Children, teens, and families
Counseling for children, teens, and families
When a child’s needs overlap—emotional, behavioral, developmental, educational, or trauma-related—families often get passed from one specialist to the next. Dr. Darleen sees the whole child, and helps the whole family.
Request a consultationPrivate telehealth counseling for residents of Georgia, Florida, and Virginia.
Is your family facing this?
Families often reach out when a child or teen:
- Has big feelings, meltdowns, or behavior that does not respond to the usual approaches
- Is struggling at school, with learning, attention, or getting along with others
- Has a developmental or intellectual disability along with emotional needs
- Has been through trauma, loss, or a move into foster, kinship, or adoptive care
- Seems withdrawn, anxious, or hard to reach
Many children have more than one of these needs at once. That is exactly the kind of child Dr. Darleen specializes in.
Behavior is communication
Every behavior tells us something about what a child needs. When early relationships or experiences are disrupted, some developmental steps may be missed. Those steps can still be built (Siegel, 2012).
Children heal in relationship. When parents and caregivers are part of the work, progress comes home with the child.
Secure, caring relationships are the foundation of healthy development (Bowlby, 1969).
How Dr. Darleen helps
Dr. Darleen is a certified special education teacher and former special education director as well as a licensed counselor. Her care brings these worlds together:
- Developmental assessment that looks past labels to what your child needs next
- Connection-based parenting support, because connection comes before correction (Purvis et al., 2007)
- Trauma-informed care for children who have lived through hard things, including children in foster, kinship, and adoptive families
- Hands-on, sensory, and playful methods that match how children learn
- School coordination with IEP and 504 teams when you want it
What sessions look like
Meet from home, wherever you are in Georgia, Florida, and Virginia.
A full counseling hour, without the commute.
Usually weekly, on a schedule we set together.
Parents and caregivers take part as your child needs.
A real reason for hope
Adverse experiences in childhood are common and can affect health for life (Felitti et al., 1998). But early, caring, relationship-based support makes a real difference. A child’s brain keeps growing and adapting, and so does a family.
Every child has strengths. Dr. Darleen helps families find them and build on them.
Meet Dr. Darleen
Dr. Darleen Claire Wodzenski, MS ESE, MA CMHC, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, is the Clinical Director of Orchard Human Services, Inc. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia, Florida, and Virginia, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor who trains other counselors. Before becoming a counselor, she taught piano and dance, taught general and special education, served as a special education director, and worked as a graduate tutor and faculty member.
Dr. Darleen’s 2018 doctoral research focused on attachment, and she developed the Human Super Power of Attachment™ approach for parents, caregivers, and professionals. She has worked with children of all abilities for more than thirty years: teaching piano and dance, teaching in general and special education classrooms, and now in counseling.
Private self-pay counseling
You pay the full session rate directly. Paying privately means no insurance record of your diagnosis or treatment. Sessions are by secure telehealth, so you can meet from home anywhere in Georgia, Florida, and Virginia.
Why private pay?
No claim is filed, so no insurance record of your diagnosis or treatment.
You and Dr. Darleen decide the focus and pace of care, not an insurer.
No insurer caps on how many sessions you can have.
Fees change only on January 1, with advance notice. You will receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs before your first appointment.
Take the first step
Planning to use insurance? Please use our Appointments page instead.
Questions first? Email DrDarleen@orchardhumanservices.org.
This page is for general information and is not a diagnosis or treatment. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911. See our crisis resources.
Not ready to book yet?
Start with the free guide
The Brilliance Within: Discovering Your Human Super Power™ is Dr. Darleen’s strength-based guide to healing for individuals and families. It covers trauma, dissociation, BPD, attachment, autism, and the tools that help people grow.
Get the free guideCommon questions
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How soon can I start?
Where do sessions happen?
Does telehealth work for children?
Do I need a diagnosis first?
Does Dr. Darleen prescribe medication?
What if I am in crisis?
References
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
Purvis, K. B., Cross, D. R., & Sunshine, W. L. (2007). The connected child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family. McGraw-Hill.
Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Orchard Human Services, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 4813 Ridge Road, Suite 111-83, Douglasville, GA 30134.