Madalyn Kostur, LSCW-A
Children + Teens + Families
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Contact Maddy Today!
MKostur@DavidsonFamilyTherapy.com
704-226-1659
“There is no greater work human hands can do than to hold a child with a fierce tenderness that says in a way words never can: ‘you are loved’, ‘you are safe’, ‘you can trust’”. - Parker Palmer
Every child deserves to be a child - to feel safe, loved, and to experience the world through a lens filled with wonder, joy and curiosity. When trauma occurs, it can affect every fiber of a child’s being, causing chaos and disruption to their childhood. It can often feel impossible to know where to begin to start the healing process. That is why I am here - to help your child untangle and process the jumbled and complicated emotions that trauma can cause. Through processing with your child, we will explore emotions and experiences that will help them heal, increase their sense of safety and security, and learn skills to help them cope with intense moments of emotions.
I use a child-centered approach, meaning I meet each child where they are with empathy and understanding, taking into account every factor that is playing a role in their life. In the playroom, your child gets to be fully, authentically them - without judgment and taking the lead. In play therapy, we use the language that all children are fluent in - play. Finding words to fully express how trauma has affected an individual is difficult for anyone, especially a child who might not yet have the vocabulary to process their experiences. The playroom is a place for the child to experience control over the situations and emotions in their life that produce chaos and unease, all the while feeling in their element, surrounded by toys, games, and books familiar to them.
Your child and family’s stories are precious and deserve to be held with the utmost respect. To be entrusted to walk alongside you and your child as they navigate their past stories, their current stories, and their future stories is the greatest honor.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate in North Carolina and graduated with a Master’s in Social Work and a certificate in Play Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I specialize in working with people ages 3+ and their family system. I am trained in multiple approaches of play therapy, including Child-Centered Play Therapy, Child-Parent Relationship Training C-PRT , Expressive Arts Therapy, and Sand Tray Therapy. I am is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDR and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy TF-CBT. I specialize in working with children and families who have had DSS involvement as well as adoptees and has extensive experience working with different child welfare programs, including Youth and Family Services, Guardian ad Litem programs, and non-profit organizations.