Child Therapy

Child Therapy in Bozeman, MT

Looking for a child therapist near you in Bozeman? We work with children ages 3 to 12, helping them feel safer and more understood and building emotional regulation, connection, and confidence, while helping caregivers respond in ways that strengthen the relationship. In person at our downtown Bozeman office, serving families across the Gallatin Valley.

Get StartedCall (406) 580-8082

Child therapy at a glance

  • What it is: Therapy for children ages 3–12 with emotional, behavioral, developmental, and relational needs.
  • Best for: Children facing big emotions, anxiety, behavior changes, or parent-child strain.
  • Approach: Attachment-based and developmentally informed, with caregivers closely involved.
  • Where: In person at 321 E Main St, Suite 418 in downtown Bozeman, serving Bozeman, Belgrade, Four Corners, Manhattan, Livingston, and Big Sky.

What is child therapy?

Child therapy is counseling for children, at our practice ages 3 to 12, that helps a child understand and manage what they are feeling while helping caregivers respond in ways that build safety and connection. Children often show us they are struggling before they have the words to explain what is happening inside. You may notice big emotions, behavior changes, meltdowns, worry, withdrawal, difficulty with transitions, or tension in the parent-child relationship. Child therapy offers a supportive space to better understand what a child is experiencing and what may help them feel safer, more regulated, and more connected. At Bozeman Therapy & Counseling, our child therapists work with children and families across Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley who want support with emotional well-being, behavior, development, and relationships.

Children don't always have the words. Therapy gives them a safe way to be understood.

What can child therapy help with?

Child therapy can support children and caregivers who are experiencing:

  • Big emotions that feel hard to manage
  • Anxiety, worry, or fearfulness
  • Behavioral concerns or frequent dysregulation
  • Difficulty with transitions, separation, or changes in routine
  • Stress related to school, family changes, or life transitions
  • Social or relational struggles
  • Developmental concerns
  • Disconnection or strain in the parent-child relationship

What is our approach to children's therapy?

In child therapy, we look beyond behavior alone and try to understand what a child may be communicating through emotions, actions, and relationships. Children often need support not only with what they do on the outside, but with what they are feeling and needing underneath. Our work may include helping children build emotional awareness and regulation, supporting healthier ways of expressing needs and feelings, strengthening the sense of safety and connection between child and caregiver, and helping parents respond in ways that support regulation and growth. The goal is not simply to reduce difficult moments; it is to help children feel safer, more supported, and better able to move through their world with confidence and connection.

What can you expect in children's therapy?

Child therapy often includes both support for the child and guidance for caregivers. Depending on the age of the child, the presenting concerns, and the clinician's approach, sessions may involve direct work with the child, parent involvement, or a combination of both. Through therapy, families often begin to better understand what a child's behavior may be communicating, recognize the situations that make emotions or behaviors harder to manage, support emotional regulation more effectively, build stronger connection and responsiveness at home, and create more steadiness and safety in daily life. This process can help children feel less overwhelmed and help caregivers feel less alone in supporting them.

Is child therapy right for my child?

Child therapy may be a good fit if your child is having frequent emotional outbursts or trouble calming down, struggling with anxiety, fear, or overwhelm, experiencing behavioral challenges at home or school, having difficulty with transitions or separation, showing signs of stress or withdrawal, or having a hard time expressing what they feel or need. It may also be a good fit if you, as a caregiver, want help understanding how to support your child in a more connected and effective way. Some families begin because their child is clearly struggling; others want support early, before a pattern becomes more deeply rooted.

Do you offer online child therapy in Montana?

Child therapy is most effective in person, where we can engage with your child directly and support the parent-child relationship, so we provide it at our office at 321 E Main St, Suite 418 in downtown Bozeman. Families come to us from Belgrade, Four Corners, Manhattan, Livingston, Big Sky, and across Gallatin County. For caregivers who live further out, we also offer parent consultation and coaching by secure telehealth anywhere in Montana, and we are glad to help you find the right starting point for your child.

When the whole family needs support

Sometimes a child's struggle is really the family's struggle, and the most effective work happens with everyone in the room. If conflict, communication, or disconnection at home is the bigger picture, family therapy in Bozeman may be the better place to start, or a helpful companion to your child's individual sessions.

What to expect when you start

A warm first session

We start by getting to know you and what brings you in — no pressure to have it all figured out.

A plan that fits you

Together we shape an approach around your goals, your pace, and what actually helps.

Steady, real support

Ongoing sessions help children work through big feelings and build steadier days at home and school.

Many families pair their child's therapy with parent coaching, so the work done in session is supported by what happens at home.

Looking for more specific support?

Because families come in with different concerns, one of these pages may be a better fit.

Child-Centered Play TherapyEarly Intervention TherapyDevelopmental AssessmentsParenting SupportTeen TherapyEFFT family sessions

Our Expertise

Specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy

Bozeman Therapy & Counseling is an EFT-focused practice. Our clinicians pursue advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — the leading evidence-based, attachment-based model developed by Dr. Sue Johnson for strengthening connection in couples, individuals, and families. That shared foundation means consistent, research-backed care across our entire team.

Meet our EFT-trained clinicians →

Meet your child's therapist in Bozeman

Children at our practice are seen by Sarah Marsh, SWLC and Micah Leach, SWLC. Both work from an attachment-based, developmentally informed approach within a practice whose clinicians hold specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy. When you reach out, we will talk through what is happening with your child and match your family to the clinician who fits best.

Sarah Marsh, SWLC — Child & Family Therapist in BozemanMicah Leach, SWLC — Therapist in Bozeman

Frequently asked questions about child therapy in Bozeman

What ages do you see for child therapy in Bozeman?

We see children ages 3 to 12 for child therapy at our Bozeman office. Children 13 and older are usually a better fit for teen therapy, which is structured differently around adolescent privacy and independence. If your child is on the edge of that range, we will talk it through in the first conversation and point you to whichever service fits best.

How do I know if my child needs therapy or is just going through a phase?

Most childhood difficulty is developmentally normal and passes. The signals that more support may help are duration, intensity, and spread: a change that has lasted more than a few weeks, distress that is bigger than the situation calls for, or difficulty showing up in more than one setting such as home and school. Loss of skills a child already had, like sleeping alone or separating at drop-off, is also worth a conversation. When in doubt, an initial consultation often clarifies things quickly.

What is the difference between child therapy and play therapy?

Child therapy is the broad term for therapy focused on a child's emotional, behavioral, developmental, or relational needs. It can include play, talk, parent coaching, and work on the parent-child relationship. Play therapy is one specific method within child therapy: the child uses toys, art, and imaginative play as their language, because most young children process experience through play more readily than through conversation. Most of our work with younger children includes play-based sessions.

Can parents be involved in child therapy?

Yes, and with younger children caregiver involvement is usually essential rather than optional. Depending on your child's age and what brought you in, a course of therapy may include sessions with your child alone, sessions with you and your child together, and separate parent consultation time. Our approach is attachment-based, which means the relationship between you and your child is treated as part of the work, not a backdrop to it.

Do you offer support for younger children and developmental concerns?

Yes. For children under 3, or when the main question is about developmental progress rather than emotions or behavior, early intervention therapy and developmental assessments are usually the better starting point. A developmental assessment looks at social, emotional, cognitive, and motor development to identify where support would help most.

How much does child therapy cost, and do you take insurance?

Current session rates, the insurance plans we are in network with, out-of-network superbills, and sliding-scale options are all listed on our Insurance & Fees page. If you are unsure what your plan covers for a child's mental health visit, call us at (406) 580-8082 and we will help you figure out what to ask your insurer.

See therapy costs & insurance in Bozeman

Do you see children from Belgrade, Livingston, Big Sky, or elsewhere in the Gallatin Valley?

Yes. Our office is at 321 E Main St, Suite 418 in downtown Bozeman, and we see families from Belgrade, Four Corners, Manhattan, Livingston, Big Sky, and across Gallatin County. Child therapy itself is offered in person, because working with a young child and the parent-child relationship depends on being in the room together, but caregivers outside Bozeman can also use secure telehealth for parent consultation and coaching.

Who are the child therapists at Bozeman Therapy & Counseling?

Sarah Marsh, SWLC and Micah Leach, SWLC see children at our Bozeman office. Both work from an attachment-based, developmentally informed frame, which means they pay attention to what a child's behavior is communicating and treat the parent-child relationship as part of the work. You can read more about each of them on their clinician pages, and we will help match your family to the right fit when you reach out.

Start therapy in Bozeman

Beginning therapy can feel vulnerable. We aim to make the process clear and welcoming. Whether you are looking for support for yourself, your relationship, your child, your teen, or your family, we are here to help you take the next step.

Start TherapyMeet Our Clinicians