Outpatient Counseling
Individual and family therapy for children and teens — in person or via telehealth
Therapy works best when it's the right fit — the right approach, the right therapist, and the right level of clinical support behind the work. At Help For Your Child, outpatient counseling is not a standalone service. It is one part of a coordinated clinical practice that includes psychological evaluation, psychiatric expertise, and behavioral health support — all accessible within the same practice when your child's needs require more than therapy alone.
Our licensed therapists work with children and teens across a wide range of behavioral, emotional, and developmental concerns. Every treatment plan is individualized, evidence-based, and developed in coordination with the broader HFYC clinical team when co-occurring conditions are present.
Conditions & Concerns We Treat
Our therapists have experience working with children and teens presenting with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns, including:
- •Anxiety disorders — generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, specific phobias, panic disorder, school refusal
- •Depression and persistent low mood
- •ADHD — behavioral strategies, organizational skills, emotional regulation
- •Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and defiant behavior
- •Trauma and PTSD — childhood trauma, adverse experiences, abuse
- •Grief and loss
- •Adjustment difficulties — family transitions, divorce, relocation, school changes
- •Low self-esteem and negative self-concept
- •Social difficulties and peer relationship challenges
- •Anger management and emotional dysregulation
- •Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- •Autism spectrum disorder — social skills, emotional regulation, behavioral support
- •Stress and coping skills
- •Disordered eating and body image concerns
- •Sleep difficulties with behavioral etiology
- •Other behavioral, emotional, and developmental concerns
Our Therapeutic Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The most extensively researched and consistently effective therapy for anxiety, depression, OCD, and a range of other childhood conditions. CBT helps children identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop practical coping strategies that they carry with them beyond the therapy room.
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
A specialized adaptation of CBT specifically designed for children and teens who have experienced trauma. TF-CBT addresses traumatic stress symptoms, grief, and behavioral difficulties while actively involving parents and caregivers in the treatment process.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills
DBT skills training is used for teens who struggle with intense emotional dysregulation, self-harm urges, or significant interpersonal difficulties. DBT builds skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
The gold-standard treatment for OCD and specific phobias. ERP involves gradual, structured exposure to feared thoughts or situations while resisting compulsive or avoidant responses — breaking the anxiety cycle through systematic practice in a supportive environment.
Behavioral Parent Training
For families of children with ODD, ADHD, and other behavioral disorders, parent training teaches evidence-based strategies for responding to challenging behavior in ways that reduce conflict, build positive relationships, and support consistent behavioral improvement across home and school settings.
Family Therapy
Family therapy addresses the relational dynamics, communication patterns, and systemic factors that contribute to a child's difficulties. It is often used in conjunction with individual therapy for the child and is particularly valuable during family transitions, when a child's difficulties are affecting the whole household, or when parenting alignment is an important part of the treatment plan.
Telehealth Counseling
Outpatient counseling sessions are available via telehealth for families who prefer the flexibility of attending appointments from home. Telehealth therapy is clinically equivalent to in-person therapy for most conditions and age groups, and is particularly well-suited for teens who may feel more comfortable in their own environment.
- •Available for individual and family therapy
- •Secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform
- •Accepted by most major insurance carriers for covered services
- •Available across all of HFYC's service areas in Southwestern Pennsylvania
- •Some clinical situations are better served by in-person sessions — our team will advise
Therapy Within a Coordinated Clinical Practice
One of the most significant advantages of receiving therapy at HFYC is the clinical context in which that therapy occurs. Many children who come to us for counseling have co-occurring conditions — ADHD alongside anxiety, depression alongside a learning disability, ODD alongside an undiagnosed mood disorder — that require more than therapy alone to address effectively.
Because Dr. Carosso and Dr. Lowenstein practice within the same building, a child in therapy at HFYC can receive a psychological evaluation without changing providers, a psychiatric consultation when medication becomes a relevant question, and IBHS wraparound support if intensive in-home or school-based services become necessary. These transitions happen within one practice, with one clinical record, and with consistent communication across the team.
This is not the standard outpatient therapy experience. It is a meaningful clinical advantage for families navigating complex presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Therapy is appropriate when a child's emotional or behavioral difficulties are persistent, are causing meaningful distress or functional impairment, and are not improving with typical parental support. If the difficulties are affecting school performance, friendships, family relationships, or your child's sense of self — and have been present for more than a few weeks — a consultation with a clinician is the right next step. You don't need to be certain your child needs therapy to reach out. That's what the consultation is for.
There is no universal answer — it depends on the condition, severity, the child's engagement, and family involvement. Some focused conditions — like a specific phobia or an adjustment reaction — may respond well in eight to twelve sessions. More complex or longstanding conditions may require six months to a year or longer of consistent work. At HFYC, treatment goals are established at the outset and progress is reviewed regularly so families always have a clear sense of where things stand.
With your written consent, yes. Coordination with schools, pediatricians, and other providers is often clinically important and is a standard part of how we work. For children with IEPs or 504 Plans, therapist input can be valuable at team meetings. For children whose difficulties span home and school settings, communication between the therapist and school staff helps ensure consistent support.
Yes. Individual and family therapy sessions are available via telehealth for families who prefer the flexibility of attending from home. Telehealth sessions are conducted on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform and are accepted by most major insurance carriers for covered services. Contact our office to confirm telehealth availability for your specific insurance plan.
HFYC is designed for exactly this situation. If a psychological evaluation is needed to clarify the diagnosis, Dr. Carosso can conduct it within the same practice. If psychiatric medication becomes a relevant consideration, Dr. Lowenstein is available for consultation without the family needing to find a separate provider. If intensive in-home or school-based support is needed, our IBHS team can be engaged. All of these transitions happen within one coordinated clinical practice.
Yes, with specific exceptions required by law. Information shared in therapy is confidential between the therapist and the client. Exceptions include situations involving imminent risk of harm to the child or others, suspected child abuse or neglect, and certain court orders. For minor clients, parents generally have the right to access treatment records, though therapists typically discuss with families how to handle this in a way that supports the therapeutic relationship. Your therapist will explain confidentiality fully at the first session.