Welcome to Clarity Health Solutions- pediatric behavioral and mental health

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition causing cognitive and behavioral health disturbance.   Not all inattentive and high energy kids have ADHD. Most pediatric cases are identified prior to age 12 although, some kids compensate and symptoms become more obvious in middle or high school when the work load increases. Thorough screening and history taking can help determine a diagnosis or other causes of these behaviors. A customized treatment plan can be developed including medication management and executive skill training when indicated.

Anxiety is an adult and pediatric mental health condition that causes emotional and physical symptoms limiting one's ability to embrace activities. Multiple factors can trigger anxiety - disrupted thinking patterns, a hereditary disposition, poor sleep, traumatic experience, stressful events, and much more. Kids and teens with anxiety can overestimate threats resulting in fear. The nervous system can respond with panic, stomach ache, headache, and increased heart rate or sweating.  Anxiety can improve with a variety of therapeutic approaches including talk therapy, mindfulness, CBT, other coping strategies and medication if indicated.  

Depression is a prolonged feeling of sadness and lack of motivation, often impacting energy level and performance at school or at home.  A hereditary predisposition, disrupted thought processing or a stressful event can contribute to an onset of depression.  Safety is always the number one priority as sadness can lead to a feeling of hopelessness or self harm.  With thorough screening and history taking, a diagnosis can be made, therapy (and medication if indicated) can be initiated and new coping skills can be discovered and implemented.  Depression is a treatable mental health condition. 

Disruptive moods and behaviors can happen during any pediatric stage of development and can be linked to a variety of contributing factors - illness, emotional dysregulation, sensory processing disturbance, anxiety, temperament, and more. Evaluating underlying causes is important.  Instituting new parenting strategies can often help a child/teen feel safe, respected and loved resulting in reduced behavior and mood disturbances. Parents need support in this journey. It can become frustrating and lonely when your child behaves differently than other children. Finding new ways to communicate, motivate and support one another along the journey can make parenting rewarding and keep family relationships strong. 

Prior to Covid, one in five kids had a reported mental health disturbance.  Since the pandemic, upwards of 70% of parents report disruptions in their teens.  Adolescence is the stage of development when kids are empowered to make more decisions independently. Their expanding experiences and social encounters in middle and high school provide opportunities for this important step. The pandemic has reduced these opportunities for teens and families. Independence coaching provides an adolescent with real life scenarios to talk through, equipping them with knowledge and skills sets to embrace new experiences and relationships, gather information and make informed decisions as they approach adulthood. 

• Medical, Family and Developmental history evaluation 
• Mental Health Screenings
• Coping skill identification and development
• Medication management for ADHD, anxiety and/or depression  
• Executive function skill building
• Individual talk therapy
• Mindfulness, prayer
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Independence Coaching
• Refer to outside resources if indicated (Psychological evaluation for trauma or mood disorders, OT, Optometry, Psychiatry)