Welcome
When you feel sad or mad, bullied or blue: Thera-man is here for you!
"When I get upset or need to care for myself, I call Thera-man."-- Superman
About Thera-Man
Thera-man's Story
Thera-man's Mission
Thera-man's Mission
"Thera-man" began in the imagination of Dr. Mark Peterson (Psy.D.); Thera-man is imagined as a children's mental health superhero that de-stigmatizes mental healthcare, while helping to heal parent-child relationships. Dr. Peterson knows personally (and professionally) how difficult it can be for young children or adolescents to turn to m
"Thera-man" began in the imagination of Dr. Mark Peterson (Psy.D.); Thera-man is imagined as a children's mental health superhero that de-stigmatizes mental healthcare, while helping to heal parent-child relationships. Dr. Peterson knows personally (and professionally) how difficult it can be for young children or adolescents to turn to mental healthcare providers for help (that feeling of "going to the doctor", or the childhood version of "stigma" with accompanying shame). Thera-man eases the stress of that help-seeking process for both parent and child.
Thera-man's Mission
Thera-man's Mission
Thera-man's Mission
Thera-man is dedicated to coaching the skills necessary for building constructive social/emotional relationships between children and parents (and psychotherapist, where relevant). This coaching includes well-established, evidence-based methods for increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem at home, school, and other social contexts. Thera
Thera-man is dedicated to coaching the skills necessary for building constructive social/emotional relationships between children and parents (and psychotherapist, where relevant). This coaching includes well-established, evidence-based methods for increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem at home, school, and other social contexts. Thera-man respects and values the great diversity in our society across sociocultural backgrounds, and advocates on behalf of the underrepresented and marginalized for inclusion.
As an advocate for healthy family systems, and parent/child mental healthcare, whenever coaching clients present with needs for clinical psychological or medical care (i.e., beyond coaching-level care) they are referred to the appropriate licensed mental healthcare provider.
Superhero Services
Thera-man's Mission
Superhero Services
Thera-Man's Family Relations Coaching services are considered a "non-clinical" option for those parents and children struggling with short-term social/relational and emotional challenges. Areas most commonly focused on in Thera-man's coaching services include:
● Peer support (proactive ways of making quality friendships) ● Short-term fam
Thera-Man's Family Relations Coaching services are considered a "non-clinical" option for those parents and children struggling with short-term social/relational and emotional challenges. Areas most commonly focused on in Thera-man's coaching services include:
● Peer support (proactive ways of making quality friendships) ● Short-term family communication sessions (whole family meets) ● Psycho-educational skill building (i.e., age-appropriate emotion regulation, for parents too) ● Supportive sense of self (efficacy and self-worth) and related issues ● Coaching the skills to empathize and identify personal issues ● Debriefing on bullying and prevention; how to support self in bullying situations, or in witnessed bullying of others/students ● family systems support/encouragement when clinical referral is needed (with mental healthcare resource info.) ● Individual support of child's uniqueness and strengths ● Acute crisis management (non-traumatic); for example, children changing schools, or relocationg/moving (making new friends), etc.
In each session ("huddle") Thera-man creates a positive and supportive real-time experience online where both parent and child find new skills to resolve their issues at home. In a light-hearted way, "Thera-man" serves to symbolize that 'inner therapist' in all of us-- which exceeds the superpowers of both Spiderman and Superman, combined!