It has been my experience, by the time parents begin investigating treatment options, they are already feeling frustrated with or distressed about their child. At times, parents may even start to feel a sense of powerlessness in their ability to manage their child’s symptoms. I believe that therapy with children should not only help the child, but also aid parents to once again feel empowered and connected to their child. I strongly believe a vital element to successful treatment is utilizing the experience and knowledge each parent has about their child to help guide interventions. While starting therapy may require parental coaxing, I have experienced many children discover value in learning how to be more in control of situations and their lives. My goal is to help your child feel less overwhelmed and more confident in approaching the unique set of challenges they face at their age. Additionally I plan to help parents once again feel armed with the tools to effectively support and understand their child. Below I have provide a summary list of different therapeutic interventions I utilizing in treatment children/adolescents/teens so that you and your child can determine if I would be a solid match to work with your family.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
If you are seeking an active, goal-directed treatment that can help your child develop practical skills to better cope with their environment, worries, negative self talk or depressive feelings, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy might be a good match…
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a relatively short-term, active treatment for a wide range of mental health issues including: depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, panic attacks, perfectionism, procrastination, discomfort in social situations, and self-criticism. CBT has been found to be an effective form of treatment for children, adolescents and adults through decades of clinical trials/research. It focuses on identifying how you are thinking, feeling, and behaving in your daily life and then understanding how each dimension impacts one another. CBT helps people identify patterns of distorted thinking and provides guidance on how to change these biases to eliminate their negative impact on mood and/or behavior. CBT is an empowering and practical treatment that encourages you to test out ways to challenge negative patterns of thought or behavior in between sessions. It helps people focus on the controllable rather than the uncontrollable, giving them a better sense of progress and accomplishment. Ultimately, CBT gives people the skills to address a myriad of real world issues in such a way as to increase an individual’s sense of mastery and self efficacy in confronting problems.
If you are a parent of a teen with emotion regulation difficulties, and are looking for a skills-based approach to help your teen cope with strong emotions and behaviors, Dialectical Behavior Therapy might be a good fit…
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy was first developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD and is intended to help individuals who have significant difficulty regulating their emotions and their behaviors. This approach combines behavior therapy (through skill building) and emotional validation (through fostering acceptance). Your clinician will design a treatment plan based on your needs, which includes individual and group therapy. The goal is targeting pervasive emotional dysregulation and improving interpersonal relationships to decrease the turmoil they create in your life.