Little Dove Psychology offers virtual depression therapy for teens, kids, and college students in Austin and across Texas, billed in network to Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare.
The mornings are the hardest. The tired sits on your chest and does not lift when you stand up. Getting into the shower feels like a mountain. You used to be a person who liked things, who laughed at things. You are not sure where she went.
You go through the motions. You say you are fine because saying anything else takes more energy than you have. The world feels far away, like it is happening behind glass. Homework piles up. Texts go unanswered. Everything feels the same shade of gray.
Your parents watch you, and you can feel them watching, and it makes everything heavier. You do not know how to make it stop. You are tired in a way sleep does not fix.
If your kid is older, away at college, the picture has its own shape. The classes she is missing. The phone calls that have gotten shorter. The way she sounds when she answers, like she is far away from herself. The miles between you and her, suddenly feeling much longer.
You are still here. The fact that you are reading this is not nothing. Some part of you, even the smallest part, is still looking for a way through.
That part of you is right. There is one.
Little Dove Psychology is a small group practice. The work described on this page is provided by our three clinicians: Dr. Kristin Kroll, Dr. Meghan Kraenbring Comerford, and Antonette Anuwe. Meet our team →
The work is grounded in evidence-based approaches that move the needle on depression in young people: cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, parent coaching when it makes sense, and skills-based work for managing hard emotions. In practice, that usually looks like:
This is not about turning her into a different person. It is about helping the bright, funny, alive human you used to see come back into her own face.
If your child or college student is in immediate crisis or having thoughts of harming themselves, please call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Depression therapy for kids, teens, and college students is billed to Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum (UnitedHealthcare), and Oscar Health plans are in network as well. Members pay their plan’s copay or cost share rather than the self-pay rate. That includes the CBT, behavioral activation, and parent coaching described above. Read us the plan name on your card during the free consultation and we will verify your benefits and give you the expected cost before the first session. Sessions are online across Texas, and most families start the same week they reach out. Details are on our Fees & Insurance page.
Yes, for most families with commercial insurance. Our clinicians are in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare (including Oscar plans administered by Optum), so members pay their plan’s copay or cost share rather than the self-pay rate. On the free consultation we match your teen with a clinician your plan covers and verify benefits before the first session. We do not accept Medicaid or CHIP. For other plans we provide a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement, and HSA and FSA funds apply. Details are on our Fees & Insurance page.
If your teen is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any hour. If she has had these thoughts but is not in immediate danger, tell us on the consultation call: that is exactly what therapy is built to address, and we build a collaborative safety plan with her and with you, openly and without shame. Dr. Kroll researched pediatric suicide screening in medical settings, and her guide on how to talk to your teen about suicide can help before the first appointment, along with teen mental health: a parent’s guide.
Families wait an average of 5 days from first contact to the first appointment, and most start the same week. Evening and weekend sessions are available. Call or text (512) 240-2633 or book a free consultation online.
Our team works with kids, teens, college students, and adults. Depression can show up at any stage of life, and the approach adjusts to fit the person’s actual life. If your college student is 18 or older, she can reach out herself and work with us directly. She is the client, and family can be involved in whatever way she chooses, including not at all.
Emotional signs: persistent sadness, irritability, hopelessness, or numbness. Behavioral signs: withdrawal from friends and activities, slipping grades, changes in sleep or appetite, low energy. Cognitive signs: harsh self-criticism, trouble concentrating, talk of being a burden. In kids and teens, depression often looks like irritability or boredom rather than sadness. If two or three of these cluster and last more than two weeks, it is worth taking seriously, and a free 15-minute consultation is the simplest way to figure out whether it warrants treatment.
Teenagers and college students go through hard stretches; that is developmentally normal. The line gets crossed when the mood is no longer episodic but has settled in, when the young person you know has not really come back for a while.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most studied and most effective talk therapy for depression in young people. Behavioral activation, helping young people gradually re-engage with activities they used to enjoy, is also a core part of the work. For some teens and college students, interpersonal therapy (IPT), which focuses on relationships and life transitions, is a good fit. Look for a therapist trained in these approaches who is also experienced in working with parents, because depression in young people often shifts when the people around them shift too.
For younger kids, depression therapy leans on play-based work, behavioral activation, and heavy parent coaching to rebuild daily routines and small wins. For teens, the work shifts to direct cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavioral activation, and skills for the thoughts and isolation that fuel low mood. For college students, the focus is often motivation, sleep, and managing depression alongside academic demands. The methods stay evidence-based; the delivery flexes to fit the developmental stage.
Coping skills that actually help with depression include behavioral activation (doing small, valued activities even when you do not feel like it), maintaining social connection, building a regular sleep schedule, regular movement, and naming and writing down emotions instead of pushing them away. Skills do not replace therapy when depression is moderate or severe, but they help. For kids and teens, parent coaching is often part of the work, because the people around a depressed young person can either help her build these skills or accidentally reinforce isolation.
Yes. Research consistently shows online depression therapy is as effective as in-person care for most presentations in kids, teens, and college students. Virtual sessions can actually help with depression, since getting out of the house is one of the hardest parts of low mood, and many young people open up more easily from their own room or dorm. We offer online therapy across Texas and the other PSYPACT participating states.
Sessions are 60 minutes. For most kids and teens with depression, expect roughly 12 to 20 sessions over four to six months for meaningful change. Depression stacked with anxiety, trauma, or family conflict often takes longer. We use outcome measures to track progress, so you will see in real numbers when things are improving, and the goal is your child managing her mood without needing weekly therapy.
Take the first step with a free 15-minute consultation. Call (512) 240-2633 or contact us online.
“Dr. Kroll is so knowledgeable and compassionate. She is able to quickly evaluate a mental health need and provide practical, realistic solutions. I appreciate partnering with her to provide high quality clinical care, focused on recovery, wellness, and inclusive care.”
“We cannot recommend Little Dove Psychology highly enough. They take the time to truly listen, helping clients feel understood and supported: thoughtful, evidence-based care tailored to each person’s needs.”
“Dr. Kroll is kind, compassionate and professional. She takes the time to truly listen and never makes you feel rushed or judged. Her calm, approachable style and expertise make a huge difference, and I would confidently recommend her to anyone.”
