At what age can a child start therapy?

We see children as young as 5, though the format looks different at different ages. Younger children do play-based therapy; older children do more conversational work; teens often work in a style similar to adult therapy. For children under 5, we typically recommend parent consultation rather than direct child therapy.

How involved will I be as a parent?

Very involved. Parents are part of the treatment team. For younger children, much of the most effective work happens between sessions, which means you need tools. We meet with parents regularly — usually every 4 to 6 weeks at minimum, and more often for behavior or emotion regulation work. For teens we respect more privacy while keeping parents looped in on safety and progress.

My child is gifted but also struggling. Is that ADHD, autism, or just giftedness?

Giftedness, ADHD, and autism frequently overlap — these are called twice-exceptional or 2e profiles. Kids who are cognitively ahead but behind in executive function, social-emotional development, or sensory processing are often 2e. A neuropsychological evaluation can clarify what is going on and what your child actually needs.

My teen does not want to come to therapy. What do I do?

This is more common than parents think. We have specific ways of handling reluctant teens, starting with a short, low-pressure first session. If your teen is completely refusing, parent consultation can still move the needle — you can change the system around a teen even when the teen is not participating.

Do you work with autistic kids in a neurodivergent-affirming way?

Yes. Our goal is to help your child understand their own brain, develop skills they actually need, and build a life that fits them — not to teach them to mask more effectively. We do not use ABA-style compliance approaches.

Can you test my child for ADHD or autism?

Yes. We provide comprehensive neuropsychological testing for ADHD, autism, and giftedness in children, teens, and adults at our Seattle and Bellevue offices.

Do you take insurance for child therapy?

We are an out-of-network provider. We provide superbills for PPO reimbursement. Many families also use HSA or FSA funds to cover sessions.

Child & Teen Therapy in Seattle & Bellevue

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Jess Lair

“Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.”

Young girl smiling after session in child therapy Bellevue office

Childhood is full of transitions, challenges, and big emotions. For some children, those challenges become overwhelming. Whether it’s anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, behavioral concerns, or navigating neurodiversity, therapy can provide a safe, structured space to help your child feel understood and supported.

At Sunburst Psychology, we offer depth-oriented, collaborative therapy for children and teens, helping families navigate these challenges with clarity and care.

Our therapists draw from a range of modalities and tailor our approach to meet each child's developmental needs, personality, and lived experience.

At Sunburst, we focus on both short-term symptom relief and long-term emotional growth. This means helping children build coping tools and resilience while also working at a deeper level to shift internal patterns and narratives that may be driving their distress.

We provide child therapy in Bellevue at our warm, thoughtfully designed office space. We also offer online therapy for families throughout Washington State—giving you flexibility without sacrificing depth.

Teen therapy in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond

Parents Are Essential Partners

We believe therapy is most effective when parents are part of the process. As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. We actively collaborate with caregivers through regular check-ins, parent consultations, and training when appropriate.

We also work with schools, teachers, and support teams when needed to ensure the strategies we develop together are reinforced across environments.

For families navigating neurodiversity, we provide specialized support and parent coaching tailored to the unique strengths and challenges of parenting a neurodiverse child.

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Is Child Therapy Right for Your Family?

If your child is struggling with emotional regulation, social issues, or is simply not thriving in the way you know they can,

We are here to help.

Here, we don’t offer quick fixes. We offer consistent, compassionate support for real, sustainable change.

Sunburst Psychology provides neurodivergent-affirming child and teen therapy in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond. Our psychologists specialize in kids and teens dealing with anxiety, perfectionism, ADHD, autism, giftedness (including twice-exceptional or "2e" kids), and big emotions. We offer in-person sessions at our Seattle and Bellevue offices plus secure online therapy across Washington State.

Who we help

We work with kids ages 5 through 18 and their parents. The children and teens we see often look fine on paper — good grades, accomplished parents, enrichment activities — but at home, something is off. They are melting down after school, refusing homework, pulling away socially, not sleeping, hiding their phone, or so anxious about being perfect that they have stopped trying at all. Many are gifted, many are neurodivergent, and many are both. Our job is to figure out what is actually going on and to give your child a space to feel understood — and to give you, the parent, a plan you can actually use.

What we treat in kids and teens

We commonly work with children and teens navigating: school anxiety and refusal, social anxiety and friendship difficulties, perfectionism that tips into avoidance or burnout, ADHD (attention, impulsivity, organization, emotion regulation), autism and autistic traits including in girls and high-masking kids, giftedness and 2e (twice-exceptional) profiles, OCD and intrusive thoughts, adjustment issues from moves or divorce, and big emotions that parents are out of tools to handle. For children who may benefit from a formal evaluation, we also offer comprehensive neuropsychological testing for ADHD, autism, and giftedness.

How therapy works

First session: we meet with parents alone to understand the history, your concerns, and what you have already tried. Second session: we meet the child. From there, most children do weekly 55-minute sessions with their therapist, and parents get either scheduled check-ins (typically every 4–6 weeks) or parent-training sessions when the presenting problem is behavior or emotion regulation at home. For younger children we use play-based therapy and dyadic (parent-child) work. For older children and tweens we use CBT, ACT, and exposure-based therapy for anxiety and OCD. For neurodivergent kids we use approaches that respect how their brain actually works. For teens we often blend CBT with relational work and concrete skill-building around sleep, school, and peer relationships.

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Support for parents

Sometimes the most effective intervention is not therapy for your child, it is consultation for you. We offer parent consultation packages for families of neurodivergent kids, kids with big emotions, and kids whose behavior has started to feel unmanageable at home. These are typically 4–8 sessions focused on specific, practical strategies you can implement that week.

Locations, fees, and how to start

We see children and teens in person at our Seattle office (3101 Western Ave) and Bellevue office (Bellefield Office Park), and online for families in Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Sammamish, Mercer Island, and anywhere in Washington. Sessions are $260–$340 for 55 minutes (parent consultation billed at the same rate); we are an out-of-network provider and provide superbills for reimbursement. Many families use HSA or FSA funds. The first step is a free 15-minute parent consultation call — we respond within two business days.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We see children as young as 5, though the format looks different at different ages. Younger children do play-based therapy; older children do more conversational work; teens often work in a style similar to adult therapy. For children under 5, we typically recommend parent consultation rather than direct child therapy.
Very involved. Parents are part of the treatment team. For younger children, much of the most effective work happens between sessions, which means you need tools. We meet with parents regularly — usually every 4 to 6 weeks at minimum, and more often for behavior or emotion regulation work. For teens we respect more privacy while keeping parents looped in on safety and progress.
Giftedness, ADHD, and autism frequently overlap — these are called twice-exceptional or 2e profiles. Kids who are cognitively ahead but behind in executive function, social-emotional development, or sensory processing are often 2e. A neuropsychological evaluation can clarify what is going on and what your child actually needs.
This is more common than parents think. We have specific ways of handling reluctant teens, starting with a short, low-pressure first session. If your teen is completely refusing, parent consultation can still move the needle — you can change the system around a teen even when the teen is not participating.
Yes. Our goal is to help your child understand their own brain, develop skills they actually need, and build a life that fits them — not to teach them to mask more effectively. We do not use ABA-style compliance approaches.
Yes. We provide comprehensive neuropsychological testing for ADHD, autism, and giftedness in children, teens, and adults at our Seattle and Bellevue offices.
We are an out-of-network provider. We provide superbills for PPO reimbursement. Many families also use HSA or FSA funds to cover sessions.

“Invest in your happiness & well-being for a better tomorrow”

— Felecia Etienne

Our Specialities

Who you are

High-achievers

Perfectionists

Professionals in high-stress jobs

Intercultural Couples

Mixed-Neurotype Couples

Neurodiverse individuals

1.5/2 Generation Immigrants

Racial minorities

LGBTQIA+ folks

What you need

Ease of mind

Content

Calmness

Fulfillment

Joy

Confidence

Safe space

Connection

Customized care

Our approaches

Person-centered

Solution-focused

Emotion-focused

Relational

Culturally-responsive

Strength-based

Existential

Trauma-informed

Gottman

You are ready for a change.

We make the first step forward easy and will accompany you along the journey of finding peace. You don’t have to do this alone.