A Parent’s Guide to Child Mental Health Resources in Lake Norman
As child anxiety specialists, we can't be the right fit for every family. If you’re looking for a therapist with a different specialty, a different approach, or someone who shares your child’s lived experience, I’d love to help you find the right person.
This is a list of therapists, psychologists, and other helping professionals who specialize in working with children in the Lake Norman Area (Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, and Mooresville). I’ve occasionally shared a Charlotte-based resource when it’s relevant.
For the most part, you’ll find independent therapists and small, local group practices here. These are providers I’ve come to know through personal recommendations, professional experience, community reputation, or because they have specialized training.
I review and update this guide periodically, but practices, specialties, availability, and insurance participation can change over time, so please follow up with your own research and questions. I’m wishing you the best of luck in your search!
Children’s Therapists, in Lake Norman, Organized by Specialty
The therapists listed below are grouped according to the concerns and types of clients they specialize in helping. You may find that some providers are listed under multiple categories.
When possible, I have recommended therapists with advanced training or certification in a specialized form of therapy related to the condition they treat: for example, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for childhood trauma or Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for behavioral difficulties. I have also included many therapists who practice evidence-based forms of therapy, meaning their treatment methods are supported by research and shown to be effective for the concerns they address.
Anger, Big Emotions, or Behavioral Problems
If your child is having frequent meltdowns, intense anger, aggression, or ongoing behavioral challenges at home or school, finding the right type of support is important. For these children, actively including parents or caregivers in therapy tends to work better than simply seeing the child alone.
Approaches to Consider:
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is often recommended for younger kids with behavioral difficulties. It uses a combination of play therapy and behavioral skills to strengthen the parent-child relationship and reduce challenging behaviors. Because behavioral problems can have many underlying causes (sensory sensitivity, neurodivergence, family stress, trauma) finding a therapist who is neurodiversity-affirming or trauma-informed can also help.
Recommended Therapists:
Resiliency Family Therapy (Cornelius): This small group practice includes a therapist certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to help kids and families with outbursts, anger, and behavioral difficulties. They also provide play therapy for children and families, as well as evidence-based support for teenagers with challenging behaviors like truancy and oppositional defiance.
Jennifer Hammett, LCMHC (Cornelius):Jennifer specializes in therapy and parent support children with behavioral difficulties and ADHD, especially when either of these causes difficulties at school. She previously worked as a school counselor at the Community School of Davidson, and her practice is now located within Compass Counseling & Wellness.
Play Therapists for Young Children
Traditional talk therapy is not always the best fit for young children, who may not be developmentally ready to sit still on a couch and verbalize their emotions to a grownup for an hour. Play Therapy is designed to meet the needs of kids ages 3-10, who naturally explore, learn, and process their emotions through creative and make-believe play.
Approaches to Consider:
We have many local therapists who specialize in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), one popular form of play therapy. Therapists who list the letters “RPT” after their names are fully certified in using play therapy with children. For very young or active children, finding a therapist who has a fully-equipped playroom (not just a talk therapy office with a couch) can be especially useful.
Recommended Therapists:
Mindful Beginnings of Lake Norman (Cornelius): This small group practice has two Registered Play Therapists on staff, as well as a dedicated playroom for therapy sessions. This practice is expliciitly LGBT+ and neurodiversity-affirming, and includes parents in treatment through check-ins and parent coaching.
Sullivan Counseling Services (Davidson): Ashley Sullivan, LCMHCA specializes in anxiety, and uses Child-Centered Play Therapy with children as young as 3 years old, using a dedicated playroom for sessions. She includes parents in the therapy process, and also provides therapy to older children.
Jennifer Cunningham, LCHMHCA (Cornelius): Jennifer is a former school counselor who provides talk and play therapy for children ages 6 and up. She specializes in supporting children with stress-related symptoms, separation anxiety, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges.
Zola Counseling (Charlotte): Located in Charlotte, this larger group practice is farther from the Lake Norman area. However, it is a great resource for finding highly trained play therapists, including Registered Play Therapists, since Child-Centered Play Therapy is the focus of the entire practice.
Neurodivergent Children and Teens (Autism, ADHD and More)
When people hear “neurodivergent,” ADHD and autism may be the first conditions that come to mind. However, neurodiversity also includes learning disorders, tic disorders and Tourette’s syndrome, sensory processing differences, and other variations in how children think, learn, and experience the world. Neurodivergent children often have unique strengths alongside their challenges—and some are also gifted, a combination known as “twice exceptional” or “2E.”
Approaches to Consider:
Therapy for neurodivergent children has shifted away from trying to make children appear more like their neurotypical peers. Instead, we help children better understand themselves, build on their strengths, and develop tools for navigating a world that may not always be designed with their needs in mind.
DIRFloortime is one play-based approach designed especially for young children with autism. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, while not specifically designed for neurodivergent kids, can help children with explosive behavior or demand avoidance (difficulty handling everyday tasks). For older children, therapy groups, especially those built around shared interests, can provide opportunities to practice social skills in a supportive environment.
Recommended Therapists:
Dandelion Family Counseling (Huntersville & Charlotte): This is a very targeted therapy practice that specializes in helping children and teens with autism and ADHD, including children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Their therapists are trained in Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, play therapy, and several other evidence-based approaches. Parents initially attend therapy weekly in addition to their child’s weekly appointments.
Joey Schnople Counseling (Davidson): Joey Schnople, LCMHC, provides individual counseling for kids as well as support for parents. Joey has lived experience with ADHD, and enjoys helping kids who share this diagnosis learn coping skills. He also co-facilitates our therapeutic D&D group, Roll Models.
Kellye Slaggert (Cornelius): Kellye Slaggert, LCMHC, specializes in DIRFloortime, a play-based approach that helps children with autism and other developmental disorders reach developmental milestones and learn skills like emotion regulation, social engagement, and communication.
Sachi Mehta (Cornelius): Dr. Mehta is a psychologist who provides evaluations and therapy for children with autism, ADHD, and childhood trauma. She also supports families through the IEP process when needed. Dr. Mehta is multilingual (Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu) and LGBTQ-affirming.
Divorce, Separation, and Family Transitions
Divorce can be a major life transition for children, even when parents are working hard to make the process as smooth as possible. Children may experience grief about changes in their family structure, anxiety about the future, anger toward their parents, divided loyalties, or difficulty adapting to new routines. During periods of stress, it’s common for children to show changes in behavior or temporarily return to behaviors from an earlier developmental stage.
Approaches to Consider:
There is no single therapy approach designed for children whose parents are divorcing. Play therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), family therapy, and parent support can all help children and families adjust to these changes. Depending on your family's situation, it may be helpful to find a therapist who has experience with high-conflict divorce, co-parenting challenges, or blended families.
It’s also important to understand the difference between therapy and legal or custody services. A therapist’s role is to provide emotional support and help a child cope, not to determine facts for court proceedings or make custody recommendations. Depending on your family’s needs, other professionals such as mediators, parenting coordinators, or forensic evaluators may provide services that fall outside the role of a therapist.
Recommended Therapists:
HarborView Psychological Services (Cornelius):This practice provides counseling for children and teenagers of divorced or divorcing parents, including families experiencing high-conflict divorce. They also offer family therapy and counseling for couples considering divorce or looking to separate amicably.
Nydian Coker, LCMHC (Cornelius): Nydian is a bilingual (Spanish/English) therapist who works with children ages 7 and up. She specializes in family changes, parenting difficulties, and helping children navigate divorce using a combination of play therapy, CBT, and other evidence-based approaches.
Childhood Trauma and PTSD
Many children will experience a traumatic event at some point during their childhood, and some will recover from the experience without lingering effects. However, if a child continues to experience changes in mood, difficulty sleeping or paying attention, behavioral problems, or other difficulties following a scary or dangerous event, therapy can help kids make sense of what happened to them and safely work through their memories and feelings.
Approaches to Consider:
While play therapy benefits some children after trauma, other children will benefit from a more direct approach that allows them to speak openly about what happened, resolve feelings of confusion or guilt, and learn skills to manage feelings and cope with reminders of their trauma without overwhelm.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a top-line treatment for PTSD in children ages 5-18, providing a structured way for kids and families to gradually recover from trauma. Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is helpful for children under 5. Trauma therapies for adults, like EMDR, have also been successfully adapted for use in children. Finally, therapy that incorporates art, music, or play can help kids express themselves without words.
Recommended Therapists:
Sachi Mehta (Cornelius): Dr. Mehta is a psychologist who provides therapy and evaluation for children, specializing in both trauma and neurodivergence. She has expertise in supporting families following a suicide or traumatic grief. She identifies speaks Gujarati, Hindu, Punjabi, and Urdu as well as English.
Wildflower Counseling (Davidson): Karrah Wood, LCMHC uses Brainspotting and other trauma-informed approaches to help preteens and teens navigate traumatic experiences, including attachment trauma (trauma involving a parent or caregiver) and spiritual trauma (trauma related to religion or a faith community).
Trauma Therapy of the Carolinas (Huntersville): This trauma-focused group practice has multiple locations, including a Huntersville office. Two of their providers are fully certified in TF-CBT and work with children ages 10+. Other therapists on the team use EMDR, play therapy, and other trauma approaches.
Matas Counseling Services (Mooresville): Kristin Matas, LCMHCS is trained in both TF-CBT and EMDR, and also incorporates skills from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to help children cope with strong emotions in healthy ways. She works with children and teens ages 10-18.
Resiliency Family Therapy (Cornelius): This small group practice offers several evidence-based forms of therapy for children and families who have experienced trauma, including physical and sexual abuse. One of their therapists is fully certified in TF-CBT, and other evidence-based therapies including EMDR and PCIT are used to help kids, teens, and families recover and learn better ways to manage behavior following a traumatic event.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapists
Kids and teens who identify as LGBTQ+ may come to therapy for the same reasons as any other child: anxiety, depression, social difficulties, or family stress. However, we know queer-identifying often need extra support navigating challenges like identity exploration, coming out, coping with bullying and discrimination, or struggling with a lack of acceptance from family or peers. In these cases, therapy with someone who understands their experience can be a huge help.
Approaches to Consider:
Today, all major U.S. mental health organizations recommend affirming care for LGBTQ+ youth. This means that the therapist does not view a child’s identity or preferences as a problem to be solved: instead, they provide emotional support and skills needed to help the child better understand themselves and navigate difficult situations.
While there are some therapy approaches designed specifically for LGBTQ+ children and teens, they are not widespread and there’s no singular top-line treatment. Instead, look for a therapist who has experience working with LGBTQ+ youth, has pursued training in LGBTQ-affirming care, or shares relevant lived experience. Depending on your family's needs, it can also be helpful to find a therapist who is comfortable supporting parents and caregivers as they learn how to best support their child.
Recommended Therapists:
Rainbow Connections Counseling (Davidson):Zoe Harrison, LCMHCA has relevant lived experience, and specializes in providing support to teenagers and young adults during the coming out process, and also works with young people who are questioning their gender or sexual identity.
Dazmine O’Neal (Cornelius): Dazmine O’Neal, LCSWA has lived experience as a member of the queer community. They work with children ages 7 and up, and specialize in helping children navigate struggles related to gender and sexual identity as well as neurodivergence and other behavioral or emotional difficulties.
Mindful Beginnings of Lake Norman (Cornelius): This is an explicitly LGBTQ-affirming group practice that specializes in helping kids, teens, parents, and families. They provide a recommended reading list on their website for parents of queer or questioning children.
BIPOC and Culturally Responsive Therapists
Knowing a therapist understands your child’s cultural background, identity, and lived experiences can be an important part of finding the right fit, especially if children are hoping to explore issues related to race or culture in therapy. For some children, working with a therapist who shares aspects of their identity can create an immediate sense of connection and understanding. For others, the most important factor is finding a therapist who is committed to listening, learning, and providing culturally responsive care.
Approaches to Consider:
For some children, having a therapist who can provide a racial or cultural mirror may feel especially important. For others, finding a therapist who speaks your family’s native language might be the priority. Families seeking a culturally responsive therapist should look for providers whose websites or bios recognize how identity, culture, family traditions, and experiences of discrimination or marginalization can affect mental health.
It’s okay to ask about a therapist’s experience working with specific communities, their approach to exploring racial or cultural identity in sessions, and how they can support children (and their parents) in developing a positive racial, cultural, or ethnic identity.
Recommended Therapists:
Dazmine O’Neal: Dazmine O’Neal, LCSWA, is a Black children’s therapist with a racial justice and LGBTQ-affirming approach. They work with children as young as 7, as well as tweens and teens, focusing on issues including emotion regulation, behavioral difficulties, trauma, grief, and neurodivergence.
Sachi Mehta: Dr. Mehta provides therapy and evaluation for children, specializing in neurodivergence and trauma. She wrote her dissertation on therapy with Asian clients and speaks Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu as well as English.
Dr. Erin Jackson (Huntersville): Dr. Jackson is a Black psychologist who works with teens and their parents. She specializes in anxiety, perfectionism, grief, and trauma, including racial trauma, and has a special interest in decolonizing therapy and working with clients from historically marginalized groups. She uses several evidence-based therapy approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Anderson Counseling and Consulting (Davidson) This large, Black-owned group practice has a Davidson location. They work with all ages, including children and teens, and treat a wide variety of mental health concerns using individual, family, group, and school-based therapy.
Nydian Coker, LCMHC (Cornelius): Nydian is a Latina children’s therapist who speaks both English and Spanish. She enjoys supporting clients who are being raised in multicultural settings, and works with children ages 7 and up on issues including family changes and behavioral difficulties.
Family Therapy and Parent Support
It is easy for many families to spend immense amounts of time and energy to finding help for a child. It can be harder to think about devoting those kinds of resources to yourself! Parenting can be incredibly stressful, and many parents are trying to balance work and family life with very little support.
Children’s mental health is deeply influenced by their parents’ wellbeing. When parents have enough support, the positive effects can ripple through the entire family. Therapy or coaching can help parents respond to their child’s emotions and behavior in new ways, reducing anxiety and meltdowns. In some cases, approaching a child’s difficulties through a parenting or family lens can be just as helpful—or even more helpful—than individual therapy for the child.
Approaches to Consider:
Some parents simply benefit from having a place to process the challenges of parenting with a therapist who can offer support, perspective, and practical ideas. Others may prefer a more structured, skills-based approach that targets a specific concern.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is designed for families with young children who have disruptive behaviors and includes live coaching sessions in which a therapist provides real-time feedback as parents interact with their child. Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) helps parents reduce childhood anxiety by changing the ways they respond to anxious behaviors. Programs such as Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) and Circle of Security teach practical parenting strategies that strengthen parent-child relationships, encourage positive behavior, and build confidence in responding to challenging parenting moments.
Recommended Therapists:
Jenna Daley, LCSW (Cornelius):Jenna offers both parenting support and family therapy sessions. She is trained in Triple P, a parenting program that focuses on positive reinforcement, predictable routines, and structure to improve parent-child relationships and manage tantrums or challenging behavior.
Amy Young, LCSW (Cornelius):Amy works with parents and also provides couples counseling. She previously worked in a residential center with teenagers, and is trained in the Love & Logic parenting approach, which she uses to help parents raising children of all ages.
Jennifer Hammett, LCMHC (Cornelius):A former school counselor at the at Community School of Davidson, Jennifer specializes in therapy and parent support for children with behavioral difficulties and ADHD, especially when either of these causes difficulties at school.
Mindful Beginnings of Lake Norman (Cornelius): This group practice provides parent coaching for families of highly sensitive or emotionally intense children, along with support for parents who want to better understand and support their child’s gender identity or sexuality.
Resiliency Family Therapy (Cornelius): This small group practice includes a therapist certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to help kids and families with outbursts, anger, and behavioral difficulties. They also offer trauma-informed family therapy.
Other Providers and Support Services for Kids
Therapy is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to supporting children’s mental health and development. Depending on your child’s needs, other professionals and community organizations may be able to provide valuable support, including evaluations, medication management, grief support, and complementary therapies.
Psychological Evaluations
Therapists with Master’s degrees can provide weekly counseling, but aren’t able to administer more in-depth psychological assessments used to diagnose conditions like autism, ADHD, and learning differences, or to evaluate a child’s cognitive abilities. When families need this kind of in-depth information (for example, to receive accommodations at school), families can request an evaluation from a psychologist.
Recommended Providers:
Sachi Mehta (Cornelius): Dr. Mehta provides neuropsychological evaluations for suspected autism and ADHD, as well as educational evaluations. She will attend IEP meetings if needed to support a child’s accommodation requests. Dr. Mehta is multilingual (Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu).
Lake Norman Pediatric Therapy (Cornelius): Dr. Danielle Farese Milburn provides neuropsychological evaluations, education evaluations, and Kindergarten readiness evaluations that include specific recommendations, resources, and guidance for parents, teachers, and other providers.
Medication Management
When a child’s symptoms are significantly affecting daily life, medication can be a helpful addition to therapy. For many mental health conditions, research suggests that combining therapy with medication can be more effective than using either treatment on its own.
Some pediatricians are comfortable prescribing psychiatric medications for common childhood concerns, especially when symptoms are relatively straightforward or a treatment plan is already in place. In more complex situations, or when a child isn't responding as expected, it can be helpful to work with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in medication management for children.
Recommended Providers:
Common Ground Psych (Davidson): This team of board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners works with children ages 8 and up, with a focus on supporting children with autism and ADHD as well as commonly co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, OCD, and emotion regulation difficulties.
Eastover Psychiatric Group of the Carolinas (Davidson): This large, very established group practice has offices in both Charlotte and Davidson. Their Davidson office includes several providers (both nurse practitioners and psychiatrists) who specialize in medication management for children.
Ashley Hughes, PMHNP-FNP (Cornelius):Ashley is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner who provides evaluation and medication management for kids and adults ages 6 and up for conditions including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety insomnia, OCD, and emotion dysregulation.
Occupational Therapy
When a child’s primary struggles have to do with completing daily tasks (getting dressed, brushing teeth and hair, eating at mealtimes), there may be issues at play beyond anxiety or willful defiance. Sensory processing differences, motor coordination challenges, and other developmental factors can make these routines genuinely difficult.
Occupational therapy (OT) helps children build the sensory, motor, and self-regulation abilities they need for everyday life, often through play-based activities designed to support the nervous system. Sensory integration is often a part of this process, which helps children who are over- or under-sensitive to sounds, touch, movement and other sensory experiences feel more comfortable and regulated. Some families find this approach very useful not just for daily routines, but for helping to manage big feelings, meltdowns, and challenging behavior as well.
Recommended Providers:
Cool Beans Therapy Clubhouse (Cornelius): This practice provides occupational therapy for children, with services including ADHD support, emotion regulation, handwriting, and sensory integration.
Complementary Therapies
There are many therapy options for children beyond individual counseling! Group therapy is a wonderful (and cost-effective) way to help children feel less alone, meet others with similar experiences, and practice social skills in a more natural environment than practicing with an adult.
Therapy that incorporates the expressive arts (such as music, theater, or art), animal-assisted approaches (such as equine therapy), or a child’s special interests (such as Dungeons & Dragons or other interest-based groups) can add joy to the therapy process and give children new outlets for self-expression. When children feel hesitant or reluctant to try therapy, these alternative approaches may also feel less intimidating to try.
Recommended Providers:
Caitlyn Yesavage, LCSW (Davidson): Caitlyn offers equine-assisted therapy for tweens and teens, especially those struggling with low self-esteem or who identify as highly sensitive. In this approach, children meet individually or in groups in a farm setting where they can interact with and learn to care for horses as part of the therapeutic process. Children do not ride horses in this program, and no prior experience with horses is required.
Roll Models (Davidson): Our own therapist-led Dungeons & Dragons program, this collaboration between Davidson Child Anxiety Counseling and Joey Schnople Counseling uses collaborative storytelling and gameplay to help kids and teens practice social skills, improve impulse control, and improve self-esteem and self-confidence in a supportive small group environment.
Intensive Therapy
Most kids and teens do well in outpatient therapy: meeting with a therapist in an office for an hour a week. However, some children need a higher level of support. If your child is experiencing severe depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, an eating disorder, or mental health symptoms that aren’t responding to weekly treatment making it hard to function at home or in school, an intensive therapy program might be a better and more effective option.
Approaches to Consider:
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs) provide several hours of therapy each week while allowing children to continue living at home. In these programs, you’ll often find individual, group, and family therapy offered alongside medication management. These programs can be general or tailored to a specific mental health need.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) programs are often recommended for teens who struggle with chronic mood dysregulation, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or other high-risk behaviors. Children whose OCD is not well-managed in outpatient therapy can make huge progress attending inpatient or intensive outpatient Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) programs.
If you're unsure what kind of care is appropriate, your child's current therapist, pediatrician, or psychiatrist can help you decide.
Recommended Providers:
Krippa Family Psychological & Wellness Services Teen IOP Program (Cornelius): This program combines roughly 3 hours of group therapy for teens a day with individual therapy sessions, medication management, and parent coaching sessions using skills from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Children can live at home and potentially continue attending school while in the program, which specializes in supporting children with anxiety, depression, emotional difficulties, and school refusal.
Grimes Effective Counseling (Huntersville):This practice specializes in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and offers a “full fidelity” program, meaning they adhere to the entire therapy model rather than borrowing standalone skills. Their teen and tween DBT group includes approximately 6-8 months of weekly group and individual therapy sessions for children, plus parent coaching. DBT is designed to help children with rapidly shifting moods, feelings of shame or emptiness, and difficulty maintaining relationships learn healthy and safe ways to cope with their feelings.
Local Nonprofits
Children often benefit from support that extends beyond the therapy office: support groups, camps and enrichment programs, disability services, and crisis assistance can all play a role in helping families get through a difficult time. Here are a few local nonprofits to consider, organized by theme. Depending on your family's needs, these organizations can be a valuable source of connection, practical resources, and ongoing support.
Grief & Loss
KinderMourn (Charlotte): This organization offers individual therapy (ages 3-18) as well as grief support groups for children and teens (elementary through high school) who have experienced a significant loss. Groups for grieving parents run at the same time as the children’s support groups, so parents can attend without needing childcare. The KinderMourn website also offers many articles and resources for bereaved families.
Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (Mooresville and Statesville): This hospice care provider also offers a program for bereaved children, Rainbow Kidz, that is free for any child in Iredell County whether or not their loved one was a hospice patient. Rainbow Kidz offers individual grief counseling, school-based group counseling programs, special programming to support grieving kids over the holidays, and a summer camp for young grievers called Camp Rainbow. Parent support groups meet monthly, as well. Services are available for children ages 5-18 and are provided in both English and Spanish.
Neurodiversity & Disability Services
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (Davidson): Based in Davidson but serving all of North Carolina, the ECAC helps parents of children (ages 0-26) with disabilities and medical needs navigate the healthcare and education systems and become better advocates for their children. Families can book one-on-one calls with trained Parent Educators as well as attend webinars or read through the resource library to better understand subjects like IEPs and 504s. Youth and young adults with disabilities can also receive career counseling and leadership training.
Autism Society of North Carolina (Statewide): While most of this organization’s services exist outside of Mecklenburg county, local families can still benefit from some of them, especially if their child is recently diagnosed. Parents can request a call with an Autism Resource Specialist (either a parent of an autistic child or an adult with autism) to request advice and recommendations for services. Support groups are also available, and the Mecklenburg County branch operates a Facebook community with almost 2,000 members.
IGNITE (Davidson): This in-person program is sponsored by the Autism Society of North Carolina and available to local families with teen or young adult autistic children. Described as a “peer-to-peer community”, IGNITE offers 6 months of activities that help emerging adults practice social skills and work toward higher levels of financial, educational, and employment independence. Typically the program is only available to ages 18+, but special summer programming is offered for rising high school seniors.
Family Support
Ada Jenkins Center (Davidson): Serving families in Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville, this community center provides a wide range of support services to help families build financial stability. Children can participate in free after school programs and summer camps focused on literacy, while adults can take classes on finances and investing, get help filing taxes, or work with a case manager to get support obtaining childcare, stable housing, or employment. Ada Jenkins also operates a referral-based, grocery-store style food pantry that stocks fresh and shelf-stable foods as well as toiletries.
Safe Alliance (Cornelius): This Charlotte-based nonprofit provides help for families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. Children can receive trauma-informed play therapy or attend support groups. Their Lake Norman office provides trauma-informed counseling, children's support groups, family advocacy, safety planning, and connections to legal and community resources. They also operate a 24/7 confidential Hope Line where Mecklenburg County residents experiencing abuse can receive on-call support.
Child Advocacy Centers
Child Advocacy Centers are specialized organizations that support children when there are concerns about sexual abuse or other serious forms of child abuse. These centers are designed with children's safety and comfort in mind. During a child-friendly interview, children share their experiences with a specially trained interviewer while other professionals (law enforcement, child protective services, medical providers) observe, helping to reduce the number of times a child has to recount what happened.
Many Child Advocacy Centers also offer medical evaluations by specially trained providers, family advocacy services, and referrals to trauma-focused therapists and other community resources to support families throughout the process.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Charlotte (Charlotte): Formerly called Pat’s Place, this Child Advocacy Center serves all of Mecklenburg County. Children who have experienced or witnessed abuse can participate in a forensic interview, meaning they can provide information that allows law enforcement, social workers, and other professionals to better understand what happened. CACC also offers support for families, trauma therapy for kids and teens, and educational programs for children to prevent abuse.
Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center (Statesville):This Child Advocacy Center serves families in Iredell County. They provide forensic interviews for children, medical exams when needed, and offer support and advocacy for other family members impacted by a child’s abuse. 100% of visitors to Dove House are given the option to be referred to a therapist, with some mental health services occurring onsite.
More Ways to Find a Therapist
Sometimes, finding the right therapist means looking beyond your immediate area. If you're searching for a provider with specialized training, shared lived experience, reduced-fee services, or expertise in a specific concern, the directories below can help you find therapists who are licensed in your state. Many also allow you to search for providers who offer virtual therapy, giving families access to a wider range of specialists.
Psychology Today: This is the largest and most widely used directory for therapists on the internet. It allows you to filter your search results for therapists who are close to your zip code, accept your specific insurance plan, and specialize in your area of concern. When possible, I recommend looking for a therapist whose profile and specializations speak to your specific needs, rather than a provider who has checked every available box.
Open Path Collective: Here, you can find a large network of private practice therapists who have committed to providing reduced-fee sessions for clients who are underinsured or in need of financial assistance. You need to apply in order to access the directory in order to establish your financial need, as well as pay a one-time $65 membership fee. Once you’ve joined, fees with their listed therapists range between $40-$70 per session.
Therapy for Black Girls A resource specifically for Black women and girls seeking therapists who understand and reflect their lived experiences. This directory is free to use and filters therapists based on your address. You can search by location to find in-person or virtual providers, as well as filter by specialty, including therapists who work with children and teens.
Inclusive Therapists: Inclusive Therapists helps families find culturally responsive, affirming psychologists, counselors, and coaches. You can search for therapists based on factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, LGBTQ+ identity, disability, neurodivergence, languages spoken, and many other qualities. They offer a searchable directory as well as a free matching service, where someone from their team will make tailored recommendations for you based on your needs.
TF-CBT Database: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a specialized form of therapy for children ages 3-18 who have experienced a traumatic event. Children and their parents are guided through a structured, step-by-step approach that provides tools for relaxation and stress relief, managing strong emotions, and processing traumatic events so they no longer feel overwhelming. This directory can help you find someone fully certified in the model who is licensed to practice where you live.
IOCDF Database: The International OCD Foundation can help you find a therapist who specializes in obsessive-compulsive disorder or related conditions like body dysmorphia, hoarding, skin picking, hair pulling, and PANDAS/PANS. Many therapists in this directory are trained directly by IOCDF in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard treatment for OCD. You can narrow your search to specifically look for therapists who have completed IOCDF’s training program for pediatric OCD. The IOCDF also maintains a list of OCD therapists of color.
Association for Play Therapy Directory : If you’re searching for someone highly trained in play therapy with young children, this is the place to look. The therapists listed here have completed 150 hours of play therapy training and two years of supervision, typically in addition to the requirements for their Masters degree. In addition, they periodically complete continuing education specific to play therapy to ensure their skills are up to date.
Finding the Right Therapist Can Take Time!
A therapist can have all the right credentials and check all the right boxes on paper, and still not be quite the right fit for your child. You need to find someone you click with, and that’s not a one-size-fits-all situation: the perfect therapist for one child might not be the best fit for another. It is perfectly okay to meet with multiple therapists before making a final decision—we want you to find the best care!
If you are looking for a therapist to help your child navigate anxiety, phobias, perfectionism, or confirmed or suspected OCD, we would love to help. We’re a small, Davidson-based group practice that specializes in helping kids and teens learn the tools they need to face their fears and break the cycle of looping thoughts or compulsive behaviors. You can learn more about us by clicking the button below.