Mina Kirkova, LCSW-C
Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapist
in Phoenix/Jacksonville, MD
ABOUT JASPER MOUNTAIN
Jasper Mountain provides intensive mental health and educational services for children and families experiencing significant difficulties. Its programs are designed to combine therapeutic treatment with structured daily support, education, recreation, and family involvement.
The organization currently provides a range of services that includes psychiatric residential treatment, short-term residential stabilization and assessment through the SAFE Center, and educational programming through Jasper Mountain School.
Jasper Mountain's residential program serves children who require a highly structured level of care and incorporates psychiatric, psychological, educational, recreational, and relational approaches within the treatment environment.
JASPER MOUNTAIN SCHOOL
Jasper Mountain School provides educational services alongside therapeutic support for children participating in Jasper Mountain programs. The school integrates academic instruction with behavioral and therapeutic interventions so that educational and emotional needs can be addressed together.
This integrated approach reinforced for me how closely emotional functioning, behavior, family circumstances, and school performance can affect one another—an understanding that remains important in my work with children and adolescents today.
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT AND CHILD-CENTERED TREATMENT
A major principle of Jasper Mountain's work is the involvement of families in children's treatment. Families participate in assessment and treatment planning and receive support in understanding and responding to children's behavioral and emotional needs.
That emphasis on family involvement closely aligns with my current approach to child and adolescent therapy. When appropriate, I work with parents alongside their children so that therapeutic progress can be supported not only during sessions, but also at home, at school, and in everyday family life.
HOW THIS EXPERIENCE INFLUENCES MY PRACTICE TODAY
My experience at Jasper Mountain helped establish the foundation for my work as a child and family therapist.
Today, I continue to use an individualized, strengths-based approach that may combine child or adolescent therapy, parent coaching, family therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, mindfulness and relaxation techniques, guided imagery, art therapy, play-based interventions, and other developmentally appropriate techniques.
The goal is to understand each child within the context of the whole family and to develop practical strategies that support emotional regulation, healthier behavior, stronger relationships, confidence, and long-term growth.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JASPER MOUNTAIN
Jasper Mountain is an independent nonprofit organization located in Oregon. For current information about its programs, admissions, services, and professional resources, please visit the official Jasper Mountain website.
JASPER MOUNTAIN CENTER (JMC)
Jasper Mountain Center is a treatment program in Oregon serving children and families affected by significant trauma, emotional difficulties, and behavioral concerns. The organization has provided specialized services for children since 1982 and offers a structured, therapeutic environment designed to support healing, development, education, and family involvement.
Jasper Mountain was an important part of my early professional training as a child, adolescent, and family therapist. My work there provided extensive experience with children experiencing complex emotional and behavioral difficulties and strongly influenced the development of my clinical approach today.
MY CLINICAL TRAINING AT JASPER MOUNTAIN
I received early clinical training at Jasper Mountain Center while working with children who presented with significant emotional, behavioral, developmental, attachment, and trauma-related concerns.
This experience gave me the opportunity to work within an intensive treatment environment where therapy, education, behavior support, family involvement, recreation, and daily routines were closely integrated.
My work at Jasper Mountain helped shape my understanding of the importance of:
- Looking at the whole child rather than focusing only on symptoms
- Understanding behavior within the context of development, family relationships, environment, and past experiences
- Creating structure, consistency, and clear expectations
- Building on a child's strengths rather than defining the child by difficulties or diagnoses
- Involving parents and caregivers as important partners in treatment
- Using creative, experiential, and developmentally appropriate therapeutic techniques
These principles continue to influence my work with children, adolescents, and families in private practice.
Mina Kirkova, LCSW-C
Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapist in Hunt Valley, MD
