How Treatment is Formatted

Individual Therapy

The most frequent form of treatment we provide is individual therapy, in which the therapist meets one on one with the client. When the client is a child or adolescent, the therapist will meet individually with the youth as much as possible since this encourages active participation in treatment. In these situations, we may briefly meet with a caregiver at the beginning or end of the appointment to provide needed updates and discuss homework. If more time with a caregiver is needed, a separate appointment may be scheduled just with the caregiver(s).

We work with parents and/or families for a variety of reasons. It can be the primary focus of treatment or in support of a loved one’s treatment. Parents are usually a necessary part of change for younger children while teens may be able to make change with less parental support.

Because clients of all ages have symptoms that frequently impact other important people in their lives, such as spouses/significant others, parents, and siblings, we incorporate them into the treatment when appropriate and necessary.

There are also situations in which parents and/or family members would benefit from guidance and support in changing the negative patterns that have developed at home. This can be true with both minor and adult children and may involve situations where the loved one is not ready for their own treatment.

While each family’s needs vary, the interventions will utilize some combination of education, skill building, guidance, and support.

Weekly appointments are generally recommended in the early phase of treatment to maximize assessment, treatment planning, and progress. As progress is made, you and your therapist will determine when to decrease frequency to every other week, and then to monthly, etc. We understand that while weekly appointments might be ideal, this is often not feasible for many reasons. We will work with clients to determine what frequency best meets their needs.

Initial appointments will typically last 60 minutes.

Ongoing Therapy appointments will typically last 45 minutes. However, there are many situations in which 60 minute sessions are necessary to meet the clinical needs of the client. If 60 minute or extended appointments (longer than 60 minutes) are recommended, your therapist will discuss this with you in advance.

Accelerated treatment, in which an individual has multiple and/or longer appointments each week, is recommended when an individual has severe symptoms that impair their ability to live a normal life. This form of treatment is not appropriate for everyone.

Therapist teams may be utilized for clients who need more frequent services or when parent consultation is an ongoing component of a child’s or adolescent’s treatment. In this case, multiple therapists will work together to coordinate your care to maximize treatment outcome.

School Observations are available if deemed appropriate given the treatment goals. **(Due to COVID19 and health/safety concerns, school observations are currently not available. This will periodically be reevaluated)**