Mary’s Center is here to help you find solutions for the behavioral health challenges your child may be facing. We actively involve you in their treatment and teach you to tune into your child’s needs, interpret their language, and help strengthen their inner resilience. We offer a variety of proven therapeutic approaches to help your child on their journey toward mental well-being and will work alongside you to find the best solution. Our approaches include:
Attachment and BioBehavioral Catchup (0-24 months)
Attachment and BioBehavioral Catchup or ABC is a 10-session parent coaching program (Mary’s Center offers it virtually) and was created to work with parents and/or caregivers of babies between 6 months and 2 years. During the sessions, a parent coach will support caregivers in understanding and responding to their infants’ and toddlers’ needs. In every session, you will hear about the positive things you are doing with your baby. ABC helps parents learn to 1) respond in nurturing ways when children are distressed; 2) follow the lead with delight when children are not distressed; and 3) avoid behaving in frightening or intrusive ways. At the end of the program, you will receive a special gift – a set of video clips of you and your child playing together in the ABC program. Other children and caregivers are also welcome and encouraged to participate.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)(2-6 years)
PCIT is used to treat children between ages 2 and 7 with disruptive behavior problems. A Mary’s Center clinician will work with you and your child to improve your relationship and reduce unsafe behaviors. During a session, a Mary’s Center clinician will observe you interacting with your child and provide in-the-moment coaching to help you manage your child’s behavior. PCIT helps you establish warmth in your relationship with your child through learning and applying skills proven to help children feel calm, secure, and good about themselves.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)(0-5 years)
CPP is a treatment for children ages 0-5 who have experienced trauma or some form of family violence. You and your child would be seen by a Mary’s Center clinician who would help support and strengthen your relationship. The goal of treatment would be to restore your child’s sense of safety and trust within the parent-child relationship and to address the meaning of the event or trauma shared by you and your child.
Circle of Security (COSP)
The Circle of Security program helps parents and caregivers understand their child’s needs and build strong, secure relationships. Through interactive sessions, you’ll learn about your child’s emotions and behaviors and how to respond with love and support. It’s a safe space where families can grow together and create lasting bonds.
When individual therapy is recommended for your child, we use the following approaches:
Expressive Therapy
Expressive therapies provide children and teens the opportunity to explore their emotions through the creation of artwork. When done consistently, expressive therapies can help improve self-esteem, relieve stress, improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and help cope with illness or disability.
Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
CCPT is for children ages 3 to 10 facing social, emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges. The primary goal of CCPT is to unleash your child’s potential, decrease their symptomatic behaviors, and improve their overall mental well-being. Children who participate in CCPT will experience full acceptance, empathy, and understanding from a Mary’s Center clinician and learn to process their inner feelings through play and symbols.
Sand Tray Therapy
Sand Tray therapy is a technique to help children express their thoughts and feelings when words are not enough. This type of therapy allows your child to use a sandbox, toy figures, and sometimes water, to create scenes of miniature worlds that reflect their inner thoughts, struggles, and concerns. During a session, a Mary’s Center clinician will observe the scene your child has created without interruption. After they have finished creating a scene, the clinician will discuss your child’s choices, their arrangement pattern in the sand, and the potential meanings. After talking through their choices, the child may choose to make changes to the world they have created in the sand.
Playful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Playful CBT)
Playful CBT is an accessible way that children can learn how to identify their thoughts and feelings and connect them to their behaviors. This approach is appropriate for children 5-6 years old who would benefit from learning how to manage worries and angry feelings. A Mary’s Center clinician will use a variety of games, worksheets, drawing activities, and play to help your child begin to link how their thoughts may result in feelings and elicit behaviors.
Join our parenting groups and workshops!
Join our parenting groups and workshops to connect with other parents who understand the joys and challenges of raising kids. In these sessions, you’ll learn new parenting skills and share ideas on how to support your children. It’s a supportive space where you can brainstorm together and gain confidence in your parenting journey. Please complete our referral form below to receive more information.
Contact us
Mary’s Center is ready to partner with you on your health journey. If you are interested in the above services, please complete a referral form. Once you submit your referral form, we will contact you about making an appointment.
For additional questions about where services are provided, please use the following numbers:
Mary’s Center Locations that offer Early Childhood Behavioral Health:
DC: Adams Morgan | Fort Totten
Maryland: Silver Spring
Steps for enrollment into Early Childhood Program (0-6 years old)
1. Caregiver or Provider will first complete the referral form. *PLEASE NOTE: A Referral Form is required for enrollment.
2. Choose a date/time to attend an Open Access Intake Group. A referring provider can help you do this!
The times below are subject to change. Plan to arrive at least one hour before the end of the screening window. You may be asked to come back if we have already hit capacity for the day.
Virtual evaluations by Zoom (video required)
Mondays, 2:00pm–4:00pm
Wednesdays, 10:00am-12:00pm
Thursdays, 11:00am–1:00pm
Join all virtual evaluations during times above at https://maryscenter.zoom.us/j/81659090556 (ID: 816 5909 0556)
There may be a wait to join the virtual meeting room. You will be admitted on the order that you arrive.
For any questions or concerns please contact gsaad@maryscenter.org or call (202) 847-4277 with any questions.
Intakes will not be offered: New Year’s Day, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, the day before Thanksgiving Day, Friday After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Once you join the Intake Group:
- You will meet an intake therapist who will share what we offer at Mary’s Center in the Early Childhood Program. *Please note this is a billable session, and your insurance will be billed.
- You will be assigned a therapist for a full Diagnostic Assessment, play assessment, and treatment planning. This may be 3-4 sessions.
- Once you have completed Step 3, the therapist will share availability for ongoing sessions based on treatment recommendations and clinical availability. *PLEASE NOTE: afterschool openings are extremely limited.
Insurance
We accept most insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare. If you don’t have health insurance, we’ll help you apply for public benefits or provide care at a discount.
