Are you worried about your child’s meltdowns, hitting, challenges with routines, or other stressful family dynamics?
Other therapies have not worked, at least not for long, and you are tired of searching google, blogs, or social media for strategies that work.
You’re in the right place.
Hi there, I’m Dr. Emily Gault (formerly Robertson), PhD, child psychologist and founder of the Center for Child Behavior.
Why we are different.
Boutique Private Practice
We are a locally-owed private practice in Florida offering therapy and comprehensive evaluations to children in Bradenton, Sarasota, and Lakewood Ranch, Florida. I started this practice due to the unfortunate realization that behavioral concerns are the #1 reason children are referred to a mental health provider, and yet not enough therapists have expertise in the therapy we know works. I aim to provide you with an elevated, healthcare experience which is why I only accept ~15-20 families at a time to ensure I can provide the time and dedication to your family. Up front costs, detailed tailored plan for your family, and direct access to me throughout the week via email.
Emphasis on parent involvement
The research shows that child behavioral concerns does not improve without a heavy parent emphasis and role in therapy. I love teaching families like you how to improve not only your relationship with your child but also the strategies for you to use to directly improve your child’s emotional and behavioral health. The research is clear - meeting with a child with behavioral concerns without targeting the parent-child relationship and home dynamics does not work well and many families are left frustrated by lack of progress with child-focused therapy. My job is to teach you how to connect and help your child improve difficult emotions and behaviors.
Research Backed and published author
As a clinical psychologist with extensive research training, I have over a decade of experience conducting clinical work but also a researcher. I have lead or collaborated on over 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed academic journals on topics such as ADHD, behavior problems, oppositional/defiant concerns, parenting, parent-child interaction therapy, telehealth services for families, among others. These research papers include randomized controlled trials to assess what interventions work best for what types of children and families. I value communicating science to parents like you in an easy to digest way.
My area of expertise:
Parenting approaches for families with children with behavioral concerns including ADHD/ADD related challenges/behaviors, oppositional/defiance concerns/child listening, hitting/kicking/aggression
Improving the parent-child relationship and overall family dynamics
School behavioral concerns and homework routines to reduce arguments/conflict
Help overwhelmed parents organize their own routines or schedule
Couple support for parenting differences between spouses/parents
Co-parenting with two home families
Improving routines (e.g., morning, evening)
A note about our areas of expertise:
We do not work with families with children whose primary challenges are generalized or social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, or self-harm/suicidal thoughts. If we determine we are not the best fit for you and your child during our intake process, we will be happy to refer you to other wonderful providers in the community.
While I do work with families in therapy with children with high functioning autism, there are times your child may need more specialized services and a referral to another provider may be more appropriate.
Lastly, although anxiety as a primary concern is not our main focus, we do occasionally work with families with children ages 2-7 who are showing combination of outbursts/meltdowns and separation anxiety challenges using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) - CALM protocol.
What parents like you are saying
“Working with Dr. Emily for three months has changed our lives for the better. My four-year-old son had severe behavior issues that we could not mediate with occupational therapy, speech therapy, or on our own.”
- parent of 4-year-old
“We were in a very difficult place when we met Dr. Emily and really were not sure if it was possible for our situation to change much. Wow! She changed our life dramatically. She makes it so simple and user friendly we couldn't believe we were not doing these strategies before.”
- parent of 9 & 7-year-olds
“I saw counselor after counselor and doctor and other doctors. They recommended all sorts of things. No one told me about behavioral treatments or that the parents should be so heavily involved. And, thankfully, it worked.”
- parent of 7-year-old with ADHD
“We are eternally thankful for the tools, guidance, and support that Dr. Emily provided. My son is thriving - this is every parent’s dream. I highly recommend working with Dr. Emily. She will tailor the program to you while providing you tried and true proven strategies.”
- parent of 4-year-old
Our Services
For families with children ages 2-17 years of age
-
Do you want to talk with Dr. Emily and get her opinion on how to move forward without starting the full programs? Confused as to if your child needs an assessment vs. therapy? Not sure how to prioritize what you need? Booking a consultation will help. She'll be transparent and explain what would help.
-
In group parent coaching, parents receive the same research-backed strategies in Behavioral Parent Traiing but in a small group setting (5 families total). This allows caregivers to learn from other families.
Groups are 7 weeks and parents will learn strategies to help kids with ADHD, tantrums, defiance, hitting, anger, homework, difficult routines (morning and evening), & more!
Improvements are noticeable in 1 to 3 weeks!
-
During this research-backed therapy, parents learn strategies to improve their child’s behavior, family conflict, routines like morning and homework routines, limit setting, increase positive behavior and listening, reduce arguments, and teaching your child to regulate those big emotions/reduce meltdowns.
Improvements are noticeable in 1 to 3 weeks! Families need on average 11 sessions. Please communicate if you for any reason need to keep the program expedited such as financial reasons. She is happy to work with you and prioritize strategies based on your situation.
Dr. Emily will teach you directly how to respond to your child in ways that will improve emotion regulation and listening. This is the gold standard treatment for child behavior problems. See FAQ page for why we don’t meet directly with the child in most cases.
-
PCIT is a research-backed, play therapy for child behavior and emotional problems like tantrums, anger outbursts, defiance, and/or aggression/hitting for children 2 to 7 years old. PCIT is helpful for children with or without a diagnosis of a behavioral disorder. We will work with you either way.
Treatment is typically 12-16 weeks. If you are not able to commit to this length of treatment, Behavioral Parent Training will be a better option (see above tab).
-
Dr. Emily loves teaching other healthcare providers about behavioral interventions for child behavioral chalenges. She is in the process of developing an on-demand, digital course. Please contact her via the contact page to request a training tailored to your needs.
She provides trainings for the treatment of child ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, aggression, violence.
-
Dr. Emily is passionate about speaking and educating healthcare professionals educators, and lay audiences on child behavioral health challenges. She has provided talks and trainings on child ADHD and inattention, defiance and anger outbursts, aggression and violence, juvenile delinquency all while roping in the neuroscience and clinical interventions related to these challenges.
We support parents by showing them how to teach their children to regulate their emotions and big feelings using research supported strategies.
