Child and behavioral counseling
What is child and adolescent behavioral counseling?
Child or adolescent counseling is counseling with children under the age of 18 years old. The focus can be on the child receiving counseling with input from the parents or the family as a whole. Often children can be going through some challenging issues, but are hesitant to speak with their parents, as their emotions can seem confusing. Adolescents especially face a lot of challenges with social media, academics and relationships. Our counselors provide a neutral, compassionate avenue for your child to open up and discuss their emotions.
Treatment approach for family counseling
Often children and adolescents have difficulty communicating their emotions. Counseling with kids consists of helping them identify these uncomfortable feelings and open up about their problems. Therapists create an environment in which the child or adolescent can play with toys, sand trays and create music while talking which helps the emotion of what they are discussing decrease. This is often referred to as Play Therapy. This allows the counselor to address this emotion or problem and create positive coping skills.
We feel parents are an important part of counseling for a child and that the parent-child relationship is important toward growth. Our counselors will speak with parents to gain their perspective of the issues in the first session and provide updated progress related to their child.
Our counselors can accommodate sessions between the parents and child, the child by themselves, or the parent by themselves. In the first session the therapist will work with you on what types of sessions will be needed and what you can expect as you continue sessions for your child. At any point if a parent feels they need to discuss something with the child’s counselor they can securely message them through the patient portal or ask for some time during session.
When in session with the child we like to keep sessions private for that child. This helps create a therapeutic relationship and provide an avenue for discussion. If there is an issue that concerns us, we will discuss with the child the importance of parent involvement and help facilitate a discussion.
Benefits of therapy for family counseling
- Improved communication skills
- Conflict resolution
- New perspective
- Improved relationships
- Positive behaviors
Here are some thoughts our counselors have on children in counseling.
Written by Kyle Dickerson, LMFT
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who brings an in-depth approach to working with families. I have worked in both private and non-profit sectors and am excited to be joining the Gibson Counseling team. In my career I have found that one fundamental principal is key to building trusting relationships and moving forward: be yourself. Life is complicated enough and counseling shouldn’t add anxiety for you or your family.
Child and adolescent behavioral Therapists at Gibson Counseling

Alyssandra Livingston-Shelburne, LPC, RPT
Aly's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Alyssandra
Location: Video Therapy for residents in Texas and Colorado
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Tricare, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $110
Accepting New Clients : NO (Video Only)
Expertise: Kids (5 yrs and older) and Individual adults (no couples)

Amber Clemens, LMFT
Amber's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Amber
Location: Video Only for Texas and Colorado Residents
Evaluations Offered: Drug and alcohol, substance abuse, Adult ADHD
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP) Beacon,Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Yes (Video only) Daytime availability only
Expertise: Adults and Couples
- ADHD
- Addiction
- Blended and Divorced Families
- College Students
- Anxiety
- Children over 14 yrs
- CBT
- Depression
- Grief/Loss
- Infertility
- Life adjustment
- LGBTQIA
- Marriage Counseling
- Mindfulness
- Military Families
- Nicotine Cessation
- Parenting
- Pre-marital Counseling
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Women’s Issues

Rhonda Mack, LPC
Rhonda's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Rhonda
Location: In person Cedar Park and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Aetna (no EAP) , Sendero, Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Yes (Video and in person)
Expertise: Kids (14 yrs and older), Adults , Couples
- Military Veterans and/or family
- BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
- Self Esteem
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Child and adolescent counseling (14 and older)
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- LGBTQ
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Marriage Counseling
- Trauma

Christina Glaze, LCSW
Christina's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Christina
Location: In person Cedar Park and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), BCBS, Beacon Options, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Multiplan/PHCS, Tricare, Humana, Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO (video and in person) No couples
Expertise: Kids (12 yr and up), Adults , No couples

Amy Venn, LCSW
Amy's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Amy
Location: Video Only for Texas
Insurances Accepted: United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Self pay $110
Accepting New Clients: No (Video only)
Expertise: Adults and Children (12 and up), No Couples

Sheryl Stiffler, LMFT
Sheryl's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Sheryl
Location: In person Cedar Park and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), BCBS, Beacon, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO (video and in person) Daytime availability only
Expertise: Kids (6 yr and up), Adults and Couples

Whitney Briggs, LPC
Whitney's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Whitney
Location: Video Therapy for residents in Texas and Colorado
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers) , Triwest-VA,
Accepting New Clients: NO (Video Only)
(NO CHILDREN OR COUPLES AT THIS TIME)
Expertise: Kids (13 yrs and older), Adults , Couples

Sally Guerra, LPC
Sally's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Sally
Location: Video Only for Texas Residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self Pay $150
Evaluations Offered: ADD, ADHD, Mood Disorders, Anger Issues and PTSD
Accepting New Clients: YES (VIDEO ONLY)
Video only (Children age 12 and up)
Expertise: Kids (5yr and up), Adults and Couples
- Addiction
- ADHD
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Child and adolescent counseling (5 years and older)
- Depression
- Geriatric/Elderly concerns
- LGBTQIA
- Life adjustment
- Marriage Counseling
- Mindfulness
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Dissociative Disorder

Paulina Pina, LPC
Paulina's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Paulina
Location: In person North Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: No
Expertise:Kids (8 yrs and older), Adults and Couples

Robert Gallegos, LPC-S
Roberts's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Robert
Location: In person South Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Evaluations Offered:
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, (NO AETNA EAP), Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers) , Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO (no Couples)
Expertise: Kids (15 yrs and older), Adults
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- ADHD
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Children over 15 yrs
- CBT
- Depression
- Grief/Loss
- Life adjustment
- Marriage Counseling
- Mindfulness
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Self Esteem

Kyle Dickerson, LMFT
Kyle's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Kyle
Location: In person South Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas and California
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna (NO CIGNA EAP), Multiplan/PHCS, Tricare, Triwest-VA, Humana, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers) Sendero, Self pay $130
Accepting New Clients: NO (Video and in office) Morning and Early Afternoon Appointments only
Expertise: Kids (10 yrs and older), Adults and Couples
- Marriage Counseling
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Child and adolescent counseling
- Disruptive Behaviors/ Defiant
- Self Harm
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- Mindfulness
- Men's Issues
- Trauma
Assessments:
- Anxiety and Panic attacks
- PTSD and Trauma
- Depression
- Behavioral Issues
- Schizophrenia and Psychosis
- Bipolar
- Eating Disorders
- Addiction (e.g. porn, internet, eating ,etc)