ABOUT ME

Hello! I’m Alexandria Scalone.

Life can be discouraging at times, especially for families. That’s why I started Encourage Family Therapy. My background in child development combined with my interest in play therapy helps families connect, reflect, and refine their lives.

I studied Marriage and Family Therapy at Antioch University. I have completed the play therapy certificate program gaining over 150 hours of specialized training and am working towards becoming a registered play therapist.

I’d love to help you find your new path. See how you can work with me to discover how to live with light.

WORK WITH ME

My Approach

My work always starts with a little encouragement.

Families invite me into their lives when something bad, sad, or scary has happened. Often times our reaction to these events show up in our lives as BIG feelings and behaviors. Children struggle to regulate their emotions and parents struggle to support their children. I get it. Parenting can be challenging! Don’t give up. There is hope.

I help parents/caregivers connect with each other and their children to strengthen their attachment bonds. I believe all behavior is communication and has meaning. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what kids are trying to communicate and why. I help families sort out the meaning behind their behavior. I also work with children and parents to learn ways to stay regulated and express their big feelings in a healthy way.

I respect your family’s culture, background and parenting style while offering the best of what I know about child development and neurobiology. I use evidenced based theories to help children and caregivers to connect while processing the bad, sad, or scary events.

I have experience working with families experiencing life transitions including divorce, moving, school changes, blending families, new family members, and new developmental periods. I also have experience working with families experiencing anxiety, depression, self-harm, phobia, and stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Encouragement is just a step away… don’t give up yet!

MY 4 PHASE THERAPY METHOD

Build a Relationship

Humans are social creatures. We don’t live in a bubble. Mental health increases through family connections and support.
Assess Needs

The therapist gains understanding of the child’s way of thinking and behaving that are no longer helpful for them. Change happens best when we know what skills are lacking.
Gain Insight

The therapist shares their assessment insight and helps clients take small steps towards better communication.
Practice

The client practices new strategies of overcoming obstacles, expressing feelings, and solving problems in everyday life. The therapist provides support as client integrates what they have learned in the play therapy office into their world.

What I am not

While I learned a lot in my educational training, there are some areas that are outside of my scope of practice.

DOMESTIC ABUSE, INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, COERCIVE CONTROL
Domestic Abuse (DA), Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and Coercive Control (CC) are serious, complicated dynamics that can be dangerous to your safety, your mental health, and even your life. I do not have the experience in this area that I believe will serve you best if these dynamics are present in your life, or if the goals of therapy include trauma from IPV, DA, or CC. If you are already aware that you have experienced IPV, DA, or CC in the past, or are currently experiencing these dynamics, please seek services with a provider who has expertise in these areas. I will be happy to help if I can. Sometimes people don’t realize they are involved in abusive relationships, and evidence of this kind of relationship may arise after we have started your therapy. If you start treatment with me and I come to believe that you may be experiencing any of these dynamics, I may refer you to another provider. If this occurs, it is important that you understand that a referral to a counselor who has experience in Domestic Abuse would be to ensure that you can access care, not to abandon your care. If you think you may be experiencing a relationship with any type of abuse, you can also call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for information or for someone to talk to anytime.
I do not provide neurological or psychiatric evaluations
I do not provide evaluations or write Individual Education Programs (IEPs) for schools.
I do not provide forensic services for court.
I do not provide opinions or recommendations in the form of letters or declarations related to custody, medical likelihood of recovery or cause of any condition, or any other forensic matter.
I do not provide letters for emotional support pets.
To do so is outside the scope of my practice. If you seek counseling here in order to receive such letters or opinions, please know that you will have to seek those services elsewhere.
I do not provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment.
To do so is outside the scope of my practice. If you seek counseling here in order to receive such letters or opinions, please know that you will have to seek those services elsewhere.