In person on Oahu
Face-to-face sessions with room to move, build, draw, and make a mess. Best for younger children and for anyone who settles more easily in a room than on a screen.
Oahu, Hawaii
Now welcoming new clients
Kids don’t always have the words yet.Play does.
I’m Catherine Pryor, LCSW, founder of Little Wave Therapy, a child and teen practice on Oahu. Younger children work through play; older kids and teens usually want to talk. Both happen here — in person or by video.
- Licensed in Hawaii and Florida
- Insurance accepted
- Play therapy and talk therapy
- Ages 3 through 18
Licensed clinician
Catherine Pryor, LCSW
Hawaii & Florida · Little Wave Therapy LLC
Two ways to meet
Wherever your family actually is
Families switch between the two all the time — a rainy week, a school break, a move to another island. Care carries over either way.
Telehealth
Secure video sessions anywhere in Hawaii or Florida. Helpful for neighbor-island families, teens with packed schedules, and the weeks when getting everyone into the car is the hardest part.
Hawaii · Florida
Services
Therapy shaped around the child in front of us
Same practice, different doors in. What we do depends far more on your child than on their diagnosis.
Roughly ages 3–12
Play therapy
Play therapy is an evidence-based practice in which the child leads and the therapist assists. Children process their feelings and emotions through play, so toys, art, sand, and stories become the language we work in — and the thing underneath the meltdown, the worry, or the withdrawal gets sorted out at their pace.
Grounded in advanced play therapy training from the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE).
Prefer traditional talk therapy for your child instead? We offer that too — it is your call, not a rule of the practice.
- Big feelings and hard behavior
- Worry, fears, and separation
- Grief, loss, and family change
Roughly ages 13–18
Therapy for teens
Adolescence is often a genuinely difficult stretch — working out who you are, moving through significant transitions, and trying to be understood by the adults at home. Sessions are direct, unhurried, and free of lectures: practical skills where they help, real conversation where that is what is needed.
- Identity, confidence, and self-worth
- Big transitions and change
- Communication with parents and caregivers
Who we help
Families who are ready for something to change
You do not need a diagnosis, a crisis, or the right words to reach out. Noticing that something is off is enough of a reason.
Island life comes with its own transitions — deployments, moves between islands, and long stretches away from extended family. Those come up here often.
- Anxiety and worry
- Big emotions and outbursts
- Grief and loss
- Divorce and family change
- Moves, deployments, and new schools
- Friendship and social struggles
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Sleep, routines, and transitions
- Trouble adjusting after a hard year
How it works
Getting started, step by step
- 01
You reach out
Email or call with a little about your child and what has been going on. No detail is too small or too messy.
- 02
We talk first
A short call to hear what you are seeing, answer your questions, and make sure we are the right fit for your family.
- 03
We get started
An intake with caregivers to gather history and set goals, then sessions begin — in person on Oahu or by video.
About
Hi, I’m Catherine
Founder, Little Wave Therapy
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based on Oahu and the founder of Little Wave Therapy LLC. We work with children and teenagers — the ones who cannot yet say what is wrong, and the ones who could but would rather not.
“During the human lifespan I believe children are as close to perfect that we ever are.”
Children deserve therapy built for them — not a shrunken version of adult therapy — so they can understand their feelings and make sense of their experiences in a way that fits where they actually are.
Because we’re licensed in both Hawaii and Florida, families can keep working with us across a move, a deployment, or a summer spent somewhere else.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Licensed in Hawaii
- Licensed in Florida
- Advanced play therapy training, NIRE
- Children and teens, ages 3–18
Insurance & fees
Insurance is accepted here
Cost should not be the reason a child waits for help. Tell us your plan when you reach out and we’ll confirm what your coverage looks like before anything is scheduled.
Benefits checked up front
You will know about coverage and any copay before the first session.
Currently accepting new clients
Openings for both in-person and telehealth families.
Questions
The things families ask first
How do I know if my child needs therapy?
Most families reach out because something has shifted — sleep, mood, school, friendships, or the number of hard days in a week. You do not need to be certain. A first conversation is often enough to tell whether therapy is the right next step, and we will say so if we think it is not.
What actually happens in play therapy?
Play therapy is an evidence-based practice, and the child leads it. They are given materials — toys, art supplies, sand, figures — and the freedom to use them, while the therapist assists: following what they build and act out, naming what shows up, and helping them practise new ways through it. To your child it looks like play, because it is. If you would rather your child have traditional talk therapy instead, we offer that as well.
Do you take insurance?
Yes. Include your plan details in your message and we will verify your benefits and let you know about coverage and any copay before we schedule.
We are not on Oahu. Can we still work with you?
If you are located anywhere in Hawaii or Florida, yes — telehealth sessions are available throughout both states. Therapists can only practise where they are licensed, which is why those two are the ones we can see families in.
How involved are parents and caregivers?
You are part of this work. We will share the themes we are working on and practical suggestions for home when there is something important for you to know — but not a transcript of the room, because that confidentiality is what makes the room work. If you have a concern between sessions, reach out and we will find time to talk it through.
What ages do you work with?
Roughly ages 3 through 18. Younger children usually start with play therapy, and older kids and teens usually move toward talk therapy — though plenty of sessions land somewhere in between.
Get started
Request an appointment
Reach out directly and we'll set up a short call to hear what you're seeing and make sure we're the right fit for your family.
In person on Oahu · Telehealth in Hawaii & Florida
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