Child & Adolescent Mental Health Care in Pittsburgh

Thoughtful, individualized psychiatry and psychotherapy for children and teens. Our psychiatrists and therapists work with young people and their families to understand what is happening, identify what will actually help, and build a treatment plan around the whole child—not just a diagnosis.

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Psychiatry + Therapy Children & Teens Child & adolescent psychiatrists McMurray Cranberry Township Telehealth across PA Insurance accepted

Mental health care built around your child

Looking beyond symptoms to understand the full picture

Childhood and adolescence are periods of enormous change. Emotional, behavioral, developmental, family, social, medical, and school factors can all affect how a young person is doing. We take the time to understand how these pieces fit together before deciding what treatment makes sense.

ADHD Anxiety Depression OCD Mood Disorders Autism-related Concerns Emotional Dysregulation School Difficulties Behavioral Concerns Trauma Sleep Problems Tic Disorders Family Stress Social Difficulties

Psychiatry, therapy, and coordinated care

The right combination of support looks different for every child

Psychiatry

Our psychiatrists provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, diagnostic clarification, medication management, treatment planning, and second opinions. Medication is considered as one part of a broader treatment plan—not the automatic answer to every problem.

Psychotherapy

The Via Center also provides psychotherapy for children, teens, and families. Therapy availability is more limited than psychiatry availability and varies by clinician. Many of our psychiatric patients work with therapists outside of Via, and with permission, our psychiatrists can collaborate with those therapists as part of the child's care.

Your child does not need to receive every service at The Via Center. Some children benefit from therapy alone, some from psychiatric care, and others from both. When therapy is provided elsewhere, we can still work collaboratively with the outside therapist when appropriate and with your permission.

Our approach

Careful evaluation, individualized treatment, thoughtful follow-up

Understand What Is Happening

We look at symptoms in context: development, temperament, family history, school, relationships, medical issues, sleep, stressors, strengths, and previous treatment.

Build the Right Plan

Treatment may include psychotherapy, medication, parent or family work, school support, behavioral strategies, additional evaluation, or collaboration with other professionals.

Adjust as Children Grow

Children change. Families change. School demands change. We revisit the plan over time and adapt treatment as needs, goals, and circumstances evolve.

Therapy that fits the child—not just the diagnosis

Individual, family, and parent-focused treatment when therapy is available at Via

When therapy is available at The Via Center, treatment is individualized rather than one-size-fits-all. The right approach depends on the child's age, diagnosis, personality, developmental level, family system, and goals. Our therapists draw from evidence-based approaches and tailor treatment to the young person in front of them. Therapy availability varies by clinician, and many of our psychiatric patients continue working with therapists outside of Via.

Skills-Based Therapy

Approaches may include CBT, DBT-informed work, ACT, ERP, and other structured strategies for anxiety, OCD, mood symptoms, coping, and emotional regulation.

Family & Parent Work

Sometimes the most effective work involves parents or the whole family. Treatment may include parent guidance, family sessions, behavioral strategies, or relationship-focused work.

Trauma-Informed Care

When trauma is part of the picture, treatment can incorporate trauma-focused and attachment-informed approaches while remaining sensitive to the child's pace and readiness.

CBT DBT-informed ERP ACT Trauma-focused approaches Parent & family work

The expertise of a child and adolescent psychiatrist

Specialized medical and psychiatric training focused on children and teens

At The Via Center, psychiatric care is provided by child and adolescent psychiatrists—physicians (MD or DO) with extensive training in medicine, child development, psychiatric diagnosis, medication management, and psychotherapy. This broad training allows our psychiatrists to understand a child’s symptoms in context and consider the full range of treatment options—not simply whether or what to prescribe.

Psychiatric Evaluations

Detailed assessment of symptoms, diagnosis, development, functioning, treatment history, strengths, and current concerns.

Medication Management

Thoughtful prescribing and monitoring when medication is appropriate, with attention to benefit, side effects, functioning, and the child's overall treatment plan.

Second Opinions

A fresh, in-depth review when diagnoses are unclear, treatment has become complicated, or a child has not improved as expected.

Children do not live in a vacuum

Family, school, and daily life are part of the clinical picture

Families

Parents and caregivers often hold essential pieces of the story. We involve families in a way that supports the child while also respecting increasing independence as teens mature.

School

Attention, anxiety, mood, learning, behavior, peer relationships, and school demands often overlap. When appropriate, treatment planning may include school functioning and accommodations.

Other Providers

With appropriate permission, we can coordinate with therapists, pediatricians, psychologists, schools, and other professionals when collaboration improves care.

Why families choose The Via Center

Expert care matters. So does having a team you can actually reach.

Specialized physician care

Our child and adolescent psychiatrists are physicians with extensive training in medicine, psychiatry, child development, medication management, and psychotherapy. That depth of training is especially valuable when symptoms overlap, diagnoses are unclear, or treatment becomes complicated.

Help between appointments

Questions and problems do not always happen during a scheduled visit. Our clinical and administrative teams are accessible between appointments, so families have a way to reach us when questions come up or something changes.

We look at the whole child

Symptoms are only part of the picture. Development, family relationships, school, sleep, medical issues, stress, strengths, and previous treatment all help us understand what is happening and what may actually help.

We work with the rest of your child’s team

When appropriate and with your permission, we can collaborate with outside therapists, pediatricians, psychologists, schools, and other professionals involved in your child’s care.

Care in the South Hills, North Hills, and across Pennsylvania

In-person appointments plus telehealth when appropriate

McMurray — South Hills

3055 Washington Road, Suite 101
McMurray, PA 15317

Cranberry Township — North

2009 Mackenzie Way, Suite 100
Cranberry Township, PA 16066

Telehealth available across Pennsylvania Psychiatry + psychotherapy

Insurance accepted

Boutique-style care while still using insurance

We accept most UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, United/Optum, and Aetna commercial plans. Participation can vary by clinician and individual plan, so families should confirm benefits and clinician participation with their insurance company before scheduling.

UPMC Highmark / BCBS United / Optum Aetna

Common questions

Child and adolescent mental health care at The Via Center

Do you provide both psychiatry and therapy for children and teens?

Yes. The Via Center provides both psychiatric care and psychotherapy for children and adolescents, but therapy availability is more limited and varies by clinician. Many children receive psychiatric care at Via while continuing therapy with a clinician outside our practice. With appropriate permission, our psychiatrists can collaborate with outside therapists when helpful.

What concerns do you treat?

Our clinicians work with many common childhood and adolescent mental health concerns, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, mood disorders, autism-related concerns, emotional dysregulation, behavioral concerns, trauma, school difficulties, sleep problems, and related challenges.

Do you work with parents and families?

Yes. Parents and families are often an important part of a child or teen’s treatment. Depending on the child’s needs, our clinicians may provide parent guidance, family therapy, parent-child work, or family sessions as part of individual treatment. We can also help parents better understand their child’s symptoms, respond to difficult behaviors and emotions, improve communication, and support treatment at home. As teens get older, we balance family involvement with their growing need for privacy and independence.

What is the difference between a therapist and a psychiatrist?

Both therapists and psychiatrists treat mental health concerns, but their training and roles are different. Therapists provide psychotherapy and help children and teens work on emotions, behaviors, coping skills, relationships, family dynamics, and other challenges. Psychiatrists are physicians (MD or DO) who specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. They can prescribe medication and evaluate how medical, developmental, and psychiatric factors may be contributing to symptoms. Psychiatrists also receive training in psychotherapy as part of their medical training.

Some children need primarily therapy, some benefit from psychiatric care, and some benefit from both. The Via Center provides both psychotherapy and physician-provided psychiatric care, although therapy availability is more limited and varies by clinician. Children receiving psychiatric care at Via can also continue working with an outside therapist.

What is the difference between a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP)?

Both psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication, but their psychiatry training is very different.

Child and adolescent psychiatrists are physicians (MD or DO) who complete medical school followed by at least 5 years of full-time psychiatry residency and fellowship. Using a conservative estimate of a 50-hour work week, this represents more than 12,000 hours of structured, supervised psychiatry training. Child psychiatrists spend 2 of those years specializing specifically in children and teens.

Psychiatry residency and fellowship involve much more than learning to prescribe medication. Psychiatrists train in psychiatric diagnosis, psychopharmacology, inpatient and outpatient psychiatry, emergency psychiatry, medical and neurologic conditions that can cause or complicate psychiatric symptoms, and multiple forms of psychotherapy. This broad training helps us understand not only how to use medication, but when medication is—and is not—the appropriate treatment.

PMHNPs are advanced-practice nurses who complete graduate training in psychiatric nursing. National certification requires a minimum of 500 clinical hours in a PMHNP program. Programs vary considerably in the amount, setting, supervision, and type of clinical experience provided.

At The Via Center, medication management is provided by psychiatrists. We believe comprehensive training in medicine, psychiatry, and psychotherapy is especially valuable when caring for children and teens.

How do I know if I or my child may need a psychiatrist or therapist?

Many children, teens, and adults benefit from mental health support when emotions, behavior, attention, or daily functioning begin to feel harder to manage. Common reasons people seek care include anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood changes, emotional regulation difficulties, school or work stress, sleep problems, or behavioral concerns.

If you are looking for a psychiatrist or therapist in Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania for your child or yourself, our screening process can help determine the most appropriate next steps and which type of clinician may be the best fit.

Does a parent attend the first appointment?

Yes. A parent or guardian is expected to attend the initial psychiatric evaluation for all children and adolescents. The child or teen should also attend unless otherwise discussed in advance with our team. Parent involvement is an important part of understanding the child's history, symptoms, development, functioning, and treatment needs.

Does every child who sees a psychiatrist need medication?

No. A psychiatric evaluation is meant to clarify what is happening and what treatment options make sense. Medication may be useful for some children, but therapy, parent interventions, school supports, behavioral strategies, additional evaluation, or other approaches may be more appropriate depending on the situation.

Can psychiatry and therapy be coordinated?

Yes. A child does not need to receive therapy at The Via Center for care to be coordinated. Many of our psychiatric patients work with outside therapists. With appropriate permission, our psychiatrists can collaborate with therapists, pediatricians, psychologists, schools, and other professionals involved in the child's care.

Do you offer telehealth?

Telehealth is available for many psychiatric and therapy services when clinically appropriate. For psychiatric telehealth visits, the patient must be physically located in Pennsylvania at the time of the appointment.

Do you accept insurance?

We participate with most UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, United/Optum, and Aetna commercial plans. Participation varies by clinician and plan, so families should confirm their individual benefits and clinician participation before scheduling.

Looking for mental health care for your child or teen?

Tell us a little about what is going on and what kind of help you are looking for. Our team will review your screening questionnaire and determine whether we have a psychiatrist or therapist who may be a good fit.

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