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Psychiatry (Child + Adolescent)

Pediatrics

You know your child better than anyone. And your child’s behavioral health is as important as their overall health and well-being. We help you and your child be their best by treating and managing your young child or teen’s mental well-being from anxiety and depression to ADHD and autism.

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This page is for our littlest patients.
Looking to learn how we help adults?

Mindful of kids and their behavioral health

Your child’s behavioral health is critically important to their thinking and behavior. When your child faces a behavioral health issue, it can disrupt their surroundings, your family and your child’s education and future. 

We take a team approach to treating your child by collaborating with specialists in other Tufts Medicine areas such as pediatrics and neurology. We include your family when we offer therapy and treatment, that way everyone has the best information to move forward. While a healthy environment starts at home, we work with educators and others in the community to ensure everyone fully understands behavioral health's importance.

Psychologist talking to pediatric patient during a clinic appointment.
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Conditions

We work with kids and teens every day so we start our care in a kid- and teen-friendly environment and with a thorough evaluation looking at a wide range of emotional, cognitive and behavioral conditions, like:

ADD
ADHD
Autism spectrum disorder
Depression
Developmental disabilities
Eating disorders
Learning disorders
Medical illness
Mood disorders
Stress
Trauma
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Testing

We start with a simple conversation when we evaluate your child’s mental health. We want to find out what’s going on with their development and their physical medical history. How are they doing in school?  Has anything traumatic happened? Has there been a dramatic change in behavior? We may even use questionnaires to figure out what’s going on.

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Treatments

We want your child to develop confidence in themselves and learn, along with your family, how to manage stress and other issues that can influence their mental health. We do this in a warm and welcoming environment specially developed for youth and teens. Your child’s treatment could be a combination of therapy, medications and other support for:

  • Mood and anxiety disorders
  • Psychotherapy
  • Trauma
  • Clinical neuropsychology
  • College learning disorders
  • Foster care, adoption and international trauma
Child trauma

No two children will react the same way to a traumatic experience. Our team is experienced in assessing and treating psychological problems that may be connected to or caused by trauma. We recognize that anxiety, depression, mood swings, behavioral issues, phobias and other symptoms can manifest in children who have gone through trauma.

If your child is struggling with the effects of abuse, bullying, divorce, death, an accident or another traumatic experience, we will collaborate with your family to provide support and guidance for all of you to manage the situation together.

College learning disorders + ADHD

Having a learning disorder or ADHD while in college could make college harder. Learning disorders are usually diagnosed in elementary and middle school, but some aren't detected until adulthood. Regardless of your age, it's never too late to seek help.

Clinical neuropsychology

Clinical neuropsychology can identify connections between brain and behavior. We aim to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, diagnose neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders, and plan and implement intervention strategies.

We evaluate such concerns as:

  • Autism
  • Attention and learning disorders
  • Psychiatric disorders
  • Head injury and sports concussions
  • Brain tumors
  • Medical illness
  • Genetic and metabolic disorders
  • Effects of Infectious Disease

We work closely with doctors from different fields such as pediatrics, neurology, psychiatry, cardiology, nephrology, metabolism and genetics, and general medicine to better understand how different factors affect brain function and treatment options.

Mood + anxiety disorders

It can be hard for parents to tell if their child or teenager struggles with a mood or anxiety disorder. It might be a change in behavior, like being aggressive or acting out, but it can be tough to figure out what's really going on.

Our services go beyond just diagnosing the problem. While medication is an option, we usually suggest combining treatments, like cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and individual therapy. We understand that mood and anxiety disorders can affect the whole family, so we offer family therapy and keep parents involved every step of the way.

Autism + developmental disability

If your child has autism spectrum disorder, they may need extra support, especially if they experience other behavioral and psychiatric issues. We want to ensure you have all you need to manage these challenges and emotions related to autism, Asperger's syndrome, and other disorders within the autism spectrum. The Center for Children with Special Needs supports infants, children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions.

Child + adolescent psychotherapy

We understand that a child's behavioral health issues affect them and their family too. We understand how depression, anxiety, adjustment problems and other conditions can impact siblings and parents too.

We consider everyone's concerns and whether your child is dealing with a mental health problem, a family issue or both. We're committed to supporting you and your family every step of the way.

Foster care + adoption trauma

We're here to help kids who've been adopted or are in foster care, including those who were adopted from other countries. We know that these children may face challenges due to their past experiences of abuse, neglect or other disruptions that can affect their emotional and behavioral well-being. Our aim is to support their unique needs, including exploring their birth family and cultural heritage, making friends and feeling like they belong. We want them to feel connected and cared for.

Anasuya Gunturi MD, PhD talks with patient at Lowell General Hospital's Women's Wellness Center clinic appointment.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the healthcare you need and deserve close to home.

Family physician Sarwada Tuladhar Jha, MD talking to patient during exam at a clinic appointment and inputting health information at the computer.
Our doctors + care team

Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.

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