Savannah Sweet, PhD

Savannah Sweet, PhD

Child & Adolescent Specialty Practice Clinician

Licensed Psychologist (PSY35626)

Pronouns: She / Her / Hers

Hi there! I’m Dr. Savannah Sweet, a licensed child psychologist specializing in infant and early childhood mental health at the Institute for Girls’ Development. I am passionate about supporting young children and their families through critical developmental stages and stressful life events.

My clinical approach is attachment-based and trauma-informed, with a focus on strengthening caregiver-child relationships, helping children make sense of their experiences through play and creativity, and building resilience through healthy coping strategies. I also help caregivers explore generational patterns and family dynamics that may be influencing current challenges, while honoring cultural and societal influences on parenting.

With expertise in infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), I provide dyadic (parent-child) therapy that nurtures social-emotional growth within the context of the parent-child relationship. I am rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and trained in DIR Floortime, integrating play-based strategies to support connection, co-regulation, and emotional processing.

My work addresses a wide range of concerns, including:

• Trauma and stress-related challenges
• Emotional and behavioral concerns
• Attachment disruptions
• Developmental differences

I place a strong emphasis on parent/caregiver collaboration and coaching, ensuring that progress extends beyond the therapy room while fostering confidence in parenting skills tailored to each child’s unique needs.

• Parent-infant attachment and bonding
• Perinatal conditions (anxiety and depression)
• Developmental assessments for children (e.g., ADHD, ASD)

I utilize the following modalities regularly in my practice:

• Child-Parent Psychotherapy  (CPP)
• Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC)
• DIR-Floortime
• Client-Centered Play Therapy
• Mindfulness-Based Practices

• Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
• TF-CBT
• DIR-Floortime
• Infant Massage
• Incredible Years (IY) Dinosaur School
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

• American Psychological Association (APA)

• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Behavioral Health Institute (BHI)
• National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (NCSCB)
• Children’s Center Utah
• Harbor UCLA TIES for Families

I conduct comprehensive assessments for autism, ADHD, and other developmental concerns for children ages 0 to 12. My evaluation process is collaborative and multidisciplinary, often involving input from schools, medical providers, and other important providers in a child’s life to create a well-rounded understanding of each child’s strengths and needs. This approach ensures that recommendations are practical, meaningful, and effective in real-world settings.

Another area of specialty is grief and loss counseling for children and families. Grief is not limited to the experience of the death of a loved one—it can also stem from life transitions such as relocation, divorce, the loss of a pet, or experiencing a natural disaster.

Children express grief in many ways, which can temporarily affect school, friendships, and home life. I help children process their experiences through methods that fit their developmental needs, including play, art, writing, and verbal expression, while guiding caregivers in supporting their child’s healing journey.

I believe that growth and healing happen within our closest relationships. Guided by attachment theory and evidence-based models, I honor parents and caregivers as the true experts of their children. My role is to collaborate with families and, when appropriate, other systems to support a child’s emotional and developmental well-being.

I provide support in the following areas:

• Emotional and behavioral concerns related to toddlerhood and early childhood (e.g., tantrums, feeding/eating, developmental differences)
• Parenting concerns related to infants, toddlers, and young children
• Traumatic experiences in childhood
• Foster care and adoption-related concerns or challenges
• Childhood grief and loss
• Anxiety and depression in children
• Children coping with chronic illness or medical conditions/hospitalizations
• Pediatric Minds Medical Clinic
• Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House

• Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles
• Master of Arts in Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, California State University Dominguez Hills

Mission: My mission is to promote healing and resilience through early intervention and prevention for infants and young children. I believe that the foundation for lifelong well-being begins in the earliest relationships, and I am committed to strengthening parent-child connections as a path toward growth and healing. I strive to create a safe and affirming space where every child and caregiver feels seen, heard, and understood. Through compassionate care, advocacy, and collaboration, I aim to empower families, honor their unique stories, and support them in building nurturing relationships that foster healthy development.

Email: SSweet@IFGD.care