Dr. Sophia Walder-Hoge has worked with teens and their families in a variety of settings, including private practice, schools, hospitals/medical facilities, and community mental health settings. She has provided individual therapy with adolescents and families with a variety of challenges, including interpersonal and relational difficulties, parenting, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and trauma. She has extensive experience working with teens and families experiencing major life transitions, behavioral/conduct issues, parenting concerns, AD/HD and developmental disorders, including autism spectrum. She has also conducted group therapy for teens for social skills training. Dr. Walder-Hoge has a special interest in working with teens and families with managing recent or ongoing medical concerns and supporting autonomy and identity exploration.
Dr. Walder-Hoge believes that it is crucial to engage with teens in an accessible, fun, and respectful manner. She brings a sense of curiosity and acceptance that helps teens and families feel comfortable and facilitates addressing difficult topics. Dr. Walder-Hoge believes in the importance of a collaborative approach that includes family and parents, but also wishes to respect the need for a separate space for teens to feel safe and understood. She utilizes a variety of approaches, including cognitive-behavior therapy, to support adaptive coping, problem-solving skills, self-regulation, and interpersonal functioning. She is particularly attentive to communication, healthy boundaries, and family functioning, in addition to addressing the multitude of changes that accompany adolescence.