Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health

Ryther strives to meet the mental health needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. We work with the caregiver and child together to offer psychoeducation about development, provide parent coaching to help caregivers be more effective, and offer treatment for behavioral challenges, trauma, depression, and anxiety among other mental health disorders. Intervening early when problems emerge can help prevent more significant challenges later in life.

Signs your child may need help include:

Not hitting growth milestones in an expected way or losing milestones previously met
Difficulty with sleep, feeding, and/or potty training or having frequent stomach or headaches
Social challenges: withdrawal, crying frequently, being hard to comfort or connect with, seeming to enjoy play less, struggling to connect or play with other children
Behavior challenges: frequent or intense tantrums, not following directions, clinginess/difficulty separating from caregivers

Parents may also want support if they feel unsure, struggle to manage their child’s challenges, or do not have a good example of appropriate parenting themselves.

We offer several evidence-based modalities for this age group:

Promoting First Relationships (ages 0-5): PFR is a 10-week program designed to highlight and build on caregiver skills, helps develop the parent-child attachment relationship, and help caregivers better understand their child’s social-emotional needs.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 3-5): PCIT builds positive parenting skills, increases parent-child attachment, and helps caregivers develop more effective strategies for managing behavior challenges. PCIT also treats anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (ages 0-5): CPP effectively helps caregivers and child manage trauma, reducing symptoms and allowing the child and caregiver to make meaning together about difficult events through play and discussion.

Your provider will help you decide which is most appropriate for your family.