Children

First we meet with the parents alone for a young or school aged child. You will be listened to thoughtfully and carefully and then we will ask questions about development, family, and medical history and if appropriate, academic functioning. We will want to know how you have tried to handle the problem in the past.
A second session is spent with the child alone and is geared to your child’s level. We are trained to make your child feel at ease and comfortable. We’ll see how your child understands and expresses the difficulty while a trusting relationship is formed.
Finally we will talk with you alone about what we feel will be helpful. Together we can plan and you will know what to expect, what can be accomplished and in what timeframe. We may even suggest materials for you to read.

We work closely with parents.
Sessions follow a pattern. First you will be asked to check in with us to report on how the week has gone. Then we will work with your child. We’ll bring you in again at the end to talk about strategies taught or important findings so you’ll be aware of what to look for and how to respond to particular situations in the coming week. This coaching is often what parents feel is the best part of treatment because this is when they learn strategies to help their child while warmer collaborative feelings grow!
You’ll know when our work is finished. Your worry and concern will have dissolved. Problem behaviors are replaced by your child feeling happy and successful again. You’ll feel stronger as a parent because of what you learned.
You’ll know how to handle problems in the future. When problem behaviors come up again you’ll have tools and better ways to respond. If needed, you’ll feel confident and comfortable knowing when to call us again.
Treatment with adolescents usually takes a different course. Because of their age and unique developmental concerns, please see the section titled Adolescents for more.