Restoring Connection with Your Family
Our approach
Have you wondered if child counseling or teen counseling could be helpful? Is it hard to understand what your kiddo wants or how they feel? Does it feel like distance is creeping into your relationship? The early years of a child’s life are filled with lightning-fast changes, and the teenage years bring intense growth and challenges. Growing up is a journey full of ups and downs, but you don't have to navigate it alone. We believe in a holistic, family-centered approach that emphasizes building strong relationships. This approach not only supports the child but also empowers the entire family to grow together. Through play, art, storytelling, and more, we will collaborate closely with you and your child to make change happen.
We offer child counseling, teen counseling, group counseling, and family counseling in Walnut Creek, California and online! Hit the connect button to get in contact or call us.
Areas of Focus
-
50 mins | $185-$225
Focused on children 2-12 years of age, family play therapy is best for those who have little ones who are struggling. We provide a unique treatment plan for each child with a family component tailored to their needs. For children this young, life moves quickly! That’s why we make ourselves available to you between sessions for more thorough treatment.
-
50 mins | $185-225
Nothing is worse than watching our children struggle with baffling behaviors. Are you feeling surprised, overwhelmed, or worried about shifts in your child’s temperament or behavior? Children develop so quickly! It can be disorienting trying to keep up and discern what is “normal kid stuff” and what might require some extra attention.
At Little Dove Counseling, we provide child therapy services in Walnut Creek, CA to help you answer this question. Our team of experts adores working with children and believes child therapy should be an engaging and meaningful experience for the whole family. You may be wondering if your child would benefit from child therapy.
-
50 mins | $185-225
Teens fly towards adulthood but aren’t quite ready to leave the nest. Regardless, they certainly try to spread their wings, and often make a crash landing. Teens brains, hearts, and minds are developing at such a rapid pace! Keeping up as the parent is such a wild ride.
At Little Dove Counseling, we believe relationships paved the way to a healthy adulthood. We focus our work with teens on relationships with themselves, others, and the world. We believe that a healthy teen is a genuinely connected teen. Our teen therapists specialize in relational trauma, disconnection, anxiety, and depression. We understand the complex nature of navigating the world as a teen, and we believe that working closely with the teen and parent to foster connectedness will pave the way to a healthy adulthood.
-
50 Min | $185-225
Expressive Arts Therapy is for people who heal best through creative expression. Modes include visual arts, dramatic arts, music, poetry/writing, movement, and play. Based on the science that children and teens learn by doing, Little Dove Counseling offers hands-on and experiential therapy settings. Expressive Arts Therapy is ideal for children and teens overwhelming symptoms of anxiety, depression, or trauma and need a safe and meaningful outlet for their healing process.
-
50 mins | $185-220
Adoption presents unique experiences in the connection process. As therapists with real world adoption experience and specialized training in attachment, we understand the complexities of building a family through adoption. Helping families understand the concept of the primal wound and the joy of grasping each adoption story informs the adoption therapy process.
-
50 mins | $185-225
Online or in-person, we provide parent coaching for people feeling disconnected and overwhelmed when it comes to parenting. Our focus is to help you “get back to your gut” as a parent. Hand-in-Hand Parenting techniques, Trust-Based Relational Intervention, and attachment theory inspire the work we will do.
-
60 Min | $80-$135
We are better in community, which often means we heal better in community. Group therapy is an ideal way to develop a growth mindset, learn in real time, and find validation in others’ experiences. Groups will be chosen and developed throughout the year with you and mind. Upcoming groups include: Social Skills for Preschoolers, Process Group for Parents of Preschoolers, and weekend workshops.
Meet the Little Dove Team
-
![]()
Emma Freemire
CHILD, TEEN, AND FAMILY THERAPIST
Emma is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work. Amongst Emma’s areas of focus are the treatment of Anxiety, Depression, Low Self-Esteem, Trauma/PTSD, Grief and Loss, Relationship Challenges, Family Conflict, and Adjustment to Life Transitions. Emma utilizes insight-oriented Talk Therapy and integrates Expressive Arts, Narrative, Attachment-Focused, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) and Solution-Focused Therapies. She enjoys working with children, teens and adults with sensory/anxiety needs. Her style can be described as collaborative, warm, and authentic.
-
![]()
Megan Hill
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist passionate about creating a space where children and families can heal from stressors, trauma, and other challenges life may bring. It is always my goal that a child and their family feel valued, heard, and safe to share and process their experiences. I believe in the power of connection and the importance of partnering with parents when supporting a child on their healing journey. It is always such an honor to come alongside any family that is working toward healing and I am so grateful to get to know you and your story.
-
![]()
Corrie Tizon Williams
ASSOCIATE EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPIST
I am devoted to supporting children and families on their therapeutic journey toward healing through interactive modalities. I support children ages 7-18 years old and new mothers through Expressive Arts techniques including visual arts, music, writing, play, and movement. The arts provide an outlet for freedom of expression, shed light into one’s experience and bring confidence to our inner worlds. I have specialized training in the area of relationship trauma and its impact on child development. I am committed to meeting my clients wherever they are on their therapeutic journey, while remaining curious, creative, collaborative, culturally humble, and strengths-based.
-
![]()
Marissa Smit
ASSOCIATE EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPIST
I am an expressive arts therapist dedicated to fostering a safe and fun environment for children and teens to learn, grow, and express. I believe a trusting and safe relationship between a therapist and child takes time and is essential to the therapeutic process. Grounded in psychology and the arts, my approach centers on creating a nurturing space where children can develop emotional awareness and regulation, build self-esteem and resilience, and practice positive behavioral skills. With empathy and patience, my passion lies in the magic of storytelling, using it to connect, inspire, and support children in expressing themselves through life's toughest complexities.
-
![]()
Maribel Valencia
BILINGUAL CHILD THERAPIST
As a therapist, I bring years of experience, compassion, and a genuine passion for guiding children to navigate the layers and nuances of their emotions or relationships and into the skies of emotional well-being.
My experience has been in working with diverse families units and supporting them by creating a safe space to explore, grow, and heal. I enjoy working alongside caregivers to address their child’s presenting challenges, such as anxiety, behavioral issues, or the turbulence of life transitions. My goal is to empower children to develop coping skills and connections that will serve them well into adulthood.
-
![]()
Anna Sasser-Christian
PLAY THERAPIST/FOUNDER
Committed to connection and play, I am excited to share my uniquely focused therapy practice with you. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who feels incredibly lucky to join your story. It’s my goal to cultivate a space specially designed for children ages 2-6 years old and families in mind. I believe the power of play increases our ability to connect to each other and the world around us. If you’ve been impacted by disconnected or ruptured relationships, then I may be a good fit for you.
-
![]()
Jessica De La Rosa
INTAKE COORDINATOR
As an Intake Coordinator at Little Dove Counseling, my mission is to provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for individuals seeking support. Balancing my roles as a mom, wife, and grad student, I'm passionate about understanding human relationships and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those I encounter. When I’m not working I enjoy genuine connections, laughter, and a good cup of coffee.
-
![]()
Eleanor Bustos
OFFICE MANAGER
As the office manager at Little Dove Counseling, I thrive on providing unwavering support to our team and the families we serve. With a deep-rooted passion for organization and coordination, I ensure seamless operations that foster an environment of care and understanding. Drawing from my experiences as both a devoted mom and a dedicated substitute preschool teacher, I understand the profound impact our surroundings have on our capacity to engage, learn, and flourish. Committed to cultivating and preserving a tranquil, welcoming atmosphere, I prioritize creating spaces where individuals feel embraced and empowered to navigate their journeys toward healing and growth.
Fall Groups are Now Enrolling!
-
Is your child struggling to connect with peers, seems worried or anxious daily, or is a little down on themself? Artsy Confidence is here for you! This group is geared towards kids who feel the BIG feelings and are needing strategies to gently connect with the world around them. We use art to reflect on what makes us special. We also work on learning valuable skills to increase self-esteem and build connections with others. Groups are made up of 4-6 members to foster close and meaningful relationship building.
Ages: 7-18 Years Old -
Has your kiddo been sent home from school for baffling behaviors, struggled to “stay in their bubble” or seemed lonely? Feelings & Friendships Groups are here for your kiddo! F&F is geared towards helping kids learn to have prosocial interactions, healthy communication, and big feeling coping skills. The group is play-based and derives from the Theraplay model. Cohorts are matched based on age and current presenting challenge. Each group is made up of 4 children to foster real time practice and close relationships.
Ages: 3-12 Years Old -
Moms Matter: This group creates a safe spot for busy and tired Moms to land at the end of a long day. Using expressive art modalities, members are invited to engage in self reflection and care of self in an affirming and safe space. This group is open for all parents to drop in when they need time to connect with themselves and other parents who get it. Facilitated by a Mom of two littles, Corrie fosters an empowering environment to help you reset.
Boundaries & Parenting: This group is ideal for parents navigating parenting with our future lawyers, negotiators, and deep feelers. If your child busts in on you in the bathroom, refuses to take "no" for an answer, or just seems to "run the show", then this group is for you! Gather with other parents who get it! Facilitated by parent and therapist of 10 years, Megan provides a safe space to process the difficulties of raising strong-willed children while providing practical tips to raise your little change-makers!
In-person and remote options
Our office is conveniently located in Walnut Creek right by the highway to accommodate families all over the Bay. We have in-person and remote options for child therapy, teen therapy, and family play therapy in California.
Address: 31 Panoramic Way, Suite 202, Walnut Creek, CA 94595