Specialized Therapy for Children & Families, LLC

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day, ❤️! Get outside and enjoy the day! Don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much you love them! Today and every day! And most importantly – know your worth and love yourself ❤️!
Much love,
Specialized Therapy for Children & Families ❤️

02/12/2026

We are incredibly honored to share that Specialized Therapy for Children and Families has been named Best of Business Ratings for Psychotherapy in 2025, as ranked off of reviews.

Thank you to the individuals and families who took the time to vote for us among so many deserving professionals. Your trust means more than words can express.

This recognition truly belongs to the families I have the privilege of working with every day. Your courage, commitment, and willingness to grow are what make this work so meaningful. Watching you lean into challenges, embrace growth mindsets, and show up for yourselves and your children is inspiring.

I am deeply grateful to be part of your journeys. Thank you for allowing me to do the work I love. 💙

— Kristy Fernand, LCSW
Specialized Therapy for Children & Families, LLC

02/06/2026

🌟Recommending this beautiful book, a powerful read for anyone experiencing loss. So personal, this book is written as a journey, a reminder that life is a constant walk ✨ thru the many challenges of separation and grieving, as well as new beginnings. We often face change, whether we are ready or not… but as author Jared Sais says, “What if the only way to heal… was by stepping into the world of grief itself?”💫 *Please feel free to browse a sample of this book, on display in our waiting room Counseling & Wellness Center. 🌟You may also contact if you would like to purchase your own copy🤍

11/24/2025

11/19/2025

🤓Checkout our FREE DBT skills “cheat sheets!” Used to organize coping strategies into the four core modules of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. 🤍These skills help individuals manage intense emotions, build resilience, and improve relationships. Call today & Schedule an appointment at Specialized Therapy for Children & Families! Incredibly effective work is awaiting your TEEN, or perhaps yourself! 🙋‍♀️💁‍♂️ This very specific model has been proven to effectively teach regulation of emotions, build a mindfulness practice , improve communication & decrease/replace self-harming behaviors with appropriate/safe coping skills. Call & ask about our DBT model today! Kristy Fernand, LCSW 🙌(201)383-5716 #❤

11/03/2025

To all of the parents seeking support, following the loss of an infant: A dear longtime colleague & friend to “Specialized Therapy,” Maureen Gaffney, LCSW, is hosting this sensitive, yet incredibly healing/reparative workshop in Frederick Maryland. It is free to attend and she has decided to add the option to attend virtually. The goal of the workshop is to help grieving parents prepare for the holidays.

The workshop will cover topics such as:

* Boosting your self-care
* Managing your time with friends and family
* Learning different ways to answer difficult questions
* Finding meaningful ways to include your baby

To register for the event, please complete this Google Form:
https://forms.gle/EfreFsyggV1rewD49

If you know anyone you think would benefit from attending please share the flyer or link to sign up so that Maureen can reach out to them to confirm attendance and provide the link.

Thank you for helping spread the word.

With love & well wishes for you,
Kristy Fernand, LCSW

10/22/2025

I share this with you as a Positive Body Image Warrior- and in honor of Mental Health Awareness, Eating Disorder Recovery & Self-Love💖 … this message is spot on! Love this girl, from a personal and a professional standpoint - we need more role-models speaking out just like you Meredith Steele - so THANK YOU🙏❤️!

10/10/2025

🏃‍♀️

10/04/2025

Pick your head up
Plant your feet
Breathe in deeply
Believe and repeat ✨

09/19/2025

Thx to The National Alliance-4-Eating Disorders for this month’s “Raising Awareness around the Stigma related to Large bodied individuals”❤️Type this link into your search bar to register for the above support group via zoom!❤️ https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErf-iqqj8vGdXTBCfJCNBjKeXBBU39NhHF #/registration

#❤

09/14/2025

🧠What if you trained your brain to identify stress, as “FUEL FOR GROWTH”? 🧠. This article in Pschology Today, speaks on the topic of “operating at the edge of difficulty” claiming how “minds not only recruit resources to grow, when things are more stressful”, but that is also where they lay the foundation for personal well-being.🧐.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒So perhaps the next time you think you’re doing your child a favor, by making life easy on them, eliminating all stressors for them, including an after school routine that is free of chores or responsibilities, think again!

🌟 We need challenging environments because they activate internal mechanisms of adaptation and growth. In their absence – like an immune system, overprotected and shielded from germs – we are prone to be more weak, both physically and psychologically.

🚀👑💯

08/26/2025

Being prepared = Being successful💥