Does my child need therapy?
Therapy is a wonderful place for growth. Some common concerns that bring children to therapy can be anxiety, depressed mood, difficulties with emotion regulation, social skill deficits, parent separation/divorce, family change, grief/loss, and behavioral concerns.
How does therapy work with a minor? Do I as the parent have access to all session information?
Before I begin working with a minor client, it is vital that both parents are in agreement for the child to be seen for services. I require consent from both parents regardless of marital status or custody arrangement - if the parent has legal custody of the child they must consent to treatment prior to the child being seen. The intake appointment includes parents to gain background information and assist with forming comfort with a new person. All individual therapy appointments are held without parent's present, unless the child specifically requests you to join. I reserve time in the session to convene with parents, if necessary, to discuss important information from the session as well as progress on treatment goals. As a client, the child has the right to confidentiality and specifics of their session will not be shared unless it is absolutely necessary for their safety or the safety of others.
How long are sessions?
Expect to be at the office for 60 minutes solely for your appointment time. I generally hold 50-55-minute sessions with adolescents and adults. For children, 1:1 session time with the child is about 45-47 minutes, with the remaining time reserved for parent discussion. This discussion can occur in the beginning or end of the session.
How long will my child be in therapy?
Length of treatment is highly individualized and at times unpredictable. The frequency of therapy can also impact how long you or your child are active clients. I prefer that new clients have 4 individual sessions (+1 parent session for children/some adolescents) at the rate of once per week before decreasing the frequency of therapy. This is to ensure client and therapist have adequate time to build rapport and trust, the therapist has time to gain a full understanding of the presenting problem(s), and to begin identifying and working towards collaborative goals. Once we have the ball rolling, I am happy to work with you to find a frequency that works best for you.
My child still behaves the same. Is play therapy even working?
Children have a unique understanding of the world around them. It is not uncommon for behaviors to increase after starting therapy, as that demonstrates that the child is actively processing their lived experiences. Trust, comfort, and relationship are also three very important parts of the early stages of play therapy before the real work can be done. Each child is different in the amount of time it takes for them to begin showing vulnerable sides to themselves with the therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's progress in therapy, please open a discussion with me at your next session, or give me a call at 717.743.1484.
Do you offer after-school hours? What about weekends?
After-School hours are highly sought after. I try my best to rotate my school-aged clients to limit the amount of school time missed for appointments. However, I encourage you to remember that therapy is a medically necessary service, and is often vital for school success. If my evening availability is full, you will need to choose a daytime appointment. I provide school excuse notes and I am more than happy to collaborate with the school to make whatever schedule we have work.
Additionally, I offer weekend appointments on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10am-3pm to help decrease the need to pull your child from school during the week.
*Weekend appointment are currently unavailable*
Do you accept Medical Assistance?
Unfortunately, I am not credentialed with any Medical Assistance or state-issued insurance providers. I do have a sliding scale that can be discussed if you are interested.
How does virtual therapy work?
When necessary, I offer telemental health services for those who are interested and eligible. Sessions are held through the program Simple Practice and run as a typical in-person session would. You will receive a link to my virtual session room via email prior to your appointment date. Upon entering my room, you will be shown in my Waiting Room. When I am ready, I will "admit" you and our video streams will be connected.
Virtual therapy can hold some barriers, and I certainly do not recommend this modality for everyone. I reserve the right to deny telemental health services when I believe it is an inappropriate or insufficient modality for your presenting problem. My virtual therapy option is primarily reserved for emergencies or for clients transferring to my private practice from BetterHelp.com. If you have questions about telemental health, please give me a call at 717.743.1484.