Children & Teens
Thoughtful, whole-person care for children, adolescents, and the families who love them.
INTRODUCTION
At Lucera Health, we approach children and teens within the context of the larger family system.
When a young person is struggling, the impact is rarely isolated to one child alone—it often affects the rhythms, relationships, and emotional life of the whole family.
Our goal is to offer a warm, thoughtful assessment process that helps families better understand what may be contributing to a child or adolescent’s challenges and identify meaningful, individualized next steps. Whether concerns relate to behavior, attention, mood, trauma, anxiety, emotional regulation, or family stress, we take time to understand the full picture.
Our Approach
Children and teens communicate in many different ways. Sometimes their distress shows up through behavior, withdrawal, worry, irritability, sleep disruption, school struggles, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty with attention and regulation.
At Lucera, we believe assessments should feel supportive, relational, and developmentally attuned—not intimidating. We use a collaborative, whole-person model that considers the child’s emotional health, developmental history, medical background, relational world, and broader family context.
Our assessment process is designed to create space for both the parent perspective and direct connection with the child or teen, allowing us to build a more thoughtful understanding of what is going on and how we can help.
Our Assessment Process
Initial Parent Consultation (45–60 minute virtual visit)
The assessment process begins with a virtual consultation with parents or caregivers. This visit gives us the opportunity to gather background information and better understand the concerns bringing your family in.
During this visit, we may explore:
Developmental, medical, and mental health history
Social, relational, and family dynamics
Current behavioral or emotional concerns
School-related or attention-related difficulties
Stressors within the family system
What parents are currently noticing, carrying, or navigating
This conversation helps us begin forming a more complete picture of your child’s experience and the broader context in which symptoms are occurring.
In-Person Child or Teen Assessment (45–60 minute visit)
After the parent consultation, we meet in person with the child or adolescent for a supportive, developmentally appropriate assessment.
We aim for this visit to feel warm, engaging, and non-intimidating. With younger children, especially, we often incorporate play-based and relational interventions as part of the assessment process. This helps us gather meaningful information in a way that feels more natural and less overwhelming.
Depending on the child’s age, developmental stage, and presenting concerns, the assessment will include a thoughtful social, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric evaluation.
Concerns We Commonly Assess
Behavioral and emotional challenges
ADHD symptoms or concerns related to focus and impulsivity
Anxiety and excessive worry
Mood changes, sadness, irritability, and suicidality
Trauma-related symptoms
Difficulty with emotional regulation
Social or relational difficulties
Family stress and adjustment challenges
Our aim is not simply to label symptoms, but to understand what may be driving them and how we can best support the child and family as a whole.
After the Assessment
We provide personalized recommendations that may include therapeutic interventions, pharmacologic treatment, integrative support, and parent guidance — always through a collaborative, shared decision-making model.
Follow-Up Care
Follow-up frequency depends on your family's needs. In higher-acuity situations, we may meet weekly or biweekly. Most families settle into visits every 1–3 months, supported by ongoing access to our secure direct-to-provider messaging system between appointments.
Take the Next Step
If your child or teen is struggling and you are looking for a thoughtful, whole-person assessment process, we would be honored to support your family. Click below to inquire or schedule an appointment.