or teen, we strongly encourage and expect parents and guardians to actively engage in the therapeutic process. This collaborative approach is essential for maximizing the benefits of therapy and ensuring that your child can effectively practice and apply new skills at home.

The extent of parent participation will be tailored to your child's specific needs and developmental stage and may involve:

  • Brief check-ins

  • Monthly family meetings

  • Parent consultation meetings

  • Any other arrangements we make together