About Me
As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a PCIT certified therapist, I specialize in helping loving - but exhausted - parents of very young children who are struggling with severe tantrums, difficulty following directions, and aggressive and destructive behaviors.
And as a parent myself, I get it. I’ve raised my voice at my child and felt awful afterward. I invest deeply in my parenting and in my personal and professional growth, and still, parenting has a way of triggering deeply buried emotions.
Managing all the emotions - yours and your child’s - on top of daily life can be draining: work, chores, packing lunches, and then hours of crying, yelling, hitting, or throwing. Did anyone warn you that the terrible twos might just be the beginning of threenagers and fournadoes? Being a parent can be tough…and wonderful, all at once.
When your child’s behavior feels overwhelming and you’re not sure what more to do, that’s where I come in. I love helping parents and young children build deeper connections, create more loving relationships, and reduce the emotional storms that so often show up in early childhood - whether a child’s development looks typical for their age, they are neurodivergent, and/or they have a clinical diagnosis.
Elmira Ferris, LMHC, PCIT Certified Therapist
Grounded in my values of helpfulness, curiosity, and respect for research, I want to truly hear you and your story. Your story matters. Your culture and values matter—especially when it comes to parenting. Shaped by my upbringing in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, my interracial marriage, and my ongoing commitment to broadening my professional knowledge, I strive to bring cultural sensitivity and respect to my work with every family.
You are the expert on your child and your situation. We’ll work together as teammates. With care and kindness, we’ll work together to understand the underlying emotions and behaviors, yours and your child’s, and build practical skills to make things better for all of you.
I bring deep expertise in early childhood development and mental health. I’ve been studying psychology since 2005 and have focused my training on supporting children from birth to age 7 since 2010. My background includes research lab work, early childhood education using the HighScope curriculum, and clinical work as a child therapist since 2018.
Ongoing learning matters to me. I am a member of INfancy Onward, receive specialized supervision in infant and early childhood mental health, participate in play therapy supervision, and regularly attend trainings and stay current with the research. When we meet, I invest in truly understanding you and your child - and I learn from you, because you know your child best.
I’m also passionate about early childhood prevention and support professionals through consultation and workshops for therapists, educators, and others working with young children and families.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family - you might see me around town jumping on trampolines or at the playground with my kid. For self-care, I love reading, art, and dancing.
If you need help helping your little one, I invite you to reach out to see if I’m a good fit for you and your child. And if you’re exploring other options, I’m always happy to share referrals to trusted providers in the community.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Elmira Ferris, LMHC
PCIT Certified Therapist
