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Child Psychotherapist Alissa Hansen

Welcome!

  • Do you value a psychotherapist who, because of their child therapy specialty, will provide premium research and evidence-based treatment addressing the root cause of your child’s needs and provide you with the answers and solutions? 

  • Are you a highly-motivated parent/caregiver who is dedicated to showing up for your child and family the same way you show up for your high-performing career? 

  • Is it important to you that you and your family receive the gold standard treatment approach for children 2 to 6 years old?

  • Maybe you understand by being proactive and investing now in premium, depth-based services, you will be less likely to need long-term therapy treatment?

 

Hi! My name is Alissa and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who is passionate about helping young children, parents/caregivers, and their families.  I have a highly specialized skillset in that I work with children aged 2 to 7 years old and their high-achieving caregivers to provide fast, effective, and long-term positive outcomes that are backed by research and science. I am a Certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapist (PCIT) and have completed an Early Childhood Mental Health Intensive (ECMH) cohort through the Riley Child Development Center at Indiana University School of Medicine. This highly selective cohort focused on training providers to work with children 0 to 5 years old and their families.​

Often parents come to me feeling overwhelmed and defeated, thinking they are doing something “wrong” and that their child's behaviors reflect their inability to be a "good" parent. Or they share with me their child has been in therapy in the past but as the parent, they have no idea what was addressed or how to help their child because they either didn't join their child in sessions or were not provided a clear list of interventions to work with at home.

As a parent myself, I understand the pressures we ourselves, and society as a whole, place on trying to be the "perfect" parent. I partner with caregivers to find solutions to the needs of their children while providing hope and empowerment. Over the course of my professional career, I have learned the biggest indicator that a minor will make positive changes in therapy is if at least one caregiver is committed to, and actively involved in, their mental health.​ I believe you are the "key" to helping cultivate your child’s ability to manage their own behaviors and process their emotions. You are the expert in regard to your child. You know your child the best and you deeply care. You are not a failure!!

Intensives

  • Intensive are designed for high-performing and mentally stable parents who are motivated and dedicated to fast, sustainable results.

  • Are you wanting treatment but have a deadline or timeline you must meet and addressing the mental health part of your life will help you achieve said goal or task?

  • Are you and your partner experiencing conflict as a result of struggling to align on how to parent your child(ren)?​

  • Is your child facing expulsion or repeated suspensions and/or are you or your partner(s) worried about job security or meeting your professional goals, as a result of missing work to address your child's behaviors?

Please see the FAQ section to learn more

Art Class

PCIT 2 Week Intensive

  • The PCIT two week intensive program runs Monday through Friday mornings for two consecutive weeks. Appointments begin each day at 9 am EST and the length of time varies on the day.

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  • Within 14 days of starting the program, you and your family will have learned skills to improve attachment, positive interactions, behaviors and increase your confidence as a parent while helping foster an increase your child's self-esteem.

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  • This program is backed by evidenced-based research showing it is just as effective as the standard weekly PCIT model of therapy.

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  • I am honored the lead researcher of the PCIT Intensives, Dr. Paulo Graziano, has agreed to be my consultant for this program.

Sitting on Couch

Parenting Intensive

  • Designed exclusively for families where the child(ren) are under the age of 18.

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  • With Parenting intensives, I am able to expose the issues, "dig deep" and look for patterns, dynamics and interpersonal interactions within the family unit while allowing time for solutions to be identified.

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  • I offer an accepting, affirming, and non-judgmental space for parent(s) and/or caregiver(s) to explore how their own struggles and childhood experiences with their parental figures are affecting the ways they show up for their own child(ren).

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  • ​I am trained to assess how each individual in the family unit may be affecting the identified client (or clients) and I value community, family (chosen and/or biological), and improving the family unit as a whole.​​​​

Therapy Services

  • Do you want someone who will challenge you and your family to grow and heal? Someone who will be a support and who will provide nonjudgement and a safe space to be vulnerable and process what is needed in order to make lifelong progress?

  • ​​Do you value family and community, and are you wanting to find or cultivate relationships that will provide support for you and your family?

  • Are you ready to explore and identify the behavior choices that are holding you back from increased success? From having a healthy, balanced and well-adjusted life and family?

  • Do you want a provider who will look at the “whole picture,” consider you and your family unit, and work to identify the areas you all can grow and heal?

Child

Specialized Child (2-7 yr old) psychotherapy 

  • Anxiety

  • Attachment concerns

  • Verbal and physical aggression

  • Behavioral outbursts & emotional dysregulation

  • Attention & concentration difficulties

  • Defiance and opposition

  • Difficulties adjusting to life transitions & stressors

  • Feelings Identification & coping skills

Parent

Parent Psychotherapy

  • Struggles with the work/life balance of being a parent

  • Feeling like a failure​ or inadequate

  • ​Inability to manage child(ren)'s behaviors & emotions

  • Uncertainty regarding appropriate discipline techniques

  • Difficulty remaining consistent 

  • Typical parenting books & resources have not worked​

Family

Family Psychotherapy

  • Sibling conflict & jealousy

  • Real-time implementation & practice of skills with family unit

  • Increasing feelings of safety & security between family members

  • Development of healthy interpersonal relationships & communication skills

  • Cultivating a safe space for family to address difficult feelings, situations or events​​

  • Align family & caregivers to ensure a united front and consistent approach with treatment implementation

Training - Community Support - Guest Speaking

  •  Specialty:

    • Infant & Children aged 0 - 6 & those that care for them

Daycare, Childcare, or Educational Facilities

  • Trainings or in-services for staff regarding developmentally appropriate, PCIT-informed, science and research-based, behavior interventions to help your students 

Community Events, Groups, Organizations or Private Gatherings

  • Presentations on a variety of topics affecting children aged 2 to 6 and their caregivers

Specialist Guest Speaker or Interviewee

  • I would love to be interviewed for your podcast, writing project or media content

About Me

I love integrating hands-on artistic elements into my practice and have fond memories from my home-based therapy positions of driving home after sessions with craft feathers floating around in my car and my arms covered in stickers. My first job post-graduate school was a community-based position working with juveniles on probation. I saw firsthand the effects of unresolved childhood trauma and the havoc it wreaks in the lives of teenagers and their families. It was clear to me early childhood intervention was vital to helping shape the trajectory of our youth. 

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My approach is attachment focused, parent affirmative, and centered in evidence-based practices. I specialize in working with child with attachment concerns, verbal and physical aggression, behavioral outbursts, attention difficulties, defiance and opposition, poor school performance, anxiety, and difficulty adjusting to life changes. I help parents find effective discipline solutions to manage the problem behaviors in their children. Most young children are eager to learn and eager to please their caregivers (even if it may not always seem that way). I help parents capitalize on this desire by facilitating an environment where the child can be successful in managing and coping with their behaviors and struggles.

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I have worked in various settings with individuals of all ages. In the past I have been a hospice social worker, provided therapy services in the home and community, facilitated sessions at a therapeutic boarding school for teenage girls, and work as a child therapist at a community mental health agency (Oaklawn) in Indiana. 

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Advanced Trainings:

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Licenses and Certifications:

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  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

    • Indiana License Number: 34008218A

      • Active since 2018​

    • Florida License Number: SW14342

      • Active since 2017​

  • Certified Parent Child Interaction Therapist (PCIT)​

    • Active since 2024​

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Education:

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  • Master of Social Work (MSW) from Andrews University

    • Graduated August 2013​

  • Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Andrews University

    • Graduated May 2012​

 

Research Projects (under my maiden name Mayer)

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Parent Support Psychotherapist Alissa Hansen
About Me
FAQS
Contact Me

Contact Me

  • In Person Office Location: 

    • 1001 North Hickory Road Suite 3

            South Bend IN 46615

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  • Virtual Psychotherapy for clients in Indiana & Florida 

  • Training & Speaking Engagements

    • Virtual or in person worldwide

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Inquiry Form

I am Interested In Learning More About                                                           

The child/children I need support with are aged 7 or younger                

Select an option

* If you are experiencing a medical emergency or other urgent need, you must call 911 or go to your local emergency department or urgent care center.

* By submitting this form via this web portal, you acknowledge and accept the risks of communicating your health information via this unencrypted email and electronic messaging and wish to continue despite those risks. By clicking "Yes, I want to submit this form" you agree to hold Oasis of Healing Psychotherapy, LLC and Alissa Hansen, MSW, LCSW harmless for unauthorized use, disclosure, or access to your protected health information sent via this electronic means. 

I look forward to speaking with you soon!

© 2021–2025 by Alissa Hansen, MSW, LCSW - Oasis of Healing Psychotherapy, LLC

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