Licensed psychologist no. CV18694 · Sessions in Spanish and English
When afternoons end in conflict and nothing you try works consistently, it does not mean you are doing it wrong. It means your child may need more than love alone can provide.
"The first session is not about working. It is about helping your child feel comfortable."
Tick the phrases you recognize in your daily life.
"Taking your child to therapy is not admitting you have failed. It is exactly what a mother does when she wants the best for her child."
Families who come to therapy do not come because they have done something wrong. They come because they have realized there is something their child needs that love alone, without the right tools, cannot provide. That takes a lot of courage.
Cristina Mata · Child Psychologist
Rewards, consequences, conversations, parenting books. All of that makes sense. But if your child’s behavior keeps coming back again and again, you are probably not failing: you are working on the surface of something with deeper roots.
"Knowing your child needs to regulate their emotions is not the same as being able to teach them how."
Teaching a child to manage their emotions requires a method adapted to their development, their way of processing the world, and the family context around them. Not because parents are not enough · but because this is exactly what child psychology exists for: giving your child the tools that love alone cannot build.
Not every child needs the same thing. Some need to understand what is happening inside and learn tools. Others first need a clear assessment to understand what is behind their school, emotional, or neuropsychological difficulties.
Child psychology sessions with an integrative CBT approach, adapted to the child's age, their way of expressing themselves, and the family dynamic. The goal is not to 'fix' your child, but to help them understand what they feel and give them tools to regulate better.
Ideal when you can already see something is going on, but you need concrete tools.
Ask about child therapyA complete psychological assessment helps you stop guessing. It explores how your child learns, pays attention, processes information, manages emotions and what support they may need at home and at school.
Ideal when you need objective answers before deciding the next step.
Ask about assessmentsEvery child has their own pace. Even so, many families begin to notice changes first in safety, then in emotional expression, and over time in everyday family life.
These timeframes are indicative. Progress depends on the child's age, the reason for consultation, family involvement, and what is happening in their environment.
Initial consultation
The process begins with a clinical interview to explore the main concerns, relevant background and current functioning. For children and adolescents, this typically involves parents or caregivers, while for adults the focus is placed on the individual’s own experience.
Individualised assessment planning
Based on the initial information, the assessment is tailored to the individual’s needs. Appropriate standardized tests, questionnaires and clinical tools are selected to explore cognitive, emotional, behavioural or developmental aspects.
Assessment process
The assessment is conducted over several sessions, at a pace that allows for accurate and meaningful results, ensuring the person feels comfortable throughout the process.
Clinical integration and diagnosis
All the information gathered is carefully integrated to identify patterns, understand underlying difficulties and, when appropriate, establish a clear and well-founded diagnosis.
Feedback and report
A feedback session is provided to explain the findings in a clear and accessible way, answer any questions and offer guidance on the next steps. A detailed written report is also included.
What the assessment includes
Comprehensive assessments for children, adolescents and adults to better understand emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties, and provide clear diagnoses when needed.
They arrived exhausted, feeling they had tried everything without results. What they say most after the first few weeks is not that their child changed overnight · it is that, for the first time, they understood what was happening. And that changes everything.
My 8-year-old son had been anxious about school for months. I had spoken to the tutor, the counselor… nothing. In three months with Cristina, something changed that I did not know how to name: he started talking about what he felt. For the first time, I understood him.
My daughter’s outbursts were becoming more and more frequent. I felt completely without tools. What surprised me most is that Cristina also helped me respond differently. It was work for both of us · and it shows.
We were expats with a seven-year-old struggling to adapt to the Spanish school system. Cristina was the only therapist we found who could work fully in English. The change in our daughter over just a few months was remarkable · and real.
Real testimonials with initials and minimal details to preserve confidentiality.
Cristina Mata
You do not need to explain what it feels like to raise a child with emotional difficulties, what it means when the school calls, or the mix of love and exhaustion that appears at the end of the day. I understand it, and I know what may be behind it.
I work with children and young people aged 5–21 who struggle to manage emotions, freeze in the face of frustration, suffer at school or cannot yet put words to what they feel. My approach uses clear, evidence-informed tools adapted to each developmental stage · always with parents included in the process.
I offer sessions in Spanish and English, allowing English-speaking families to work without losing any therapeutic · or emotional · nuance.
What you may be telling yourself right now.
"If I take my child to a psychologist, they will think they are crazy."
Children perceive exactly what adults transmit to them. If you approach it calmly, your child will experience it as a space to talk about important things · not as a stigma.
"It is just a phase. It will pass on its own."
Some behaviors do pass. But emotional patterns that are not worked on tend to become consolidated. The earlier we address them, the easier · and faster · they are to change.
"I should be able to help my child on my own. I am their mother."
Love has no limits · resources do. Seeking specialized help does not replace you as a mother: it makes you an even more active part of your child’s change process.
"I do not know how long it will last or how much it will cost."
We talk about it in the first session with complete transparency. Child therapy processes usually last between 6 and 18 months, with reviews every two months. And the first step does not commit you to anything.
In-person sessions are available in Valencia and Puzol, in warm and carefully designed spaces so your child does not feel they are entering a cold or medical environment. Online sessions are also available when the family needs them.
Locations and format
In-person sessions in Valencia and Puzol, plus online sessions when this is the best fit for the family.
Your child does not work on anything in the first session. They simply get to know the space and Cristina. And you get a space to tell me what is going on · without having to arrive with everything perfectly organized.
The first session is just an introduction
Your child gets to know the space and feels safe. Nothing more. The work begins afterwards.
I reply in less than 24 hours
You will receive a quick reply to discuss availability, format, and any questions you may have.
Parental guidance included
Parents are part of the process · with no additional cost in follow-up sessions with you.
Full confidentiality
What we work on stays here. Trust is the foundation of everything we build.
Tell me about your child
It does not need to be organized and you do not need to know exactly what is happening. Just tell me what you are experiencing at home.
I reply in less than 24 hours · Full confidentiality
Thank you for writing to me.
I have received your message. I will reply in less than 24 hours to talk about availability and how we can begin.
Writing is a huge step. Your child is lucky to have you.
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