PEDIATRIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Where Wellness Centers on Both the Mind and Body
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We Believe Quality Pediatric Care Should Encompass the Whole Person
Pediatric Associates of the Northwest strives to be your Medical Home, which is why we offer our patients integrated behavioral health services. Whether it’s helping a toddler with sleep training or a teenager with anxiety, our team of experienced mental health specialists emphasizes prevention and early intervention, collaborative care with your medical team, and empowering patients and parents to manage their mental health from childhood through adulthood.
Vivian Aranda-Michel
PsyD
Alex L. Cross-Knorr
PhD
Todd Hiller
PhD
Tamara L. Pederson
PhD
MEET OUR TEAM
Where Experience Meets Empathy
At PANW, we take a patient-centered approach to behavioral health, which means we start where the patient is ready to begin, and we share their goals throughout treatment. All care is informed by compassion and acceptance as our team works to cultivate resiliency through early intervention, family-centered education, and evidence-based treatments. Discover our understanding approach to behavioral health by learning more about each member of our team.
OUR PRACTICE
Integrated Healthcare, All In One Place
Because we believe that mental health is a fundamental part of overall health and well-being, our behavioral health services are easily accessible to PANW patients. We offer convenient scheduling options and, when possible, try to cluster appointments with other medical providers. That means if you’re already in the clinic to see your pediatrician, you can often also see your behavioral health provider for a streamlined experience.
We understand that early intervention is best. That’s why we screen every patient for behavioral health concerns during well-child visits. When issues do arise, our brief-treatment and consultative approaches emphasize efficient and effective care with self-help education, in person or telehealth treatment, and, for long-term care, referrals to outside providers.
SERVICES
How We Can Help
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from behavioral health services. Our evidence-based interventions can assist families as they address common developmental challenges like bedtime stalling and toilet training in toddlers, new-sibling jealousy, and tantrums.
Additionally, our pediatric mental health specialists provide psychological evaluations and treat a wide variety of concerns including:
- Neuropsychological testing
- ADHD evaluations/attention problems
- Autism evaluations
- Developmental concerns
- Managing anxiety, fears, and worries
- Coping with stress
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Grief/loss
- Learning/academic/cognitive concerns
- Self-esteem and self-confidence issues
- Emotion-coping skills
- Behavioral challenges
- Parenting skills and/or stress
- Family and peer relationship challenges
- Toileting, picky eating, and sleep training
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
When More Help is Needed, We’re Here For You
As with physical illness and injury, mental health concerns can appear gradually or suddenly. If your child demonstrates any of the following symptoms, we encourage you to seek out behavioral health services immediately.
- Changes in usual functioning including reduced effort or performance at school, inadequate sleep, loss of interest in hobbies or hygiene, social withdrawal
- Significant family or peer conflict
- A major change in behavior or competency (e.g., a younger child suddenly requiring help to dress themselves)
- Suicidal thoughts or feelings of wanting to die
- Aggressive or risky behaviors
Because our pediatric patients are integral parts of their families, we also pay attention to family pressures. For parents who may be coping with unusual levels of stress, including food insecurity, housing concerns, and other resource needs, our Family Support Specialist assists with emotional support and resource finding as necessary.
Looking for more information on pediatric mental health?
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT
Ready To Meet? We Are Too.
Take your first step toward an even healthier future. Speak with your pediatrician by calling the clinic at 503-227-0671 or emailing through the patient portal to learn more about accessing PANW’s exclusive behavioral health services today.