Do you have questions about your little one? |
Counseling
At Hummingbird, our counselors are dedicated to supporting your family and child through various challenges. Each of our therapists holds either a Master’s or Doctorate degree, ensuring expert care tailored to your needs. We offer a range of counseling services, including parent counseling, family counseling, private child counseling, social groups and siblings of children with unique needs counseling. Our counselors also play a key role in our Hummingbird Children's Academy and frequently work with children in social-emotional playgroups. Every program is customized to best fit the needs of your child and family.
Social Emotional Development:
Social emotional development involves learning to interact with other people, and how to understand and control emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. Developing the ability to control emotions and behaviors is also a long process. Children continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years, or even young adulthood. Hummingbird counselors provide individualized support to help children strengthen these critical skills, fostering emotional intelligence, resilience, and positive relationships.
Understanding Childhood Disorders:
Psychiatric disorders can emerge as early as infancy or by five years of age. While some are rarer than others, early recognition and intervention are crucial. Below are some categories of childhood disorders that we address:
Developmental Disorders:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Elimination disorders (enuresis aka bedwetting)
Tic disorders (Tourette’s syndrome)
Intellectual Disability
Emotional Disorders:
Anxiety disorders (separation anxiety disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-PTSD from significant trauma like physical or sexual abuse, or witnessing a traumatic event)
Mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder)
Reactive attachment disorder (inability to form an emotional bond with a primary caregiver)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Somatization (excessive focus on physical symptoms causing distress or problems with functioning)
Behavioral Disorders:
ADHD/ADD and disruptive behavior or impulse disorders
OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Eating disorders (e.g., pica – craving non-food items like dirt or chalk)
Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
If you have concerns about your child’s social-emotional development, reviewing developmental milestones can be helpful. For further guidance, you can consult your pediatrician or reach out to us for a complimentary phone consultation with one of our pediatric counselors.
Trauma and Grief Counseling for Children:
Children may need counseling for trauma and grief when they have experienced a significant loss or distressing event. Trauma can result from abuse, neglect, accidents, natural disasters, or witnessing violence, while grief may stem from the loss of a loved one, a pet, or major life changes like divorce. Without proper support, these experiences can lead to anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, behavioral issues, and trouble forming relationships.
Our counselors provide a safe space for children to express their emotions and process their experiences in a way that is appropriate for their developmental level. Through a combination of therapies, children can develop healthy coping mechanisms, rebuild a sense of security, and regain emotional balance.
Our Areas of Expertise:
Our team is highly skilled in various therapeutic approaches and holds various certifications, including:
At Hummingbird, we are committed to helping children and families navigate life’s challenges with expert care and compassionate support. If you would like to learn more about our counseling services or schedule a consultation, please contact us today.
Social Emotional Development:
Social emotional development involves learning to interact with other people, and how to understand and control emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. Developing the ability to control emotions and behaviors is also a long process. Children continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years, or even young adulthood. Hummingbird counselors provide individualized support to help children strengthen these critical skills, fostering emotional intelligence, resilience, and positive relationships.
Understanding Childhood Disorders:
Psychiatric disorders can emerge as early as infancy or by five years of age. While some are rarer than others, early recognition and intervention are crucial. Below are some categories of childhood disorders that we address:
Developmental Disorders:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Elimination disorders (enuresis aka bedwetting)
Tic disorders (Tourette’s syndrome)
Intellectual Disability
Emotional Disorders:
Anxiety disorders (separation anxiety disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-PTSD from significant trauma like physical or sexual abuse, or witnessing a traumatic event)
Mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder)
Reactive attachment disorder (inability to form an emotional bond with a primary caregiver)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Somatization (excessive focus on physical symptoms causing distress or problems with functioning)
Behavioral Disorders:
ADHD/ADD and disruptive behavior or impulse disorders
OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Eating disorders (e.g., pica – craving non-food items like dirt or chalk)
Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
If you have concerns about your child’s social-emotional development, reviewing developmental milestones can be helpful. For further guidance, you can consult your pediatrician or reach out to us for a complimentary phone consultation with one of our pediatric counselors.
Trauma and Grief Counseling for Children:
Children may need counseling for trauma and grief when they have experienced a significant loss or distressing event. Trauma can result from abuse, neglect, accidents, natural disasters, or witnessing violence, while grief may stem from the loss of a loved one, a pet, or major life changes like divorce. Without proper support, these experiences can lead to anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, behavioral issues, and trouble forming relationships.
Our counselors provide a safe space for children to express their emotions and process their experiences in a way that is appropriate for their developmental level. Through a combination of therapies, children can develop healthy coping mechanisms, rebuild a sense of security, and regain emotional balance.
Our Areas of Expertise:
Our team is highly skilled in various therapeutic approaches and holds various certifications, including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helps children identify and change negative thought patterns that affect their emotions and behaviors. It is particularly effective for anxiety, depression, and trauma-related issues.
- Art Therapy – Encourages children to express their emotions creatively through drawing, painting, or sculpting, which is especially beneficial for those who struggle to verbalize their feelings.
- Play Therapy – Uses play as a means of communication to help children process their emotions, resolve conflicts, and build social skills in a developmentally appropriate way.
- Behavior Therapy (Not ABA) – Focuses on reinforcing positive behaviors and reducing disruptive or harmful ones, supporting children with ADHD, ODD, and other behavioral concerns.
- Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Provider – Our specialists work with children on the spectrum to enhance communication, social skills, and emotional regulation.
- ADHD Clinical Service Providers – Provide structured interventions that help children with attention-related challenges improve focus, impulse control, and organization skills.
- Certified Grief Support Specialist – Uses age-appropriate methods to help children understand and process their grief, allowing them to work through their emotions in a healthy way.
- Family Therapy – Strengthens family dynamics by improving communication, resolving conflicts, and fostering a supportive home environment. Family therapy also helps caregivers learn effective strategies to support their child’s emotional well-being at home.
- Social Skills Development – Teaches children how to build friendships, interpret social cues, and develop confidence in social situations. This intervention is particularly beneficial for children who struggle with peer interactions, helping them navigate friendships, group settings, and communication challenges.
At Hummingbird, we are committed to helping children and families navigate life’s challenges with expert care and compassionate support. If you would like to learn more about our counseling services or schedule a consultation, please contact us today.
Toddler Developmental Milestones
Social - Emotional Development
This area of development involves learning to interact with other people, and to understand and control your own emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. Developing the ability to control your emotions and behavior is also a long process. Children continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years, or even young adulthood.
Below are some of the typical developmental milestones for social-emotional skills. After each age group, you can find some areas to watch for with social-emotional development that might indicate a concern.
Please also see Communication Skills for more information about early development because speech and language skills are so important for effective social development.
Between the ages of 1 - 2 years, your child will:
Areas to Watch for with Social-Emotional Development (2 years)
If you notice some of the following things by the time your child is 18-24 months old (2 years), you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional.
Between the ages of 2 - 3 years, your child will:
Areas to Watch for with Social-Emotional Development (3 years)
If you notice some of the following things by the time your child is 3 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional.
This area of development involves learning to interact with other people, and to understand and control your own emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. Developing the ability to control your emotions and behavior is also a long process. Children continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years, or even young adulthood.
Below are some of the typical developmental milestones for social-emotional skills. After each age group, you can find some areas to watch for with social-emotional development that might indicate a concern.
Please also see Communication Skills for more information about early development because speech and language skills are so important for effective social development.
Between the ages of 1 - 2 years, your child will:
- Recognize himself/herself in the mirror or photograph and smile or make faces at himself/herself
- Begin to say ‘no’ to bedtime and other requests
- Imitate adults’ actions and words (e.g. chores)
- Understand words and commands, and respond to them
- Hug and kiss parents, familiar people and pets
- Bring things to “show” other people
- Begin to be helpful around the house
- Begin to feel jealousy when she is not the center of attention
- Show frustration easily
- May play next to another child, but will not really share until 3 or 4 years of age
- Be able to play alone for a few minutes
- React to changes in daily routines
- Share a piece of food
- Develop a range of emotions (may have tantrums, show aggression by biting, etc)
- Start to assert independence by preferring to try do things “by myself”, without help
Areas to Watch for with Social-Emotional Development (2 years)
If you notice some of the following things by the time your child is 18-24 months old (2 years), you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional.
- Doesn’t imitate other people
- Constantly moves from one activity to another and is not able to stay at an activity for brief periods
- Requires constant attention to stay at an activity
- Doesn’t show any interest in other children
- Doesn’t “show” things to other people
- Extremely “rigid” about routines, becoming extremely upset when they are changed
- Too passive, and doesn’t want to try things other children her age are doing
- Has extreme difficulty waiting for items he wants
Between the ages of 2 - 3 years, your child will:
- Be assertive about what he wants, and say no to adult requests
- Start to show awareness of her own feelings and others’ feelings
- Have rapid mood shifts
- Show more fear in certain situations (e.g the dark)
- Become shy, and may start to whine
- Possibly become aggressive and frustrated easily
- Not like change
- Want independence, but still need security of parents
- Need an ordered, predictable routine (ie: when saying good-bye to parents)
- Watch other children in play, and join them briefly
- Defend his possessions
- Begin to play “house”
- Begin to separate more easily from parents
- Begin to show empathy to other children (respond to their feelings)
Areas to Watch for with Social-Emotional Development (3 years)
If you notice some of the following things by the time your child is 3 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional.
- She is not interested in pretend play
- She has extreme difficulty separating from you
- He is not starting or responding to simple interactions with other children
- She is showing abnormal aggression
- He shows extreme fears that interfere with daily activities
- She is extremely “rigid” about routines