Group Therapy
Group therapy is available for Elementary, Middle, and High School aged students. In the group setting, participants with similar challenges work together to acquire and practice interpersonal skills under my guidance and direction. Group therapy is a superior form of treatment when a child or adolescent needs to learn to generalize recently learned, and as yet not well-rehearsed, social skills or behaviors.
If your child needs to:
- Develop positive self-worth,
- Build problem-solving skills,
- Learn conflict resolution skills,
- Practice social communication,
- Enhance social skills,
- Become more comfortable in social settings, and
- Improve relationships with peers,
…then group might be an appropriate way to assist your child or adolescent.
Some therapists adhere to pre-packaged curriculums for their child or adolescent groups. I do not offer a one-size-fits-all group experience. My groups are tailored to fit the individual needs of each person in the group and their content derived from over 25 years of experience leading therapeutic groups for children and adolescents.
Examples of the content may include: conversation skills, paying attention, group participation, identifying and labeling one’s emotions, expressing feelings, nonverbal communication, problem solving skills, relationship management, building trust, conflict resolution, self esteem, and frustration tolerance. Parents (Elementary and M.S. students only) receive hand-outs with each new skill outlining what your child is learning so that the same information and skill sets can be used at home or at school. Parents are also given verbal information at the end of each group identifying the objectives addressed in that session. Parents leave each session feeling empowered.
A child may participate in both individual and group therapy sessions, or only attend group therapy depending on the child’s needs. Research studies have shown that children who attend social skill training groups require approximately 20 sessions before the skills take hold and consistent changes in behavior are seen. For this reason and in order for your child to truly benefit from the experience, my groups meet weekly throughout the school year except during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks. All therapy groups are scheduled during after-school hours.
These are designed to be therapeutic and not just recreational or social opportunities. In my groups your child or adolescent truly receives therapy with the added advantages that come from a safe, socially supportive setting.
