Ruth Hanning, LMHC

Most of the children and young adults I see have been through something difficult. Sometimes that something is identifiable; sometimes it has not been put into words. Sometimes it is a single event; sometimes it is the slower kind of trauma that comes from chronic stress, instability, or invalidation.

My work tends to be paced. I do not push young clients to retell what they are not ready to retell. The first stretch of work is often about safety, regulation, and trust. The play, the art, the way a child uses the room over time tells me a great deal; I follow that lead.

I work closely with parents. Trauma in a child is not just a child's experience; it ripples through the family. Parent guidance is often part of the work, and so is coordination with schools, pediatricians, and any other providers in the picture.

With young adults, the work shifts toward more verbal processing while still attending to what the body is doing. Trauma rarely stays only in the mind, and the work pays attention to all of it.

I am drawn to this work because of how clearly children can heal when they get a chance to. The progress is often not loud; it shows up in a parent noticing their kid is sleeping better, talking back less, willing to try something they had been avoiding. Small shifts mean a lot.