Individual Therapy

At this time I am exclusively offering teletherapy appointments.

I conduct individual therapy with a specialty in working with elementary school-age children.  Issues are commonly related to anxiety, emotion regulation, family dynamics, and challenges associated with AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and social skills. 

I employ a cognitive-behavioral theoretical framework, and my style is to pair compassion and acceptance with direct communication and problem solving. Establishing trust and mutual understanding are important aspects of the work.

In addition to conversation and psychoeducation, I add creative activities to enhance the child's engagement and strengthen the therapeutic relationship.   My passion is to assist individuals and families with self-discovery, self-acceptance, and with taking positive action to improve their emotional coping skills and relationships.

It is important to involve caregivers when working with children, and there are different models for parent participation that we can discuss. I also collaborate as appropriate with other individuals, including teachers, doctors, and other helping professionals.

Groups

At this time, I am working on providing groups online. If you would like to place your child on an interest list, I am accepting referrals for my iThrive Kids Emotion Regulation and Resilience Groups.

Appropriate referrals will be children who are:
4th-5th grade students
experiencing mild-to-moderate emotion regulation challenges
reading at a 4th grade level
able to sit and participate in a group delivered via a online format

Please email me at leah@leahaltemeier.com to inquire about upcoming groups and be placed on an interest list.

Parent Coaching

I frequently consult with parents on developing their child's executive skills and emotion regulation, and on decreasing noncompliance at home.  My approach draws from the work of Carolyn Webster-Stratton and John Gottman, among others.

As we work together, we may address how to:
  • increase desirable behaviors
  • respond versus react to a child's misbehavior
  • improve morning and bedtime routines
  • increase cooperation
  • teach self-soothing and emotion regulation
  • improve executive functioning skills such as impulse control, time management and organization

IQ Testing

​Please note that I am NOT administering cognitive/IQ tests for the remainder of 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. You are encouraged to reach out to school admissions directors for a list of psychologists who are offering this service.

Many families seek additional, objective information in order to make informed decisions about their child's education. I provide IQ tests for children as young 
as four years of age for this purpose.  This testing can be used for private school applications, as well as for the appeals process for advanced learning
programs in public schools, such as Spectrum and HCC.
I have provided these kinds of assessments for both public and private school programs since 2006. In addition, I regularly attend collaborative meetings between psychologists and private school admissions directors so that I can provide reports that are relevant and ​informative to the schools' decision-making processes.

Public School Programs

I have provided testing for the Seattle Public Schools, Edmonds School District, Everett Public Schools, and the Mercer Island  School District.

Private School Programs

I have provided testing for applicants to Evergreen School, Seattle Country Day School, UCDS, Open Window, and many other private schools in the Puget Sound area.  My reports are accepted by all schools.

Appeals Process

Please read carefully the SPS Advanced Learning webpage for recently updated information regarding the appeals process, as well as the thresholds for Spectrum/ALO and HCC.  

Application Process

Please find information about testing requirements for the following schools:

Seattle Country Day School
Evergreen School
University Child Development School