Psychiatrists in Norfolk County, MA
Dr. Toppelberg is an experienced, Harvard-trained child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, usually working with ages 3-30. He evaluates and treats emotional/ behavioral difficulties including ADHD, depression, trauma, stress, anxiety, and selective mutism, and those preventing weight loss. He has focused on issues of performance at work, study and competitive sports. He regularly works with tour-level tennis players and other professional and student athletes. He is an expert in neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as learning and language disabilities. He runs psychiatric services at an excellent school for children/adolescents with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, the prestigious New England Center for Children.
Dr. Toppelberg is an experienced, Harvard-trained child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, usually working with ages 3-30. He evaluates and treats emotional/ behavioral difficulties including ADHD, depression, trauma, stress, anxiety, and selective mutism, and those preventing weight loss. He has focused on issues of performance at work, study and competitive sports. He regularly works with tour-level tennis players and other professional and student athletes. He is an expert in neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as learning and language disabilities. He runs psychiatric services at an excellent school for children/adolescents with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, the prestigious New England Center for Children.
Online Psychiatrists
I have extensive training and experience in treating a wide array of psychiatric disorders. I am a double board certified psychiatrist with board certifications in Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry.
I have extensive training and experience in treating a wide array of psychiatric disorders. I am a double board certified psychiatrist with board certifications in Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry.
I focus on developing a collaborative relationship with my clients and I am deeply interested in getting to know their unique strengths, needs, and life experiences. I combine evidence based medicine with various therapeutic interventions, to empower my clients to balance their emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Subsequently, they develop healthier life patterns and pursue their personal, academic, and career goals. I completed my residency and fellowship at training programs affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Dual Board Certifications in Adult Psychiatry and in Child Psychiatry.
I focus on developing a collaborative relationship with my clients and I am deeply interested in getting to know their unique strengths, needs, and life experiences. I combine evidence based medicine with various therapeutic interventions, to empower my clients to balance their emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Subsequently, they develop healthier life patterns and pursue their personal, academic, and career goals. I completed my residency and fellowship at training programs affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Dual Board Certifications in Adult Psychiatry and in Child Psychiatry.
I am a dual board-certified Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Having started as an Educator, My Education and training Include a Master’s in psychology, a Master’s in Community and Public health, a Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner, CAGS in PMHNP and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. As a Doctorate prepared Psychiatric and Family practitioner, I draw on my knowledge of Nursing, Psychology, Community / Public Health and Education to advocate for and provide the very best solutions for those I serve. I'm glad to be welcoming new patients Via Telehealth and face to face. You can reach me via email /phone call.
I am a dual board-certified Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Having started as an Educator, My Education and training Include a Master’s in psychology, a Master’s in Community and Public health, a Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner, CAGS in PMHNP and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. As a Doctorate prepared Psychiatric and Family practitioner, I draw on my knowledge of Nursing, Psychology, Community / Public Health and Education to advocate for and provide the very best solutions for those I serve. I'm glad to be welcoming new patients Via Telehealth and face to face. You can reach me via email /phone call.
Malak Rafla
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Cambridge, MA 02139
Waitlist for new clients
Leading a fulfilling and happy life can be challenging and may even seem impossible at times. I believe that communicating and connecting via talk therapy is one path towards a happier and more meaningful life. My view is that therapy provides an opportunity to gain insight into one's relationships with one's self, others and society. I use a variety of approaches in my therapeutic work according to what works for each individual person. Together we'll focus on trying to understand the root causes of various problems and repetitive patterns of behavior that are difficult to change.
Leading a fulfilling and happy life can be challenging and may even seem impossible at times. I believe that communicating and connecting via talk therapy is one path towards a happier and more meaningful life. My view is that therapy provides an opportunity to gain insight into one's relationships with one's self, others and society. I use a variety of approaches in my therapeutic work according to what works for each individual person. Together we'll focus on trying to understand the root causes of various problems and repetitive patterns of behavior that are difficult to change.
See more therapy options for Norfolk County
Play Therapy Psychiatrists
Who is play therapy for?
Play therapy is generally targeted to children between the ages of 3 and 11 who have social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Play therapy has also been found helpful for children who have experienced physical or emotional abuse or witnessed atrocities. Play therapy is also often recommended for children who are undergoing major medical procedures or who are suffering from chronic illness; many children’s hospitals are equipped to offer play therapy on-site. Play therapy is also sometimes used for adults; creative writing, music, and art are expressive forms that can all be adapted for therapeutic purposes.
Why do people need play therapy?
Children often do not have the language skills or words to know or to express what is troubling them. Yet they often spontaneously draw or use playthings to depict scenarios that reflect problems in their everyday life. Play therapy provides children with an array of objects and play situations to act out their feelings or experiences so that therapists can get a clear picture of what children might be struggling with and help them find solutions. In addition, play therapists are skilled at helping children understand their inner experience and find words for them, necessary steps toward helping children learn to control their own behavior and come up with solutions to problems they encounter.
What happens in play therapy?
A child enters a comfortable playroom where they are free to choose the objects they want to play with. The play therapist will typically observe how they play with the toys—whether a sandbox, puppets, dolls and action figures, trucks, costumes, drawing and painting materials, or more—because such play provides clues to a child’s family and social relationships, difficulties they are encountering in the world, and what going on inside themselves. Sometimes the therapist may ask the child to use the play objects to tell a story about their family. Using the same instruments of play, therapists can help children discover more advantageous ways of thinking and behaving.
What kinds of problems do play therapists treat?
Play therapy can help children who display destructive or self-destructive impulses; children who seem angry, sad, or fearful; children who experience frequent social, emotional, family, or school difficulty. Play therapy is often of value to children who have experienced a loss or distressing family experience, who are regularly exposed to family conflict, or who have been physically or emotionally abused. Play therapy can help children who are perpetrators of bullying as well as those who are targets of bullying. It helps children learn to identify their feelings, to express them in constructive ways, and to regulate them so they can get on with the business of development.
How long does play therapy last?
Play therapy sessions may last for 30 to 45 minutes, and they usually occur weekly for about 20 sessions. Each session is tailored to the individual child and the kinds of problems they are struggling with. Play that is highly repetitive often indicates a problem requiring further exploration. Therapists typically measure progress through session-to-session changes in play behavior.