What to Expect from Child and Family Therapy: A Parent's Guide to CCD's Services in Delaware
· Parenting · By The CCD Clinical Team · Clinically reviewed by Lisa R. Savage, LCSW
Learn what play therapy, EMDR, trauma therapy, teen therapy, school-based therapy, medication management, and family support can look like at The Center for Child Development in Delaware.
What to Expect from Child and Family Therapy: A Parent's Guide to CCD's Services in Delaware
When your child is struggling, the decision to start therapy can feel like two things at once: a relief and a leap of faith. You want help. You also want to know what you are walking into.
At The Center for Child Development (CCD), families do not have to figure that out alone. CCD provides research-backed mental health services for children, teens, adults, and families across Delaware — through their Newark office, telehealth, and school-based programs. They are Delaware's largest provider of school-based mental health services, and their approach centers the whole family, not just the child in the room.
CCD's Therapy Services at a Glance
Play Therapy for children ages 3–12, young teens, and families. EMDR Therapy for children ages 5+, teens, adults, and families. Trauma Therapy for children, adults, and families. Teen Therapy for adolescents and families. Anxiety Treatment for children, teens, adults, families, and couples. Medication Management for children, teens, and adults. School-Based Services for elementary, middle, and high school students. Counseling & Wellness for adults, couples, and new parents. Mental Health Consulting & Training for schools, organizations, educators, staff, and parents.
Play Therapy: When Children Communicate Through Play
Children do not always have the words for what they are carrying. Worry, sadness, fear, grief, anger — these are big experiences in small bodies. Play therapy meets children where they are. Through toys, games, art, sand tray materials, sensory tools, and imaginative activities, children express what they cannot yet say out loud.
EMDR Therapy: Processing Difficult Experiences Safely
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps children, teens, and adults process distressing memories so those memories feel less overwhelming over time. CCD uses EMDR for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, panic, phobias, grief, nightmares, low self-esteem, attachment difficulties, and behavioral issues connected to unprocessed experiences.
Trauma Therapy: Restoring Safety and Trust
Trauma is not always one dramatic event. It can be any overwhelming experience that changes how a person thinks, feels, sleeps, connects, or responds to the world around them. CCD's trauma therapy supports children, adults, and families experiencing nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, irritability, sleep problems, self-doubt, disconnection, or difficulty trusting others.
Anxiety Treatment: Practical Tools for Worry and Avoidance
Anxiety does not always look like worry. It can look like stomachaches on school mornings, repeated what if questions, meltdowns before transitions, sleep problems, perfectionism, social withdrawal, or a child who simply refuses to go. CCD provides anxiety treatment for children, teens, adults, families, and couples using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, individual therapy, family and relationship support, and group support.
Teen Therapy: Support That Respects Adolescents
Teenagers often need therapy to feel different from a lecture. Different from a consequence. Different from one more adult telling them what is wrong with them. CCD's teen therapy is built on connection, respect, and trauma-informed care. The team supports teens navigating social anxiety, academic stress, depression or low mood, panic, identity questions, body image concerns, cultural identity, family conflict, bullying, social media pressure, grief, and major life changes.
School-Based Services: Therapy Where Children Learn
For many families — especially those navigating work schedules, transportation, or multiple children — office appointments are hard to keep. CCD's school-based program removes that barrier by bringing therapists directly into Delaware schools. With caregiver consent and intake paperwork, students meet with a CCD therapist during the school day in a private setting.
Medication Management: When Psychiatric Support May Help
Therapy alone is the right fit for many children and adults. For others, psychiatric support is a meaningful part of a broader care plan — not a last resort, and not a sign of failure. CCD offers psychiatric evaluations and medication management for children, teens, and adults through Taneka Johnson, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC.
Counseling and Wellness for Parents and Adults
Children do better when caregivers are supported, too. That is not a platitude — it is a clinical reality. Through the Delaware Center for Counseling and Wellness, CCD offers adult services for individuals, couples, groups, and new parents.
How Families Can Prepare for Therapy
Before the first appointment, explain therapy in simple, reassuring language. Bring what you have — not a perfect timeline. After sessions, resist the urge to debrief everything. Progress often arrives quietly — fewer meltdowns, better communication, improved coping, more confidence, a stronger sense of connection.
Taking the First Step with CCD
Beginning therapy is an act of care. For your child. For your family. For yourself. Whether you are seeking play therapy, EMDR, trauma therapy, teen therapy, school-based support, medication management, or counseling for caregivers, CCD offers a trusted place to start. To begin, contact The Center for Child Development at 302-292-1334 x101 or email info@thecenterforchilddevelopment.com. One conversation can be the first step toward helping your child — and your whole family — move forward.