Child Behavioral Therapy, Testing, and Psychiatry Under One Roof
Most parents who reach us have already tried something. A school counselor, a pediatrician’s referral, maybe a therapist who listened well but could not say what was actually going on. Child behavioral therapy works better when the same team treating your child can also run the testing and handle your medication questions if they come up.
That matters most when the picture is unclear. A child who cannot settle in class might be anxious, might have ADHD, might be both, and the answer changes what helps your family. Therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists here work in one practice, so your question gets settled once instead of across a year of referrals.
When Parents Start Looking for a Child Therapist
There is no single threshold, and waiting for one is how families lose a year. Most parents call when something has outlasted a phase and started costing their child something real, like friendships, sleep, or wanting to go to school at all.
The National Institute of Mental Health lists warning signs worth an evaluation. These are the ones parents raise with us most often.
- Frequent tantrums or irritability that has not eased as your child got older
- Worry or fear that shows up most days, or that keeps your child home
- Lost interest in things your child used to enjoy
- Pulling away from friends and activities they used to ask for
- Constant motion and trouble sitting still, except in front of a screen
- Sleep, appetite, or school changes that have run longer than a few weeks
None of these confirms a diagnosis on its own. They are reasons to have a child behavioral therapist take a look, which is a smaller step than most parents expect it to be.
How Child Behavioral Therapy Works Here
What the work looks like depends on your child’s age and on how much they can put into words. Younger children often do better with play therapy, where the play itself carries the conversation. School-age children and teens usually move between talking things through and practicing skills between sessions.
Sometimes what looks like one child’s problem turns out to be a family pattern. Family therapy and parent coaching can move faster than individual sessions in those cases. Filial play therapy trains you to run the therapeutic play at home, which suits younger children with attachment or behavior concerns.
Some children need answers before therapy can be aimed properly. ADHD and autism testing tells you what you are working with, and the results come back to the same clinicians who will use them. When your teen outgrows what worked at eight, teen therapy picks it up without a new intake somewhere else.
Integrated Expert Support
Family-Centered Care
A Plan That Changes With Your Child
Why Choose WBMA for Child Therapy?
One practice covers the whole picture for children and teens, from first evaluation through therapy, testing, and psychiatry. You are not assembling a child mental health specialist, a tester, and a prescriber from three different offices.
Our Areas of Support
Neurodevelopmental Support
- Autism
- ADHD
- Tic disorders
- Tourette’s
- PANDAS / PANS
Emotional Well-being
- Anxiety and Social Anxiety
- Childhood depression
- Phobias
- Sleep Disturbances
- Anger Management
Family & Relationships
- Parent/Child Relationship
- Behavioral Challenges
- Complex Mental Health Needs
- Crisis Support and Prevention
What the First Few Visits Look Like
The first appointment is a consultation. You describe what has been happening, what you have already tried, and what you want to be different. Your child may join for part of it, depending on age and on how they feel about being there.
From there the clinician proposes a plan. It might be weekly therapy, it might start with testing, and it sometimes includes a psychiatry consult if medication is worth discussing. You can say no to any part of it.
Telling your child what is coming helps. A short, true version the night before lands better than a surprise in the car.
Who Leads the Care
Child psychiatry and child therapy are separate training tracks, and most practices carry one of them. This practice was founded by Dr. Gonzalo Laje. He trained in general psychiatry at New York University/Bellevue Hospital, then in child and adolescent psychiatry through the combined NIMH and Children’s National program in Washington, DC.
His research is in pharmacogenetics, the study of how a person’s genetics shape their response to medication. He has authored more than 57 peer-reviewed publications and is listed as co-inventor on two patents. He also serves on the editorial board of Child Psychiatry & Human Development and the scientific advisory board of the Madison House Autism Foundation.
When your child’s therapy stalls and the question turns medical, the same practice can take it from there.
Insurance and Out-of-Network Coverage
WBMA is out-of-network with all insurance providers. Most families would rather hear that up front.
Out-of-network does not always mean no coverage. Many plans reimburse part of out-of-network behavioral health care, and what you get back depends on your specific plan. Call the number on your insurance card and ask about out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits for a dependent.
Where Families See Us
The practice sits at 5480 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 223, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, on the DC line. Children and teens come in from Bethesda, Northwest Washington DC, Potomac, Kensington, Rockville, Silver Spring, and McLean.
This is a neurodiversity-affirming practice. Autism, ADHD, and related differences get treated as things to understand and build around, not as faults to correct in your child.
Answers to Common Questions About Child Therapy
What is child behavioral therapy?
It is talk-based and play-based care aimed at how your child feels and acts, delivered by clinicians trained in child development rather than adult psychology. Families also search for it as child counseling or pediatric therapy, and the terms overlap in practice. Sessions target specific difficulties like anxiety, anger, school refusal, or trouble with friendships.
How much does child therapy cost, and will insurance cover it?
WBMA is out-of-network with all insurance providers, so you pay for sessions and then claim reimbursement from your plan. Many plans cover part of out-of-network outpatient mental health care for a dependent, and the amount varies by plan.
What role do parents play?
A large one, and it is usually the part that decides whether therapy holds. You help set the goals, you learn what to do differently at home, and in approaches like filial play therapy you run part of the work yourself.
How do I explain therapy to my child?
Keep it short and true. Most children accept something like meeting a person whose job is helping kids with worries, and they do better knowing beforehand than walking into a surprise.
What if my child does not want to go?
Common, and not a reason to stop. Resistance often eases once your child meets the therapist and works out that nothing is being taken away from them, and the first sessions are built with that in mind.
Why does early support matter?
A difficulty caught at seven is usually smaller than the same difficulty at fifteen, and your child has spent fewer years building habits around it. Waiting rarely makes it simpler.
How do you decide on a plan?
The consultation comes first, then a recommendation built from what you describe and what the clinician observes, plus testing if the picture needs clarifying. Your plan gets adjusted as your child responds.
How do we get started?
Request a consultation and say briefly what is going on. You will be asked about your child’s history and what you have already tried.
Start With a Consultation
If your child has been struggling for longer than a phase, the next step is a consultation. One conversation, and a clearer picture of what the options actually are. Booking one does not commit you to anything. Request a consultation and tell us what has been going on.
