Therapy and Support for Children and Teens Impacted by Illness, Injury, Grief, or Loss
When a diagnosis, hospitalization, or loss touches your family, kids and teens often carry more than they can put into words. With compassionate support, we help them process their experiences, feel understood, and find hope in hard seasons— serving families in Southlake, Texas the surrounding DFW area.
Compassion. Expertise. Collaboration.
Hope.
Who we serve
Oncology
New cancer diagnosis
Active treatment & side effects
Survivorship adjustment
Relapse & end-of-life
We specialize in supporting children and teens impacted by illness, grief, and loss, as well as the siblings and family members walking alongside them.
Chronic & Complex Illness
New diagnosis
Prolonged hospitalization
Disease progression
Transplant (pre & post)
Injury & Surgery
Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord injury
Limb loss & amputation
Post-surgical adjustment
Burn & wound care
Grief & Loss
Death of a caregiver or sibling
Anticipatory grief
Terminal family diagnosis
Role & identity changes
Palliative & hospice care
How we help
Every child is different. That's why we offer counseling, music therapy, and child life support, and when it's helpful, we work together as a team. Collaborative care means your child has more than one way to be understood and supported.
Counseling
Kids and teens need a safe place to process what they're carrying. Our counselors walk alongside children and teens navigating grief, medical stress, and serious illness, helping them feel understood, supported, and more in control.
Music Therapy
Sometimes words aren't enough, especially for kids and teens navigating a diagnosis, loss, or medical experience. Music therapy offers another way to express and process what they're going through, using creativity and music as a path forward.
Child Life
For kids and teens facing medical stress and grief, our Child Life Specialists provide preparation, education, and coping support. Through play and age-appropriate strategies, they help children and families process what they are going through and feel more confident facing hard things.
What makes us different?
Families tell us they've struggled to find support that truly understands both kids and the realities of medical and grief journeys. That's what makes The Cultivate Community different.
Medical & Healthcare Expertise: We’ve spent years in pediatric hospitals and medical settings. We truly understand how a diagnosis, treatment, or hospitalization can impact kids and ripple through the whole family.
Specialized in Grief & Loss: Whether it’s anticipatory grief, the death of a loved one, or the ongoing stress of illness, we offer compassionate, developmentally appropriate support so kids don’t feel alone in their pain.
Child-Centered Approach: Kids aren’t just “little adults”. We see the world through the child’s eyes, offering empathy, creativity, and age-appropriate strategies that truly connect.
Family Partnership: We believe families grow stronger together when they feel supported. We walk alongside parents and caregivers, offering tools, guidance, and support so everyone feels equipped to navigate hard seasons together.
Meet our team
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Candace Szymanski, MA, MT-BC
Music Therapist
Candace uses music to help kids and teens express what's hard to put into words. Whether they're coping with grief, medical stress, or serious illness, she walks alongside them with creativity, warmth, and compassion. -
Savannah Rose, LCSW
Therapist (Ages 8+)
Savannah works with preteens and teens (ages 8+) facing anxiety, grief, trauma, or medical stress. She creates a safe, supportive space and uses trauma-sensitive approaches to help them process, grow, and build resilience. -
Linsey Hammon, MS, CCLS, GCCA-C, RWWP
Child Life Specialist
Linsey supports kids and teens facing a parent’s serious illness or the loss of someone they love. She blends child life expertise with grief counseling to walk with families through tough seasons with compassion and care. -
Lizzy Peterson, MA, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Lizzy helps kids and siblings make sense of medical stress, grief, and illness through play, education, and coping tools. She creates safe, age-appropriate spaces where children can ask questions, express themselves, and feel more confident. -
Tyson Heaton, MDiv, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Tyson draws on his background in ministry to sit with families in their most vulnerable moments. He supports kids and teens through medical experiences, grief, and loss using therapeutic play and creative tools to help them feel safe and understood.
Our Space
When you step into The Cultivate Community, you’ll feel the difference right away. Our space is cozy, welcoming, and designed with families in mind. It’s a place where kids can relax, be themselves, and find comfort and where parents can breathe a little easier knowing their child is safe and supported.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
We know how heavy it can feel to watch your child struggle with illness, grief, or loss. You don’t have to figure it out on your own, and neither do they.
At The Cultivate Community, we walk alongside kids and teens through counseling, music therapy, and child life services, helping them feel supported, understood, and more equipped to face what lies ahead.
You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s begin this journey together.