Exciting Changes at Tree of Life Children’s Center: A Holistic Approach to Family Mental Health

A family seated together, with parents holding hands behind their children, symbolizing unity, emotional connection, and the family-centered therapy approach at Tree of Life Children’s Center.

We are thrilled to announce a new chapter for Tree of Life Children’s Center, as we transition into a holistic mental health center. Our focus is expanding beyond just the individual child to include the entire family system that surrounds them. This change is rooted in the belief that a child’s mental health is deeply interconnected with their environment—especially their relationships with parents and caregivers. By addressing the family as a whole, we can more effectively support a child's emotional growth, resilience, and overall well-being.

Our New Approach: Family-Centered Care

At Tree of Life, we begin with a comprehensive initial assessment that looks at the quality of attachment between parents and children. This is critical because secure attachment is a foundation for a child’s emotional stability, confidence, and ability to manage stress. Our assessment also evaluates a parent's ability to regulate their own emotions, as this directly impacts a child’s capacity to manage theirs. This aligns with the latest research in child therapy and family systems.

Once this assessment is complete, we share the results with the family and collaboratively develop a personalized mental health care plan that focuses on healing and growth for everyone involved. We then recommend a range of therapy services tailored to the family’s specific needs. This shift in our care model helps parents understand that they play a key role in their child’s mental health journey and empowers them to take part in the process.

What This Means for Your Family

Our services have expanded to offer a variety of workshops, therapy groups, and interventions designed to strengthen family bonds and foster healthier emotional regulation for both parents and children. These services include:

Parenting Workshops: Practical tools and strategies to help parents build strong, nurturing connections with their children. These workshops are designed to address common parenting challenges and enhance parenting skills.

Nurturing Connection Workshops and Groups: Designed to deepen the emotional bonds within the family and enhance communication, specifically tailored for parents navigating complex dynamics.

Attachment and Regulation Skills Groups: Where parents and children can learn essential skills for maintaining emotional balance. These groups are especially helpful for families addressing childhood anxiety or emotional dysregulation.

Family Therapy: To address and resolve challenges in family dynamics and communication. This therapy is individualized to the child’s and family’s needs, supporting overall family mental health.

Parent/Caregiver Coaching: To strengthen the co-parenting relationship, which can have a direct impact on the child’s well-being. Coaching is customized to address family-specific goals.

Individual Therapy for the Child: A space for your child to receive focused care while the family works on broader dynamics. This therapy includes play therapy, expressive arts therapy, sandtray therapy, and other evidence-based strategies specialized for children’s mental health.

Child-Focused Groups: Covering areas such as social skills, emotional regulation, healthy communication, friendship skills, and healthy attachment. These groups are ideal for children navigating peer relationships or managing big emotions.

Why This Matters

When parents and caregivers are involved in the mental health treatment process, children experience better outcomes. By improving the emotional health of the family system, children are more likely to develop resilience, confidence, and a greater capacity to manage their own emotions. This holistic approach ensures that treatment is not just about “fixing” one individual problem or issue but creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

We are excited to offer these new mental health services and support families in their journey toward emotional wellness. At Tree of Life, we believe that by nurturing the entire family system, we can foster lasting change for every child we serve.

If you’d like to learn more about these changes and how our holistic therapy approach can support your family, don’t hesitate to contact us!