Child Counseling in Jacksonville, FL | D’Arienzo Psychology

Last updated September 2026.

When a child is struggling, the problem rarely stays contained to the child. Anxiety can affect school. Behavior problems can create stress throughout the family. Divorce can change a child’s sense of security. ADHD can turn homework into a nightly battle. Bullying can affect confidence, mood, friendships, and academic performance.

At D’Arienzo Psychology in Jacksonville, Florida, we provide counseling, psychological testing, parenting support, family services, and academic assistance for children, teenagers, parents, and families.

Our approach is practical. We want to understand what is happening, why it may be happening, and what the child and family can actually do differently to improve things.

Child Counseling in Jacksonville, Florida

Children do not always tell adults that they are anxious, depressed, embarrassed, angry, lonely, or overwhelmed. Many times, parents first notice a change in behavior.

A child who is struggling may become more irritable, withdrawn, clingy, oppositional, fearful, distracted, emotional, or reluctant to attend school. Grades may decline. Sleep may change. A child may stop wanting to participate in activities that used to be enjoyable.

Child counseling can help families understand what may be contributing to those changes and develop practical strategies for helping the child function more successfully at home, at school, and socially.

Problems We Help Children and Families Address

Children and families come to D’Arienzo Psychology for many different concerns, including:

• Anxiety and excessive worry
• Social anxiety and social fears
• Separation anxiety
• School anxiety and school avoidance
• Depression and persistent sadness
• Bullying and peer problems
• ADHD and attention difficulties
• Oppositional and defiant behavior
• Behavior problems at home or school
• Difficulty adjusting to divorce or separation
• Family conflict
• Low self-esteem
• Poor social skills
• Difficulty making or maintaining friendships
• Stress and adjustment problems
• Study skills and academic difficulties
• Parent-child communication problems

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Counseling for Children

Depending on the child’s age, needs, and presenting problem, treatment may include principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly called CBT, along with other evidence-based and developmentally appropriate approaches.

CBT helps children begin to understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

For example, an anxious child may automatically think, “Everyone is going to laugh at me,” avoid participating, and then never have the opportunity to discover that the feared outcome probably would not have happened.

Treatment can help the child recognize patterns like these, develop coping skills, gradually face appropriate challenges, and learn more effective ways of responding.

Parents Are an Important Part of Child Counseling

One thing I have learned from working with children and families is that you usually cannot help a child effectively while completely ignoring the environment around the child.

Parents matter.

Depending on the child’s age and the nature of the problem, our work may include parent consultation, parent coaching, behavioral strategies, or family counseling in addition to individual work with the child.

Parents may receive help with setting limits, reinforcing positive behavior, reducing power struggles, helping anxious children without reinforcing avoidance, improving communication, establishing routines, managing school responsibilities, and helping children cope with family changes.

Child Counseling for Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons parents seek psychological help for children.

Children may worry about school, friendships, separation from parents, health, embarrassment, making mistakes, sleeping alone, social situations, or situations adults may not initially recognize as threatening.

Sometimes anxiety is obvious. Other times it looks like irritability, avoidance, stomachaches, tantrums, perfectionism, procrastination, or repeated requests for reassurance.

The goal is not to convince children that nothing uncomfortable will ever happen. The goal is to help them develop the confidence and skills to handle uncomfortable situations more effectively.

ADHD, Behavior Problems and Parent Coaching

ADHD and behavioral concerns can become exhausting for both children and parents.

Families may find themselves repeating instructions, arguing over homework, negotiating routine responsibilities, or punishing the same behaviors without seeing meaningful improvement.

Counseling and parent coaching can help families develop clearer expectations, consistent consequences, better reinforcement systems, improved routines, and strategies appropriate for the child’s developmental level.

If the question is whether a child actually has ADHD, a learning disability, autism, or another psychological or developmental condition, counseling alone may not answer that question. A formal psychological or psychoeducational evaluation may be more appropriate.

Learn More About Psychological Testing and Assessment in Jacksonville

Helping Children Cope With Divorce

Divorce is an adult decision that can create very adult problems, but children still have to live with the consequences.

Children may experience sadness, anger, loyalty conflicts, uncertainty, changes in routines, fear about the future, or pressure to take sides.

In my forensic and family psychology work, I have seen how much better children tend to function when parents protect them from adult conflict and give them permission to maintain healthy relationships with the important people in their lives.

Child and family counseling can help parents better understand a child’s reaction to separation and create a more stable emotional environment during and after divorce.

Learn More About Our High-Conflict Co-Parenting Resources

Bullying, Confidence and Social Problems

Bullying can affect much more than whether a child enjoys going to school. It may affect concentration, academic performance, confidence, mood, friendships, and willingness to participate socially.

I have discussed these issues publicly as a psychologist as well. News4JAX has interviewed me about bullying, school functioning, children’s confidence, parenting, and children’s online behavior.

Read My News4JAX Interview About Bullying and Children

Children, Social Media and Online Behavior

Parenting children today also means helping them navigate a digital environment that did not exist when many parents were growing up.

Social media can amplify peer pressure, approval seeking, bullying, impulsive decisions, social comparison, and access to people children would never encounter in ordinary daily life.

I have also joined News4JAX to discuss children’s social-media behavior and what parents can do to become more involved in their children’s online lives.

Read My News4JAX Interview About Children and Social Media Safety

Meet Our Child, Teen and Family Providers

One advantage of D’Arienzo Psychology is that families are not limited to one type of provider. Our team includes psychologists, a licensed mental health counselor, and an educational specialist with different areas of expertise.

Not every provider sees every age group or treats every problem. When you call our office, tell us what is going on. We can help determine which provider and service may be the best fit.

Child Counseling vs. Psychological Testing

These services serve different purposes.

Child counseling focuses primarily on helping the child and family change emotional, behavioral, or relationship patterns.

Psychological testing is designed to answer a specific diagnostic or assessment question.

A psychological or psychoeducational evaluation may be appropriate when concerns involve ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, intellectual functioning, academic achievement, giftedness, memory, attention, or complex emotional and behavioral concerns.

Learn More About Our Child Psychology Services

Why D’Arienzo Psychology?

I founded D’Arienzo Psychology after serving as an active-duty U.S. Navy psychologist. Since then, the practice has grown into a multidisciplinary psychology and counseling practice serving children, teenagers, adults, couples, families, attorneys, organizations, and public-safety professionals.

One of the advantages of having a larger team is that the same provider does not have to be the answer to every problem.

A child who needs counseling may have different needs from a child who needs an autism evaluation. A teenager struggling with athletic performance may benefit from a sports psychologist. A Spanish-speaking family may prefer a bilingual counselor. A student struggling primarily with organization may need academic coaching rather than psychotherapy.

Our goal is to help families start with the right service.

Psychology, Parenting and Children in the Media

I have also spent many years discussing parenting, children, mental health, trauma, relationships, bullying, criminal behavior, and social-media issues in television and other media.

I believe psychologists have an important role beyond the therapy office. Part of our responsibility is helping parents and the general public understand psychological science in language that is useful in everyday life.

View Dr. Justin D’Arienzo’s Media Appearances and Psychology Commentary

Related Child, Teen and Family Services

Families may also want to explore the following services at D’Arienzo Psychology:

• 
  Child Psychology Services
  
• 
  Counseling for Parents, Teens and Children
  
• 
  Psychological Testing and Assessment
  
• 
  Psychoeducational Testing
  
• 
  ADHD Evaluation and Services
  
• 
  Sports and Performance Psychology
  
• 
  Tutoring and Academic Coaching
  
• 
  High-Conflict Co-Parenting Resources
  

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Counseling

How do I know which provider is best for my child?

Call the office and tell us your child’s age, the main concerns, whether you are looking for counseling or testing, and whether there are any special needs such as Spanish-language counseling, sports psychology, educational testing, or academic coaching. We can help identify the most appropriate provider based on the referral question and current availability.

How do I know if my child may benefit from counseling?

Consider seeking professional guidance when emotional or behavioral changes are persistent, getting worse, or interfering with school, friendships, family life, sleep, activities, or normal day-to-day functioning.

Do parents participate in child counseling?

Often, yes. The amount of parent involvement depends on the child’s age, developmental level, the presenting concern, and the goals of treatment. With younger children especially, helping the parents change patterns at home can be an important part of helping the child.

Does D’Arienzo Psychology provide CBT for children?

Depending on the child’s needs and treating provider, services may include cognitive-behavioral strategies and other evidence-based interventions appropriate for children and adolescents.

Can counseling help a child affected by divorce?

Yes. Counseling may help children express feelings, understand changes in the family, develop coping skills, and adjust to new routines. Parent guidance can also help reduce children’s exposure to adult conflict.

Do you help children with ADHD?

Yes. Our providers work with ADHD and attention-related concerns. Depending on the referral question, a child may benefit from counseling, behavioral intervention, parent coaching, psychological testing, academic coaching, or a combination of services.

Do you provide psychological testing for children?

Yes. D’Arienzo Psychology provides psychological and psychoeducational testing for children and adolescents when formal assessment is appropriate.

This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for an individualized psychological evaluation or treatment recommendation. Provider availability, age ranges, and services may change. If a child is in immediate danger or experiencing a mental-health emergency, seek emergency assistance immediately.