Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Boston
Careful, relationship-base child and teen psychiatry in Boston with timely access for families noticing important changes at home or school.
Located in Back Bay and serving Beacon Hill, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, and surrounding areas.
Board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists (MD/DO), grounded in development and psychotherapy
High-touch “mystery-solving” consultations when something feels off at home or school
In-person Back Bay care, with parent guidance and school collaboration when useful
We review each request carefully and we reserve a limited number of openings so that when there is a good fit, families can move into care promptly
Step 1
Request a consultation (brief form or call)
Step 2
Office manager call to
review Webster Clinic basics and mutual fit
Step 3
Clinician screening and consultation plan (records, parent interview, child or teen meetings)
Consultation typically includes 4–5 visits, including 1–2 parent interviews separate from the child or teen.
If we decide together that we’re a good fit, we do not place families on a waitlist. We move directly into ongoing care as schedules allow.
Private-pay care enables time, continuity, and depth, with fees discussed during the office manager call. We keep our caseload intentionally limited and do not run a waitlist.
Who We Work With
Children, teens, and young adults, plus the parents and schools around them.
Infants and young children (0–5) with caregivers
School-age children
Teens
Young adults transitioning to college
Parents and families navigating stress or major transitions
Schools and pediatricians (consultation and coordination, with permission)
What we help with
“Something is off”: withdrawal, irritability, shutdowns, or explosive emotions
Changes in grades, attention, motivation, or school refusal
Anxiety and depression, including perfectionism and performance pressure
OCD patterns that quietly take over routines
ADHD and executive function concerns
Family transitions: divorce, loss, moves, blended families, launching to college
Friendship strain, self-esteem, identity and belonging
How we help
Comprehensive psychiatric consultation and diagnostic evaluation
Psychotherapy for children, teens, and young adults
Parent guidance and caregiver support
Integrated medication management when indicated
Collaboration with schools and pediatricians (calls, letters, planning meetings), with permission
Pediatricians, schools, and therapists often refer to Webster Clinic when”
A med-only approach hasn’t been enough.
They want an integrated psychotherapy + medication formulation.
Race, culture, gender, or sexuality are part of the clinical picture, and they want a team that treats those as central, not peripheral.
OUR APPROACH
Relationship-based and developmentally informed
Parent guidance woven into the work, including parent interviews during consultation
Careful diagnosis that considers school, family systems, and underlying medical contributors
Medication when indicated, integrated into a larger plan (not stand-alone med checks)
Collaboration with pediatricians and schools when helpful, with privacy weighed carefully
We pair careful thinking with a practical respect for time: we do not maintain a waitlist, so when there is a good fit, children and teens can move into care without months of delay.
How our consultation works (for families trying to solve a mystery)
Many families reach out after a school counselor, pediatrician, or their own sense of “this is not my child” tells them it’s time for a closer look. Many families reach out because something has shifted: grades, mood, sleep, irritability, or a school counselor flags a change that does not yet have a clear explanation. Our consultation is designed to clarify what’s happening across home, school, relationships, and development, then recommend a plan that fits.
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What families notice:
A change in grades, motivation, mood, irritability, sleep, or social connection.
A school counselor, teacher, or coach flags a shift that needs a deeper look.What we review
Questionnaires, prior evaluations, neuropsych testing (if available), and relevant medical history.
We look for patterns across home, school, peers, and development.How parent meetings fit in
Parents should expect to be interviewed separately 1–2 times during consultation.
This helps clarify history, family context, and what has and has not helped so far.When we involve the school
With parent permission and input, we may speak with counselors, teachers, or administrators.
We weigh privacy against utility and share only what is clinically helpful.What the outcome looks like
When it appears that we are the right fit, we move directly into ongoing care rather than placing families on a waitlist. A clear formulation, practical recommendations, and a treatment plan that can include therapy, parent guidance, school coordination, and medication when indicated.
Working with schools (when it helps)
With parent permission, we consult directly with counselors, teachers, and other school supports.
We weigh privacy against utility, and parents guide what is shared and why.
When appropriate, we write letters and support educational plans, including for area independent schools.
Below are a few of the situations where families often find us: quiet storms, stalled stars, big changes at home, and college transitions.
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A child who looks “fine,” but something has changed underneath.
Grades hold steady, but mornings are harder. Stomachaches, headaches, tears, irritability, and avoidance begin to cluster. A child may seem compliant at school and unravel at home, or become increasingly rigid, perfectionistic, or self-critical. In our consultation, we take seriously what is visible and what is hidden: temperament, sleep, anxiety signals, family dynamics, developmental history, and medical contributors. We often speak with school supports when it helps clarify the picture, and we build a plan that addresses both symptoms and the meaning of the child’s distress.
A high-touch, physician-led evaluation that integrates psychotherapy thinking, family context, and school input, not a quick checklist. -
A capable teen suddenly loses traction.
A high-functioning student starts missing assignments, withdrawing from friends, or melting down at night. Parents may wonder: depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, substance use, sleep disruption, bullying, or something medical? Schools may call it “motivation,” but families often sense something more complex. We specialize in clarifying the diagnosis when the story does not fit neatly. Our consultation typically includes parent interviews, questionnaires and records review, and thoughtful meetings with the teen, sometimes alongside school or pediatric collaboration. Treatment can integrate psychotherapy, parent guidance, and medication when it truly helps restore flexibility, attention, and emotional range.We are particularly good at the gray-zone cases where “smart kid, struggling” needs a precise formulation, not a pep talk.
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When a family shift becomes a child’s symptom.
Divorce, grief, a move, a new sibling, immigration stress, or a caregiver’s illness can reorganize a child’s internal world. Some children become anxious or controlling. Others act out, shut down, or regress. Often the child is carrying more than they can name. Our approach makes room for the child’s experience while also helping caregivers think clearly and respond consistently. We may meet with parents separately to understand family patterns, align around boundaries, and reduce unintentional escalation. When useful, we collaborate with schools to support functioning without overexposing the child’s private life.
We treat the child in context, not in isolation, with coordinated family and school work when it meaningfully helps. -
When independence arrives before emotional readiness.
College transitions can unmask anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, sleep problems, or brittle coping strategies. A young adult may appear “fine” at home but unravel with the demands of independence, social life, and academic pressure. We approach these moments developmentally: what is emerging, what is repeating, and what is newly stressful? Our work can integrate psychotherapy, practical planning with the family when appropriate, and medication strategies that support stability without flattening the person. We also help families calibrate involvement, so support doesn’t become control.
Child and adolescent psychiatry expertise applied to the college transition, with depth and precision rather than crisis-only care.
meet our clinicians
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![A woman with long black hair and a burgundy dress sitting on a green armchair in front of a bookshelf with books and artwork, smiling at the camera.]()
Christine Crawford MD MPH
Child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist
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![A woman sitting on an olive green armchair in a room with dark walls and wooden bookshelves behind her. She is smiling and wearing a black blazer and patterned top. The bookshelves contain books, framed pictures, and decorative items.]()
Jacqueline Buchanan MD
Child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist
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Cecil R Webster Jr MD
FOUNDER & CEO
Child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist
Psychoanalyst
FAQs
Questions parents often ask next
We work with children from infancy through young adulthood. Child and adolescent psychiatry includes far more than “kids,” and many young adults, especially those transitioning to college, benefit from a developmentally informed approach that takes family context, school demands, and emerging independence seriously.
1
What ages do you treat?
What does the consultation phase involve?
2
Consultation is a structured, high-touch process designed to clarify what is happening and why. It typically unfolds over 4–5 visits and may include questionnaires, records review (including prior neuropsychological testing when available), careful meetings with the child or teen, and conversations that help us understand symptoms in the context of development, family life, and school.
Will you meet with parents separately?
3
Yes. Parents should expect to be interviewed separately from the child 1–2 times during the consultation phase. This supports a fuller history and more accurate formulation, and it helps us align with caregivers around goals, boundaries, and what has and has not helped so far.
How do you decide whether to involve the school?
4
When it is clinically useful and with parent permission, we often collaborate with schools (counselors, teachers, coaches, learning specialists). We weigh privacy against utility and proceed with clarity about what would genuinely help: understanding the child’s functioning in that setting, reducing misinterpretation, or supporting an educational plan. Parents guide what is shared and why.
Do you offer psychotherapy and medication with one clinician?
5
Yes, and this is central to how many families experience our work as simpler and more coherent. For children and teens, symptoms often shift across settings and relationships. Having one clinician integrate psychotherapy, parent guidance, school coordination, and medication when indicated can reduce fragmentation and support steadier progress.
When medication is clinically indicated, we prescribe thoughtfully and in a way that fits the child’s developmental stage and overall treatment plan. Medication is never treated as the whole story. It is one tool, used when it can reduce suffering, restore flexibility, or support psychotherapy and functioning at home and at school.
Do you prescribe medication?
6
We are primarily in-person, and in-person care is often best for children. For established patients, telehealth can be useful in specific situations (snow days, travel, summer camps, transportation disruptions, or when a teen is too anxious or isolated to come in). We make these decisions collaboratively, weighing privacy, attention, and what works for the child.
Do you ever see children or teens by telehealth?
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How quickly can we be seen?
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Many families can be seen within seven days provided questionnaires and relevant records are completed in a timely way. We may ask for brief online forms and any prior testing so the first visit can be meaningful rather than rushed. We do not maintain a standing waitlist; instead, we open consultation spots as our caseload allows and offer them directly to families who appear to be a good clinical match.
Webster Clinic is private pay and out-of-network. Fees are discussed after intake. We provide documentation that many families use to pursue out-of-network reimbursement, depending on their plan.
9
Do you take insurance?
What does private-pay enable clinically?
10
Private-pay care protects time, continuity, and depth. It allows an unhurried consultation process, coordinated follow-up, and treatment guided by clinical need rather than visit limits or fragmented models. Families often choose this because it supports a more comprehensive understanding of the child and steadier collaboration across home and school.
Take Your Next Step for Your Child
No waitlist. A brief consultation request today, and a call from our office within one business day.
Many parents find Webster Clinic when a child’s school, mood, or mornings have quietly fallen apart and they want a thoughtful child psychiatrist in Boston who can see them soon, not in months.
If the form does not load, call 617.859.5953.
What to expect after you reach out:
Our office manager reviews your information and calls you within 1 business day.
We talk through your child’s situation, our fees, and whether our child & adolescent psychiatrists are the right fit.
Because we do not maintain a waitlist, if it seems like a good match, we offer next-step consultation times rather than placing you in a queue.
You do not need a fully formed story. A sentence or two about what you are noticing is enough to begin.