Our team of mental and behavioral health experts includes:

• Child psychologist (also called pediatric psychologist): is a licensed mental health professional with a doctorate degree, and who specializes in the study of childhood development as it relates to behaviors and emotions. While they don’t prescribe medications, they can help monitor the effects of medication therapy on your child. 
• Child psychiatrist (also called pediatric psychiatrist): is a medical doctor with advanced training in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental illness. In addition to psychotherapy, a child psychiatrist may prescribe medication therapy when necessary.
• Neuropsychologists: are mental health professionals with a doctorate degree, specializing in studying how the brain affects your child’s action and thought.
• Advanced nurse practitioners (ARNP): nurses with specialized training in the therapy and medication management of children and teens with mental health issues.  counseling, and medication management.

Once your child is referred to us, we’ll conduct a comprehensive assessment, similar to an interview with you and your child. This information helps a child psychologist or child psychiatrist caring for your child understand the issues your child is experiencing, and to make an accurate diagnosis.

Also, we’ll ask that you, your child’s teacher(s), school, and others who may have daily interaction with your child, complete screening questionnaires.

From the information we gather, we’ll develop a treatment plan for your child considering a variety of aspects such as:   

• cognitive – the way your child thinks, speaks, remembers
• development
• educational
• emotional
• family
• genetics
• physical
• social
• spiritual

Our focus is finding solutions to help your child and your family. We offer individual and family therapy, medication therapy, and or behavior modification therapy to address a wide spectrum of mental health and behavioral disorders from coping with a chronic illness to promoting healthy behaviors.

Our experts provide outpatient consultation, as well as inpatient care at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, one of the many health providers we partner with to extend our care. 

Also, we’ll work with your child’s teachers, school, and community providers, including other Nemours specialists your child may see, to develop a treatment plan just for your child.

Some of the psychological and behavioral disorders we treat in children and teens include:  

• autism spectrum disorders: ranging from mild to severe, including Asperger
• learning disabilities
• attention problems, ADHD
• depression
• anxiety
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• developmental disabilities
• adjustment  issues related to a chronic medical condition such as diabetes or with difficulties following a medical treatment plan
• somatoform disorders: characterized by physical symptoms that cause physical illness or injury
• enuresis (bed-wetting) and encopresis (involuntary passage of stool in toilet-trained children)

Feeling sick a lot can be overwhelming for children – not to mention being admitted to the hospital. Your child may feel depressed or anxious about upcoming procedures, even confused about treatment for a medical condition. We’ll work with your child’s medical care team, providing consultation and education about the relationship between physical illness and psychological distress.

Some of the medical conditions we can help provide consultation and treatment with include:   

• diabetes
• obesity
• asthma
• gastrointestinal disorders
• eating disorders
• sickle cell disease
• feeding disorders
• cardiac conditions