- Now Accepting New Clients -
Khristine Heflin, LCSW-C
Child, Adolescent + Young Adult Specialist
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Hi, I’m Khristine. I’m the child, adolescent, and young adult specialist at the practice. If you’re a parent or caregiver looking for help with your young person or a young person in need of some special support outside of your friends and family, I’m your person.
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I love helping young people. With nearly 20 years of experience working one-on-one and with groups, I have a special talent for creating a space for youth (and caregivers) to be comfortable discussing issues they struggle to successfully work through on their own. Whether it’s a virtual or in-person session, young people make substantial progress through my use of evidence-based treatment plans and interventions. I work with both the child and their caregiver to set goals that we can track along the way. Since sessions only provide a snapshot of a young person’s experience, I also welcome feedback and observations made outside of session.
Therapy for children and adolescents is not a cookie-cutter experience. I consider the child’s developmental stage, cultural background, home and school environment, and their personal history when developing an effective treatment strategy. The therapy models that I often integrate into my sessions are:
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is a branch of talk therapy that can help people of all ages, including younger children and teens. Your child doesn’t need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to benefit from this form of therapy. CBT focuses on how thoughts and emotions affect behavior. Through the use of this model, I help young clients learn to replace their negative thought patterns with more productive ones. Through different methods, they practice alternate ways of handling stressful situations. CBT can help young people control their impulses, eliminate self-defeating thoughts, and gain more self-control and healthy coping skills.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ACT is a form of therapy for older kids with persistent anxiety and depression. With ACT, teens learn to be aware of uncomfortable or painful emotions without allowing themselves to get caught up in them. This allows them to keep the focus on their personal values and take positive steps to move closer to their goals. I help young people observe their negative thoughts, validate them, and accept them, so they can then work past them. Through the use of ACT, clients can also expect to learn to accept their full range of thoughts and emotions without judgment and commit to make decisions that get them closer to their values versus going against them. Young people armed with these tools can learn to reach their goals without being sidetracked by unpleasant feelings that pop up along the way.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT is a branch of therapy that helps to treat individuals who experience really intense emotions that can be hard to manage. These emotions can create conflict in the lives of young people. When conflicted, they may react with bursts of anger, crying, or passive-aggressive behavior. They may also express dark or suicidal thoughts. I use DBT skills to help teens regulate their emotions and manage symptoms from trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Behavior Training for Children 3-10
Do We Need Parent-Child Interactive Training (PCIT)?
Many parents and caregivers don’t like to say this out loud, but some of the ongoing behavioral issues you face with your young child make it hard to like them. You love them dearly, but when your child repeatedly has tantrums, trouble listening, or following directions, it’s difficult to maintain a strong connection with them. You need a judgment-free zone where you can learn effective techniques for managing your child’s behavior and strengthening your relationship with them. Parent-Child Interactive Training may be perfect for you.
Parent Child Intensive Training (PCIT) is conducted through coaching sessions during which you and your child are in a room together while I observe you interacting with each other via video. I provide in-the-moment coaching on skills designed to help you manage your child's behavior. The typical age range for PCIT is 2-7 years of age. However, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy has been adapted for older children ages 7-10.
PCIT is done across two treatment phases. The first phase of treatment focuses on establishing warmth in your relationship with your child through learning and applying skills proven to help children feel calm, secure in their relationships with their parents, and good about themselves.
Desired outcomes of the first phase of treatment in PCIT include:
Decreased frequency, severity, and/or duration of tantrums
Decreased activity levels
Decreased negative attention-seeking behaviors (such as whining and bossiness)
Decreased parental frustration
Increased feelings of security, safety, and attachment to the primary caregiver
Increased attention span
Increased self-esteem
Increased pro-social behaviors (such as sharing and taking turns)
The second phase of treatment will equip you to manage your child’s most challenging behaviors while remaining confident, calm, and consistent in your approach to discipline. In this phase, you will learn proven strategies to help your child accept your limits, comply with your directions, respect house rules, and demonstrate appropriate behavior in public.
Desired outcomes of the second phase of treatment in PCIT include:
Decreased frequency, severity, and/or duration of aggressive behavior
Decreased frequency of destructive behavior (such as breaking toys on purpose)
Decreased defiance
Increased compliance with adult requests
Increased respect for house rules
Improved behavior in public
Increased parental calmness and confidence during discipline
Treatment is considered complete when you have become proficient in both sets of skills and rate your child's behavior within normal limits on a behavior rating scale. It’s important to do the homework assignments I will provide in session. This helps get you closer to your desired goals while we aren’t together while improving your relationship from week to week.
Schedule a consultation or an appointment if PCIT sounds right for you.
Therapy for kids and Teens
Even when you’re doing your very best as a parent, kids and teenagers benefit from having a village of caring, trustworthy adults to meet their changing needs. Therapy is a valuable tool when kids have problems they can't cope with alone or need help processing and managing their emotions and behaviors.
It’s important for kids and teens to have a safe, judgment-free space to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences from their daily lives. I build trust by not breaking their confidence or sharing everything they share with their parents. I will always share with parents any concerns I have regarding their safety (engagement with self-harming behaviors, suicidal thoughts, suspected sexual abuse, etc.). However, I will not repeat the details of their sessions verbatim. This gives kids the space they need to work through all their stressors, including ones involving their loved ones and closest friends.
For older kids and teens, I share activities and ideas that teach them the skills they need to navigate life and relationships. We talk through feelings and they learn to solve problems.
I give praise and support as well as helping them find their strengths. Therapy builds helpful thinking patterns and healthy behavioral habits that your child will use throughout their lifetime.
After our initial assessment, I might meet with you and your child together or meet with your child alone. It depends on your child's age. I might also meet with you alone to provide tips and ideas for how to help your child at home. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or request one-on-one time with me.
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What You Can Expect
I emphasize an increase in problem solving skills, self-confidence and self-esteem throughout my work with clients. Identifying and decreasing stress responses from previous trauma in the young person’s life is also a focal point. When it comes to helping young people build healthier relationships with their parents and other family members, they can look forward to learning new skills for decreasing conflict, building stronger communication, and seeing each other’s point of view.
Schedule an initial consultation or appointment with me If your young person is struggling with:
Depression
Stress
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress
Sadness
Self-harm (cutting, etc.)
Risky behavior
Self-esteem
Impulse control
Body image issues
Behavior problems
Poor grades or school performance
Perfectionism
Overthinking, racing thoughts, constant worrying
Problems focusing
Bullying
Peer Pressure
Fear or phobias
Sexual abuse or molestation
Conflict between siblings
Parent-child conflict
Blended family issues
Conflict with stepparents or live-in partners
Dating problems or heartbreak
Social media or videogame overload
Developing healthy boundaries
Problems with organization (messy room, losing schoolwork and belongings, etc.)
Grief or loss
Life transitions (changing schools, moving, welcoming a new baby)
Sleep issues
Anger issues
Khristine sees children, adolescents and young adults who reside in DC, Maryland or Virginia.
Patients range in age from 3 years old to 23 years old.
Education
University of Maryland Baltimore
University of Maryland College Park
Grand Canyon University
Licensure
Licensed Clinical Social Worker: DC, Maryland & Virginia
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT-C)
Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Hours + Rates
Sessions Available Tuesdays + Thursdays between 4pm - 7pm
Individual Therapy
$165 First Assessment
$140 Standard Session
Family Therapy
$195 First Assessment
$170 Standard Session
Parent-Child Intensive Therapy*
$195 First Assessment
$170 Standard Session
*Parent-Child Intensive Therapy Sessions are 60-minutes
Payment + Insurance Information
While Khristine is not an in-network provider for any healthcare insurance companies, you may be eligible for reimbursement from your insurance company after attending counseling sessions. This means that you are responsible for paying the full fee at the time of each office visit, however, you may receive a portion of your payment back from your insurance provider after completing the appropriate steps.
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Covenant Therapy Group accepts all major credit cards as well as FSA and HSA cards.