Who am I?....such a loaded question..lol...I am experienced therapist (over 10 years) who specializes and loves working with children and their families. That wasn't the case during my tenure at university...I initially wanted to work with violent adult psychotic schizophrenics who were hospitalized (talk about Silence of the Lambs!)...but Child Psychology 101 changed all of that.
I initially hated it....
We were working with "at-risk" elementary children weekly, whom we had to complete a 150 question self-esteem inventory (geesh). The little girl I was working with challenged me from day one...I thank her, because of that child I was able to channel my energies into learning about ways to "reach" her...I sucked up every book I could find about child therapy, play therapy, art therapy and reading about various interventions that I could utilize. The next time said challenging child met with me, I was prepared...I had an array of items in my therapeutic arsenal (games, arts & crafts, dolls) she had no chance...ha! But something happened during that time with her that changed my life...she responded naturally via the language that she understood, play. The child expressed herself in her art, how she played...and I was even able to complete the 150 boring questionnaire! At the end of the semester, her teacher pulled me to the side and praised me for the work that was done with this child, and how much she had improved behaviorally. This helped me to drastically alter my views on which population that I chose to serve in my professional life.
That was years ago.
Before going into private practice, I have practiced in outpatient departments in various mental health agencies and worked in management supervising therapists in both wraparound and school-based programs in the Philadelphia School System. My experience has also been gathered working with family courts and child protective agencies in both Pennsylvania and Texas. As your therapist I will assist your child and your family in working through emotional issues associated with anxiety, trauma, depression, interpersonal relations, and poor anger management and behavioral issues. I am also a Nationally Certified Parenting Coordinator (through PACE, Inc.) and a Certified Family Group Decision Making Facilitator.
What are my approaches?
OCFS provides various forms of creative therapies (Play and Music) in addition to CBT which emphasizes the importance of our thoughts in how we feel and what we do. It stems from the notion that our thinking leads to our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people or situations. The positive thing about this is that we can change the way we think in order to feel and behave differently, even if the situation itself does not change. It is not always easy, especially since our thinking patterns are pretty engrained. But with guidance and some specific interventions, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is very effective and requires less time in therapy than other forms of psychotherapy, making it short-term and solution-focused. For more information see the following website: http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm
What does that mean for you?
This means you will be encouraged to talk about your thoughts and feelings and what's troubling you. Don't worry if you find it hard to open up about your feelings. I can help you gain more confidence and comfort.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally focused on specific problems, using a goal-oriented approach. Each session may have a specific agenda to guide discussion. As you go through the cognitive behavioral therapy process, you may be asked to do "homework" — activities, reading or practices that build on what you learn during your regular therapy sessions. Along with homework, you will be encouraged to apply what you're learning in your daily life.