Creative healing for
children, teens, and families

Develop new and effective skills to help manage anxiety, sadness, stress, isolation, and more by finding inner strength, resilience, and fostering connection with others

Services

Individual therapy

Including play therapy for children and expressive arts techniques for teens, to address emotional, developmental, and behavioral issues and concerns

Referral and Advocacy

To assist families in meeting their children’s medical, developmental, and educational needs

Family therapy

To help parents manage their children’s behavior and maximize their children’s social, emotional, and academic development

Therapeutic support groups

For children, teens, and parents

Parenting consultations

Including family play therapy for younger children, to improve communication and generate cohesion among family members

Parenting classes

Focus on strengthening the parent-child relationship

Philosophy

My practice philosophy involves treating the whole child in the context of their environment. In addition to allowing playful creativity to emerge in therapy sessions, I like to support the child's relationships with the most important people in their lives—family members, teachers, community members, close friends, etc.

Many children have difficulty accessing their own inner strength and resources, and need some guidance cultivating tools to manage their big emotions. Therapy assists children and adolescents in developing new and effective skills for behaving, coping with feelings, and interacting with others. A child’s behavior may reflect challenges and experiences in different areas of his/her life. Usually if a child or teenager is "acting out" or "shutting down" (or a combination of both), it's an indication that something is wrong, that the child is distressed in some way, or perhaps there is an unhealthy family dynamic happening.

Keep in mind, for adolescents: The process of therapy is often different than for younger children. No matter how good your relationship is with your child, it is normal for teens to pull away from their parents in an effort to become more independent. Thus, while I believe strongly that family involvement is vital to progress in therapy, adolescents typically need more privacy and confidentiality to make changes in their life.

In therapy with adolescents, I often talk about the stress of being a teenager today. Other common issues discussed in adolescent therapy include identity formation, struggle for independence, decision-making, and problem-solving. It is not unusual for adolescents to be hesitant about starting therapy. I work hard to help adolescents feel comfortable in therapy by being a non-judgmental adult who will listen, minimize blame, and focus on their strengths.

I use a variety of therapy methods, including individual play therapy, family play therapy, expressive arts therapy, EMDR, parent coaching, group therapy for children and teens, and more.

Meet Kristy

I live in Niwot, CO and love to dance, laugh, and enjoy friends and good food. I find powerful self-care when I can move my body through nature in the form of running, hiking, biking and swimming outdoors. I really enjoy my work, which is a practice in every sense of the word. I am gifted in my ability to be very present with my clients; I genuinely enjoy listening to people. The children and families I get to work with teach me about resilience, trust, perseverance, play, humor, and creativity. 

I have 20 years post-masters’ experience providing treatment and services to children, adolescents, and their families. I earned the Master of Social Work degree (MSW) in 1996 and my Clinical Social Work License (LCSW) in Virginia in 2002. I received my Colorado licensure in December 2003. (CO LCSW #79)

As a mental health practitioner and play therapist with over twenty years of experience, my specialized areas of training and expertise include:

  • Play therapy for children ages 2-12

  • Healing, resilience building, and trauma resolution/recovery for adolescents

  • Children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect and other forms of trauma

  • Children and adolescents with anxiety and/or behavioral disorders

  • Children and adolescents with ADHD and other neurological differences

  • Treatment for children in foster care or adopted families

  • Children and families experiencing divorce, separation, or other family changes and disruption (including high-conflict divorce)

  • Issues of grief and loss for children and teens

  • Attachment disruption and attachment needs in parent-child relationships

  • Depression, hopelessness, irritability, and negativity

  • Anxiety, perfectionism, highly sensitive children

  • School difficulties and behavior problems

  • Relationship and friendship problems

  • Low self-esteem and poor self-concept

  • Excessive shyness

  • Self-harm and other risky behaviors

  • Sensory processing issues

Kristy headshot

Rates & Insurance

  • $180 for 50-60 minute session
    $225 for 75 minute session
    $270 for 90 minute session

  • I offer discounts for clients who come weekly. I am not in-network with any insurance providers, however, if your mental health benefits include out-of-network providers, I can provide superbills for potential reimbursement.

  • Cash, check, and all major credit cards accepted for payment.

  • If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified us at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.

  • Request a therapy appointment online here.

Get in Touch

We are committed to your privacy. Please do not include confidential or private information regarding your health condition in this form or any other form found on this website. This form is for general questions or messages.

Email:
info@kristyhowlettlcsw.com

Text or voicemail:
303-587-4061