Newtown, Pennsylvania
Child & Family Therapy in Newtown, PA
Support for big feelings, changing routines, and the relationships that shape your child’s world. Compassionate outpatient care for families in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.
Support for your child and family
You do not have to figure it all out alone.
When your child is struggling, everyday moments can start to feel harder. Getting out the door, settling after school, navigating friendships, or talking through a disagreement may bring more stress than anyone expected. You may be wondering what your child needs, how to respond, or whether it is time to ask for help.
At Renewed Hope Family Services, child and family therapy makes room for those questions. We offer care that considers your child’s developmental stage, your family’s relationships, and the circumstances around what has changed. The starting point is understanding, rather than blame. Together, you and your therapist can identify meaningful goals and consider ways to support your child while caring for the connections that matter at home.
Reasons families reach out
When feelings and family life need more support.
You do not need a diagnosis or a complete explanation before contacting us. Share what you are noticing and what you hope might become easier. Therapy can offer a place to explore concerns that show up differently at home, at school, or in relationships.
- Worry and big feelings.Anxiety, sadness, frustration, or difficulty settling may leave children and caregivers unsure how to move through the day together.
- School and peer concerns.Changes in friendships, school stress, or trouble managing emotions can affect how a child feels about themselves and the people around them.
- Family conflict.Repeated arguments, communication difficulties, or tension between siblings can make home feel less connected than you want it to be.
- Transitions and loss.A move, separation, grief, a new sibling, or changes in caregiving can ask a great deal of a child and the whole family.
- Parenting feels harder.Caregivers may want support with boundaries, routines, understanding behavior, or responding to a child’s needs without feeling overwhelmed.
Play therapy for young children
Room to express what words cannot yet explain.
Young children do not always have the language to describe what feels upsetting or confusing. Play therapy offers a developmentally appropriate way to communicate through play and creative expression within a supportive therapeutic relationship. As the Association for Play Therapy explains, play can help children express experiences and feelings that are difficult to put into words.
Our team includes clinicians who use child-centered play therapy, sand tray, and other play-based approaches. Depending on your child’s needs and the clinician’s approach, sessions may make room for imaginative play, creative activities, or supported opportunities to notice feelings and practice different responses. The work is guided by therapeutic goals, rather than an expectation that a young child should sit still and talk like an adult.
Caregivers also bring essential knowledge: what helps your child feel safe, what has changed, and where daily life feels stuck. Your therapist can discuss how play-based work and caregiver support fit together. When you contact us, mention your child’s age and your interest in play therapy so we can help you explore an appropriate clinician and current availability.
Family therapy and caregiver support
Care for the relationships around your child.
A child’s concerns rarely exist in isolation. Family members may have different perspectives on what is happening, and each person may be carrying their own stress. Family therapy creates space to understand those perspectives, notice patterns in communication, and work toward ways of responding that feel more supportive.
The focus is not on choosing a person to blame. A therapist may help family members slow down a familiar disagreement, name a need more clearly, or consider how routines and expectations affect one another. Parenting support can also offer time to reflect on boundaries, emotional regulation, and practical responses to challenging moments. Goals should reflect your family’s needs and values, rather than a single idea of what a family should look like.
Sessions may involve your child individually, caregivers, or family members together. The mix depends on the concerns you bring and the plan developed with your therapist. Families can include parents, guardians, blended families, and other important caregiving relationships. If you are unsure who should attend, we can discuss that before you begin.
For older children and teens, care can make room for more direct conversation as well as activities that fit their interests and comfort. A young person may want help with friendship stress, feeling misunderstood, school pressures, or changes at home. Giving them a voice in the goals of therapy can help the work feel connected to their own experience. Your therapist can discuss how to balance that space with caregiver involvement.
It is also reasonable for caregivers to have needs of their own. You may feel stretched between work, school schedules, sibling needs, and responding to difficult moments. Support can include reflecting on what is realistic for your household and choosing manageable steps to practice between sessions. The aim is to develop shared understanding and useful responses, without expecting a family to become perfect or change every routine at once.
Beginning care
A first appointment starts with listening.
Your therapist will want to understand what prompted you to reach out, your child’s strengths, and what has felt difficult. Information about home, school, relationships, previous support, and recent changes can help build a fuller picture. You do not need to arrive with perfect words or every answer.
There is room to ask questions about the approach, caregiver involvement, and what sessions may look like. Your therapist can explain privacy and its limits in age-appropriate terms and discuss how information is shared with caregivers. These conversations help everyone understand the expectations around care.
Goals can begin with specific everyday concerns: finding a calmer way through transitions, recognizing feelings sooner, or having a difficult conversation with more understanding. Your therapist can help you consider what progress would mean for your family and revisit those goals as needs change.
Our child and family clinicians
Find care that fits your child’s stage.
Our team includes clinicians who work with young children, school-age children, teens, parents, and families. Age ranges and approaches vary. Learn about Dr. Heather Pinto and Elizabeth Waholek, whose backgrounds include work with young children and play-based approaches, or explore the full team to consider your options.
Practical answers
Questions before you begin.
Do you offer play therapy for young children?
Yes. Our child and family therapy services include play-based work for young children. The approach depends on your child’s age, needs, and clinician. Ask about play therapy when requesting an appointment so we can discuss an appropriate fit.
Will parents or caregivers be involved?
Caregiver involvement is an important part of planning care. Sessions may include a child individually, caregivers, or family members together, depending on the goals. Your therapist will discuss participation, privacy, and how to support your child between appointments.
What ages do your clinicians work with?
Age ranges vary by clinician. Our team includes clinicians who work with children as young as three, as well as school-age children and adolescents. Share your child’s age when you contact us so we can discuss current options.
Can we meet in person or by telehealth?
In-person appointments are available at our Newtown office. Secure telehealth is also available when appropriate for the child or family. Clients must be physically located in Pennsylvania during telehealth sessions. Ask which format best fits your child’s age and needs.
Do you accept insurance?
We’re in network with Aetna, Keystone Health Plan East, Personal Choice, Independence Blue Cross, United Health Care/Optum Health, Highmark PA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Medicare. We are not in network with any Medicaid products. Contact us to confirm coverage for your specific plan.
A little support can make the next step clearer.