SERVICES
Compassionate, Brain-Based Support for Children and Their Families
At Sprouting Minds Counseling, therapy is more than just talking—it's about building trust, creating connection, and helping children feel safe enough to be themselves. Our work is rooted in the neuroscience of behavior, guided by the belief that all humans are good and all behavior is communication.
Using person-centered, child-led approaches, I provide a space where children can explore their emotions through play, creative expression, and gentle guidance—while also equipping parents with the tools to support that growth at home.
How We Work Together
No two families are the same, and your child’s therapy shouldn’t be either. Sessions are personalized, grounded in empathy, acceptance, and collaboration, and focused on long-term emotional growth—not quick fixes.
We’ll start with a thorough intake appointment to understand your child’s history, challenges, and goals. From there, we build a care plan that may include individual therapy, expressive therapies, family sessions, or parent coaching.
Therapy is most effective when caregivers are involved. That’s why I prioritize parent collaboration and offer optional coaching to help you feel confident and empowered in your role.
THERAPY SERVICES
Insurance accepted. Self-pay available for all therapy services.
What Makes Sprouting Minds Counseling Different?
✔ Child-Led & Individualized – I follow each child’s lead in therapy, giving them the space to feel in control of their story and safe in their environment.
✔ Family-Focused Expertise – While my primary focus is on children and caregivers, I also provide compassionate support to adult clients. My tools and approach are rooted in developmental understanding and relational care at every age.
✔ Genuine, Transparent Care – I show up as myself in the therapy room and invite you to do the same—whether you’re a child, a caregiver, or an adult client.
✔ Rooted in Neuroscience – I help clients and caregivers understand behavior through the lens of the brain, not just what’s happening on the surface.
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Does my child need therapy?Therapy is a wonderful place for growth. Some common concerns that bring children to therapy can be anxiety, depressed mood, difficulties with emotion regulation, social skill deficits, parent separation/divorce, family change, grief/loss, and behavioral concerns.
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How long will my child be in therapy?Length of treatment is highly individualized and at times unpredictable. The frequency of therapy can also impact how long you or your child are active clients. I prefer that new clients have 4 individual sessions (+1 parent session for children/some adolescents) at the rate of once per week before decreasing the frequency of therapy. This is to ensure client and therapist have adequate time to build rapport and trust, the therapist has time to gain a full understanding of the presenting problem(s), and to begin identifying and working towards collaborative goals. Once we have the ball rolling, I am happy to work with you to find a frequency that works best for you.
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How does therapy work with a minor? Do I as the parent have access to all session information?Before I begin working with a minor client, it is vital that both parents are in agreement for the child to be seen for services. I require consent from both parents regardless of marital status or custody arrangement - if the parent has legal custody of the child they must consent to treatment prior to the child being seen. The intake appointment includes kids and parents to gain background information and assist with forming comfort with a new person. Individual therapy sessions are held without parents present, unless the child specifically requests you to join. I reserve time in the session to convene with parents to discuss important information from the session as well as progress on treatment goals. As a client, the child has the right to confidentiality and specifics of their session will not be shared unless it is absolutely necessary for their safety or the safety of others.
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What if I’m looking for someone to “fix” my child’s behavior?That’s not the kind of therapy I offer. I do not use behavioral plans or quick-fix strategies. Instead, I work relationally and collaboratively, helping your child feel safe enough to grow and equipping you with tools that work long-term.
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Is play therapy really effective?Absolutely. “Play is the language of children, and toys are their words.” Through play, children can process abstract emotions and experiences in a way that feels safe and accessible.
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My child still behaves the same. Is play therapy even working?Children have a unique understanding of the world around them. It is not uncommon for behaviors to increase after starting therapy, as that demonstrates that the child is actively processing their lived experiences. Trust, comfort, and relationship are also three very important parts of the early stages of play therapy before the real work can be done. Each child is different in the amount of time it takes for them to begin showing vulnerable sides to themselves with the therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's progress in therapy, please open a discussion with me at your next session, or give me a call at 717.743.1484.
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How long are sessions?Expect to be at the office for 60 minutes solely for your appointment time. I generally hold 50-55-minute sessions with adolescents and adults. For children, 1:1 session time with the child is about 45-47 minutes, with the remaining time reserved for parent discussion. This discussion can occur in the beginning or end of the session.
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Will I be included in my child’s therapy sessions?In the beginning, I often include parents or caregivers in sessions to help the child feel safe and adjust to the therapy process. As your child becomes more comfortable, the need for your presence usually decreases—and that’s a good sign! I also reserve time within or outside of sessions to connect with you directly and share relevant updates, tools, or observations. While I highly value collaboration with caregivers, I also believe children deserve a space where they can speak freely. Confidentiality is an important part of building trust and helping your child grow.
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Do you offer after-school hours? What about weekends?After-School hours are highly sought after. I try my best to rotate my school-aged clients to limit the amount of school time missed for appointments. However, I encourage you to remember that therapy is a medically necessary service, and is often vital for school success. If my evening availability is full, you will need to choose a daytime appointment. I provide school excuse notes and I am more than happy to collaborate with the school to make whatever schedule we have work. Additionally, I offer weekend appointments on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10am-3pm to help decrease the need to pull your child from school during the week. *Weekend appointments are currently unavailable*
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How does virtual therapy work?When necessary, I offer telemental health services for those who are interested and eligible. Sessions are held through the platform Simple Practice and run as a typical in-person session would. You will receive a link to my virtual session room via email prior to your appointment date. Upon entering my room, you will be shown in my Waiting Room. When I am ready, I will "admit" you and our video streams will be connected. Virtual therapy can hold some barriers, and I certainly do not recommend this modality for everyone. I reserve the right to deny telemental health services when I believe it is an inappropriate or insufficient modality for your presenting problem.
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Do you accept insurance?Yes. I bill insurance for therapy services. Parent coaching is self-pay only. In an attempt to ease the stress that comes with financing therapy services, I am proudly in-network with the following insurance providers (listed alphabetically): Aetna Capital Blue Cross Cigna/Evernorth BH Highmark/Blue Cross Blue Shield Optum Quest BH Tricare Certified Provider (Non-Network) United Healthcare To verify coverage, please contact your insurance company and give them my name and the name of my business. If I am not in-network with your insurance company, I do accept self-pay options. Please contact me for more information.
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What if you don’t take my insurance?I offer a sliding-scale fee based on income for families who qualify.
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Do you accept Medical Assistance?Unfortunately, I am not credentialed with any Medical Assistance or state-issued insurance providers. I do have a sliding scale that can be discussed if you are interested.
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Robyn Gobbel - Trauma, Toxic Stress, & Baffling Behaviorshttps://www.facebook.com/RobynGobbelMSW
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Synergetic Play Therapy Institutehttps://www.facebook.com/SynergeticPlayTherapyInstitute/
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Good Insidehttps://www.goodinside.com/
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National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)https://www.nctsn.org/
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The 3 R’s for Parenting Big EmotionsWhat should I do when my child has a meltdown? It’s hard to know what to do in the moment—but you don’t have to guess. I recommend using the 3 R’s: Regulate, Relate, Reason, a simple framework that helps you stay calm, connect with your child, and respond effectively. You can read more about this approach in my blog post and download the free printable guide here: Parenting Big Emotions: A Quick Guide to Supporting Your Child