WELCOME

Az Young Child Counseling is a west valley group practice committed to helping young children (ages 0 to 12 years old) and parents move from surviving to thriving. Whether you are navigating through life stressors, struggling with developmental challenges, or recovering from traumatic experiences, Az Young Child Counseling provides a space that fosters discovery, healing, and growth for Arizona families.

Our Founder and Lead Clinician

My name is Sara Rabago Young. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, the owner and lead therapist at Az Young Child Counseling.

As a native Arizonan, it has been an honor to serve youth and families in the greater Phoenix area for the last 18 years. My journey as an agent of hope and change has been in public education, in the non-profit sector, and now in private practice. For more than a decade, I have been practicing as a Child and Family Therapist while receiving extensive training in supporting young children and their caregivers. I have additional training and expertise in treating children with anxiety and OCD. In addition to working with children and families, I have a Perinatal Mental Health Certification to treat and support parents experiencing perinatal mental health issues.

I look forward to the opportunity to help your family grow through what you are going through!

Our Approach & Philosophy

Az Young Child Counseling weaves a variety of approaches and modalities in our work with children and parents. Some of which include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
MBCT Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
TF-CBT Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Child-Parent Psychotherapy
Parent-Focused Therapy
Play Therapy
Circle of Security Parenting
Safe & Sound Protocol
SPACE Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions

We believe that parents play a vital role in their child's treatment. At Az Young Child Counseling caregivers are actively involved in their child's therapy. This helps parents incorporate what is learned in counseling sessions into their daily life. We also recognize that being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Often, parents struggle identifying and responding to their child's needs. This can be influenced by their own experiences as a child, past trauma, or current stressors. So in addition to services for children, we also offer support that is just for parents. Parent-focused services can include individual and group counseling, and coaching for caregivers of young children. In our parent-focused approach we assist caregivers with developing strategies and tools to address challenging behaviors all while prioritizing their connection and attunement with their child. Because when children feel safe, secure, and supported they not only become better equipped to face adversities and overcome obstacles, they thrive!

Az Young Child Counseling provides treatment for perinatal mental health because we know that parents need and deserve support during and after pregnancy. Perinatal mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth and 1 in 7 moms experience a perinatal mood disorder. If you are experiencing a perinatal mood disorder, you are not alone, you are not to blame and you will be well!