MindKind - Psychology Services for Children, Adolescents, & Young Adults

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by constant anxiety or stuck in a cycle of sadness, you’re not alone. It’s hard when emotions seem to take over, leaving you feeling disconnected and unsure of how to move forward. Whether it’s the pressure of school, drama with peers, or just trying to keep up with life, it can feel like you're carrying the weight of it all. As a parent, it can be heartbreaking to watch your child struggle with overwhelming emotions, feeling isolated, and unable to navigate the challenges they face. Anxiety and depression can make everyday life feel unbearable for them, leaving them disconnected from friends, family, and even themselves. You want to help, but it’s difficult to know where to start. Are you or your child experiencing anxiety? Here are a few anxiety symptoms that are commonly experienced by youth: • Worrying too much or too often • Easily irritated • Difficulty concentrating • Trouble falling or staying asleep • Muscle tension • Using substances to relax or “calm your nerves” • Avoiding situations that make you feel anxious or uncomfortable • Avoiding social situations Are you or your child experiencing depression? Here is a list of depression symptoms that may be experienced by youth: • Feeling depressed (sad, empty, hopeless) • Easily irritated • Not getting as much enjoyment or feeling as interested in activities you used to enjoy • Changes in appetite (how hungry you feel) or body weight • Difficulty falling or staying asleep OR sleeping too much • Feeling tired or a lack of energy • Feeling worthless • Feeling guilty about things that are out of your control • Difficulty concentrating • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide* • Suicide attempt or developing a specific plan for suicide* *If you or your child have experienced recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempt, or developing a specific plan for suicide, please contact a crisis resources such as the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (Dial: 988) immediately. If this sounds like something you or your child are going through, I am so glad you’re here! Anxiety and depression are commonly experienced during childhood and adolescence, and there are effective psychotherapy treatments available! THE THERAPY PROCESS AT MINDKIND, LLC Starting therapy with MindKind is a simple and supportive process designed to ensure the best care for you or your child. It begins with a free 15-minute consultation call (video or phone), where you can share what you or your child has been experiencing and what you are looking for in therapy. Dr. Mathews provides an overview of her approach to therapy, how she would typically work with the issues you are facing and will answer any questions you have. You and Dr. Mathews will make sure that it feels like a good therapeutic fit for you or your child to work with Dr. Mathews. From there, you and Dr. Mathews can schedule a 1-hour diagnostic assessment appointment. Paperwork will be sent for your completion via the secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, SimplePractice. During the diagnostic assessment appointment, you will complete a clinical interview with Dr. Mathews who will gather relevant information from you and/or your child. This session helps Dr. Mathews fully understand what you or your child are currently experiencing and how various factors are contributing to the problem. Dr. Mathews will then provide feedback regarding diagnostic impressions and evidence-based treatment recommendations. Together, you will develop a personalized treatment plan that includes clear, measurable goals which can be tracked for progress across the course of therapy. Following this, you or your child will begin regularly scheduled 50-minute therapy sessions with Dr. Mathews, tailored to meet the treatment goals you set using evidence-based treatment techniques and to provide ongoing support throughout the process. Throughout the process of therapy, symptoms and progress towards goals will be monitored and this data will be used to modify treatment to best meet your needs. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Mathews will work together with you as a team to support you or your child and progress towards the treatment goals that are most important to you. EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE There are great treatment options available that work to decrease anxiety and depression and give youth the skills they can use throughout the rest of their lives. Evidence-based treatment is treatment that is based on scientific evidence. There has been research done to show that this type of treatment works to decrease anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescents. Not all therapies or treatments are created equal. It is very important to utilize evidence-based treatments when addressing anxiety and depression during childhood and adolescence to make sure youth get the help they need as soon as possible. With that said, each person is different and requires an individualized approach to treatment. Dr. Mathews works as a team with each child or adolescent (and their parent/family) to flexibly adapt evidence-based treatment to meet their unique needs, preferences, and context. For young people, evidence-based mental health treatments often include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps them understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and learn healthy strategies to manage difficult emotions and cope with stressors. Other approaches, such as behavioral activation, exposure therapy, interpersonal therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, and parent behavioral management training may also be used depending on the individual’s and family’s needs. These treatments are tailored to each young person’s developmental stage and are designed to help them build skills they need to thrive in their everyday lives. MORE ABOUT DR. MATHEWS AND MINDKIND, LLC I grew up on a farm in southwestern Wisconsin where I learned the values of hard work, empathy for others, and the importance of community. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with honors (2008). I then moved to Ohio to pursue advanced graduate level education and obtained masters (2012) and doctoral (2015) degrees in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology from Kent State University. I finished my clinical training at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota, where I completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Psychology, with specialized training working with children and adolescents. I have extensive experience working with children and adolescents of all ages (0-25+) in medical settings (e.g., pediatric primary care, level-I trauma hospital, partial hospitalization program) and a variety of other mental health care settings (e.g., community-based and university-based clinics). I have loved every clinical experience I’ve had, and providing psychological services to youth brings me great joy! In addition to my clinical work, I also enjoy participating in the research process and providing instruction and supervision to learners. My research has generally focused on relationships between youth and parents, social-emotional development, and internalizing disorders (anxiety, depression). I have taught undergraduate-level courses on Child Psychology, Child Psychopathology, and Research Methods and have been involved in graduate student and medical education in various ways over the years. On a more personal note, I enjoy spending my time with my spouse and children, taking our dog for walks, reading books from different perspectives that help me broaden my world-view, practicing yoga and meditation, and having living room dance parties with my kids. The name of the psychology practice, “MindKind,” is based on two meaningful meditation practices. First, mindfulness. Mindfulness means “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Second, loving kindness. Loving kindness is a type of meditation, also referred to as metta, that focuses on developing compassion and cultivating love (for both self and others). Dr. Mathews aspires to embody mindfulness and loving kindness on a daily basis and to share a compassionate, mindful presence with others through her work at MindKind. Psychological services at MindKind are grounded in the core values of 1) honoring individual and collective humanity, 2) ethical decision-making and behavior, and 3) utilization of evidence-based assessment and treatment methods. It is our aim to create a safe and inclusive space to provide affirming and culturally responsive psychological health care. MindKind approaches adolescent identity from a developmental perspective, is affirming of LGBTQIA+ identities, and recognizes that diversity and tolerance are especially important for the development of positive ethnic-racial identity. PAYMENT Payment options at MindKind, LLC include self-pay via credit card, debit card, and Health Savings Account (HSA). Dr. Mathews is currently in-network and can accept insurance through United Behavioral Health. Please contact your health insurance provider before scheduling services at MindKind to determine which benefits are available to you for mental or behavioral health care and whether or not services from Dr. Mathews at MindKind will be covered. If you have a different health insurance provider, Dr. Mathews can provide a receipt with appropriate details (i.e., a "superbill") for you to request reimbursement from your health insurance provider after services are provided. LOCATION AND TELEHEALTH MindKind currently offers primarily telehealth (virtual via video) visits to individuals who live in Wisconsin (and 41 other U.S. States). Check here (https://psypact.gov/mpage/psypactmap) to see if you live in a PsyPact participating state where Dr. Mathews can provide services. In-person appointments may be available on an as-needed basis and will be located at Wellspace MKE (5800 W. Burleigh St., Milwaukee, WI, 53210).