Hi, I’m Janine (Ja-neen)

That’s me… and my pup Opie!

Janine’s Kids Page

A woman with short, dark, wavy hair smiling, wearing a cream-colored sweater and red beaded bracelet, posing with her chin resting on her hands against a brick wall.

How I work with kids

I’ve been working with kids as young as 6 years old since 2009. Kids come to see me for all kinds of reasons. Some feel sad a lot, or angry, or grumpy. Some worry a lot, have trouble sleeping, can’t focus in school, or are having a hard time with friends or getting along with others. Some are dealing with really tough things, like pain or big life changes. Everyone is different, and that’s okay.

When we meet, my job is to listen to you and get to know you. I believe that you are the expert on yourself, even if you’re still figuring things out.

You don’t even have to talk right away. Some kids feel shy, anxious, or just don’t feel like talking—and that’s totally okay. We can find other ways for you to let me know what’s going on, and I’ll do my best to help you feel better.

Cute cartoon calico cat with paw raised, smiling with a 'hello' message in blue flowered text.

A cute cartoon bear with paws up, smiling happily, with the word 'hello' in blue letters and a flower integrated into the text.

Cute cartoon pig with big eyes, snout, and ears, with the word 'hello' written above in blue letters and a blue flower next to it.

Line of blue paw prints and small hearts on a white background.

A digital illustration of a hand giving a peace sign, with the fingers colored in pink and yellow, and white highlights on a black background.

Illustration of two pill capsules with smiling faces, colored yellow and pink, on a black background.

Illustration of three capsules with pink and yellow coloring.

About Medication

Sometimes we might talk about medicine that could help your brain feel better.

If we do:

I’ll explain things in a way that makes sense
I’ll be honest about what it does and any side effects
I’ll listen if you don’t like it (maybe it tastes weird, is hard to swallow, feels uncomfortable, or just doesn’t feel right)

If you’re already taking medication and don’t want to anymore, I can help you stop safely or figure out if you can be on less medication.

I believe in two important things when it comes to medication:

Start low – we begin with very small doses so your body has time to adjust
Go slow – if something is helping but not enough, we increase slowly and carefully

My goal is always to help you feel better while using the lowest amount of medication you actually need.

We’ll decide together what feels best for you. Your voice matters.

Illustration of a medicine bottle with a pink cross, a blue and white capsule pill, and a yellow pill, representing medication or pharmaceuticals.

A colorful, cartoon-style representation of a kinesiology or therapy muscle massage tool with pink and yellow sections and white highlights.

Stylized illustration of two capsules, one pink and one yellow, with smiling facial expressions.

A digital illustration of two pink and yellow pills with smiling faces, arranged to form a 'V' shape.

Illustration of three capsules, each with yellow and pink coloring and white highlights.

Decorative graphic with light blue paw prints and heart shapes in a row, connected by a black horizontal line.

Pattern of blue paw prints and hearts on a white background.

A decorative banner with alternating light blue paw prints and heart shapes on a white background.

A tan puppy with a pink collar lying on a brown couch and holding an orange plush toy. In the background, a person in a beige and brown striped sweater is sitting, but their face is not visible.

Blue paw prints and hearts arranged in a horizontal line with text that reads 'Love my pets'.

Line of blue paw prints and hearts on a white background.

Blue paw prints and hearts arranged in a horizontal pattern.

You get a say

It’s okay to talk to me by yourself
It’s also okay to talk with your parent or caregiver
Sometimes I may talk to your parent alone too

If I think it’s important to share something with your parent, I’ll try to talk with you about it first.

The only time I have to tell a parent or adult right away is if you’re feeling like you might hurt yourself or someone else. If that happens, I’ll let you know and we’ll figure it out together.

Graphic with blue paw prints and hearts surrounding the text "You Matter" in bold letters.

Text reading 'Paw-sitive Vibes Only' with paw print and heart illustrations in blue.

Blue paw prints and hearts in a row on a transparent background.

Building trust

I know it can take time to feel comfortable. That’s okay.

You don’t have to share everything right away. We’ll go at your pace. My goal is to make this a place where you feel safe, heard, and respected.

Line of blue paw prints and hearts alternating

Line of alternating blue paw prints and hearts on a transparent background.

Team you

If you already have a therapist, that’s great. With your permission, I’d love to talk with them so we can work together as a team to support you.

Because at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team—Team You.