Treatment for anxiety:
Our approach to therapy is integrative - we seek to combine useful elements from a variety of evidence-based therapy strategies. Primarily, our therapy utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety. CBT is a highly effective, short-term treatment that results in substantial decreases in anxiety symptoms. CBT focuses on skills training and usually lasts between 12 - 20 treatment sessions. During your time (or your child's time) in treatment, we will focus on maladaptive thinking patterns. People with anxiety tend to overestimate the probability that bad things are going to happen and this can increase anxiety. In addition to focusing on thoughts, we will also focus on behaviors that increase anxiety. For example, avoidance or rituals are behaviors that often maintain anxiety symptoms and we often focus on reducing these during treatment.
During the initial assessment session or sessions, we gather information on the history of the child and family, as well as the anxiety symptoms. We determine when and where anxiety symptoms occur, what happens before and after anxiety symptoms, and what the outcomes typically are. In this way, we complete a functional assessment of anxiety in your and your child's life. From this information, we formulate a structured treatment plan, along with specific treatment goals, that we share with you and your child.
In the beginning and then through-out treatment, we focus on education regarding anxiety. That is, we educate parents and children about the nature of anxiety and how specific thoughts and behaviors may be increasing or maintaining anxiety. We help child and parents begin to recognize anxiety-related triggers and the adaptive and maladaptive role of anxiety symptoms. We focus on raising awareness of the bodily sensations, thoughts, and behaviors that accompany anxiety.
During the course of CBT, we often conduct exposure sessions. During these sessions, we will gradually allow your child to face their fears. We do this in a graduated way, starting with a list of fears that we develop into a hierarchy. Your child will face their fears, starting with the fears lowest on the list - gradually building up strength and confidence, until they face their highest fears.
We will also utilize strategies from other therapy approaches as needed. We draw from acceptance-based approaches, mindfulness, as well as a family systems perspective. Our goal is to design an evidence-based treatment plan that will work the best for each individual child and family that we work with.
Our treatment draws from the following standardized treatment approaches: Helping Your Anxious Child, Coping Cat, Cool Kids, Cat Project, Being Brave.
Treatment for behavioral problems:
For children and families with behavioral problems, we primarily use Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for children between the ages of 2 - 7 years old. PCIT is an evidence-based therapy approach - it has be shown to decrease behavioral problems in children in hundreds of studies. This treatment occurs once per week and typically ranges between 10 and 20 sessions. PCIT is delivered in two phases: child-directed and then parent-directed and utilizes constructive, positive, live coaching for caregivers. The therapist typically coaches using a "bug-in-the-ear" system to communicate with the caregivers while they play with their child, either at their home or in the clinic.
Our approach to therapy is integrative - we seek to combine useful elements from a variety of evidence-based therapy strategies. Primarily, our therapy utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety. CBT is a highly effective, short-term treatment that results in substantial decreases in anxiety symptoms. CBT focuses on skills training and usually lasts between 12 - 20 treatment sessions. During your time (or your child's time) in treatment, we will focus on maladaptive thinking patterns. People with anxiety tend to overestimate the probability that bad things are going to happen and this can increase anxiety. In addition to focusing on thoughts, we will also focus on behaviors that increase anxiety. For example, avoidance or rituals are behaviors that often maintain anxiety symptoms and we often focus on reducing these during treatment.
During the initial assessment session or sessions, we gather information on the history of the child and family, as well as the anxiety symptoms. We determine when and where anxiety symptoms occur, what happens before and after anxiety symptoms, and what the outcomes typically are. In this way, we complete a functional assessment of anxiety in your and your child's life. From this information, we formulate a structured treatment plan, along with specific treatment goals, that we share with you and your child.
In the beginning and then through-out treatment, we focus on education regarding anxiety. That is, we educate parents and children about the nature of anxiety and how specific thoughts and behaviors may be increasing or maintaining anxiety. We help child and parents begin to recognize anxiety-related triggers and the adaptive and maladaptive role of anxiety symptoms. We focus on raising awareness of the bodily sensations, thoughts, and behaviors that accompany anxiety.
During the course of CBT, we often conduct exposure sessions. During these sessions, we will gradually allow your child to face their fears. We do this in a graduated way, starting with a list of fears that we develop into a hierarchy. Your child will face their fears, starting with the fears lowest on the list - gradually building up strength and confidence, until they face their highest fears.
We will also utilize strategies from other therapy approaches as needed. We draw from acceptance-based approaches, mindfulness, as well as a family systems perspective. Our goal is to design an evidence-based treatment plan that will work the best for each individual child and family that we work with.
Our treatment draws from the following standardized treatment approaches: Helping Your Anxious Child, Coping Cat, Cool Kids, Cat Project, Being Brave.
Treatment for behavioral problems:
For children and families with behavioral problems, we primarily use Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for children between the ages of 2 - 7 years old. PCIT is an evidence-based therapy approach - it has be shown to decrease behavioral problems in children in hundreds of studies. This treatment occurs once per week and typically ranges between 10 and 20 sessions. PCIT is delivered in two phases: child-directed and then parent-directed and utilizes constructive, positive, live coaching for caregivers. The therapist typically coaches using a "bug-in-the-ear" system to communicate with the caregivers while they play with their child, either at their home or in the clinic.