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CHILDREN & YOUTH SERVICES
Nearly one third of the
individuals seen for services at the clinic are age 18 or below. Our
Family & Children staff have special interest and training in
treatment of children and youth. Specialized services and approaches
are often used in working with younger individuals.
Cognitive Therapy (CT) - helping
clients understand how their thoughts and beliefs greatly influence the emotions
and it’s intensity that they experience. Us humans are pretty good at arguing
and disagreeing with others. We are not good at arguing and disagreeing with our
own thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Therapy teaches the client how to be more
aware of their thoughts while in the midst of strong emotions and how to then
evaluate and modify our thoughts and beliefs resulting in the decreased
intensity of the emotions experienced.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
(CBT) - Uses Cognitive strategies in addition to incorporating a behavioral
element. In essence adding a “doing something” such as a physical activity like
exercise, playing music, painting, writing, using coping skills, or other tasks
specifically related to the thoughts and beliefs that the client is struggling
with. Trauma Focused- CBT
(TF-CBT) - Therapy utilizes both aspects of Cognitive Therapy and CBT in addition
to other more specific treatment strategies specifically to reduce anxiety and
depression symptoms related to specific traumatizing life events that a child
has experienced. Research show that Cognitive Therapy, CBT, and TF-CBT are as effective in
treating mild and moderate depression and anxiety symptoms as “medication only”
treatment. Collaborative Problem Solving Approach
(CPSA) - Whereas Cognitive therapy and CBT helps clients change (
“overdeveloped”) thoughts and beliefs that we do not want children to
have; CPSA helps children learn and develop thoughts and thinking skills (“
under developed”) that we want them to have in areas where they are
struggling. This approach has been effective in helping children and their
caregivers and teachers develop thinking skills in areas of: low frustration
tolerance (eg anger outbursts) , poor impulse control, arguing, non-compliance,
expression of emotions, poor organization, task persistence, and social problem
solving, just to name a few.
Parent training (PT) - Sometime
difficulties children display are more purely behavioral in nature. Meaning that
the child has learned over time that the behaviors they display (arguing, anger
outbursts, not following rules or expectation) work for them. In essence they
have learned how to argue, avoid complying with directions, and sometimes get
more angry or escalate their behaviors to “get what they want” or avoid what
parents expect them to do. Many Parent Training approach's are recognized as
effective treatment and prevention models for children with Oppositional Defiant
Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD). During our initial two-to-three session
evaluation process, The family/parent along with the clinician explore possible
explanations for problematic behaviors and concerns which then guide the use of
the above evidenced treatment approaches in their child’s therapy. |
