Dr. Pamela Collman

My therapeutic approach includes: attachment work with adults and children; developmental dyadic intervention with caregivers and infants/toddlers; a supportive coaching mode of optimizing parenting; training, consultation and clinical supervision of this unique work. I am well versed in other more familiar types of therapeutic intervention including family systems, cognitive behavioral, play therapy, psychological testing, relapse prevention and other substance abuse treatment, etc... I provide some group therapy for those individuals with limited income. I am able to travel to you on occasion in order to best meet your emotional and treatment needs. The philosophy behind my practice is that all human beings stand to benefit from emotional health services and not just in times of crisis and that diagnostic labels can sometimes be helpful but are often hurtful. As I assess and treat very young children, I am very aware of America’s over reliance on pharmacological fast fixes that are convenient and often necessary for a child to conform his or her behavior to comply with classroom etiquette. While these medications are sometimes essential and protect the brain (“neuron protective”), they often create a cycle of dependence that over time can result in more emotional problems for children and more years of therapy to successfully address. I endorse intervention at the earliest times in human development, when brain wiring occurs at an astronomical pace and the capacity for healthy social relationships is first formed as a template or literal foundation for a child’s future success and happiness. As we are now facing an epidemic of autism spectrum and other communication disorders, it is healthy for parents to experience some worry or serious concern for the emotional health and wellbeing of their baby and toddler. Emotional Baby Checkups aim to take a look at your infant or toddler across the following important dimensions: (1) language development and communication; (2) personality and temperament; (3) social and emotional functioning; (4) secure attachment; (5) attention, cognitive development and activity level; and (6) motor development. Ultimately, these checkups serve to promote more competent and joyful relationships between children and their caregivers. At this time in my career, I do not accept patients who have experienced recurrent hospitalizations, nor couples needing treatment for domestic abuse. I strive to embrace cultural sensitivity and religious diversity in my professional work and will do my best to work within your cultural and religious values and beliefs. In my clinical practice, no problem is too big or small! Visit EmotionalBabyCheckups.com for more details.