Children & Adolescents: If your child or teen is experiencing a mood, anxiety or behavioral problem or is having school study or social issues, we offer Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies that address the child’s unhelpful thinking and attitudes as well as teaching new coping behaviors. Parents are an integral part of our treatment planning.

Issues Addressed:

• Parenting: Setting Limits and Boundaries – It is important for the parent(s) to learn strategies for encouraging new thinking and desirable behaviors, while setting limits that are clear and mutually reinforced. Whenever possible parents are a part of treatment and learn to reinforce what the child or teen is learning in counseling.
• Anger & Conduct Problems – Dr. Nay’s six-step anger program published in Taking Charge of Anger (Guilford Press, 2004) is the basis for practical and powerful teaching about regulating anger arousal and altering thinking that fuels anger. New ways of expressing feelings and solving problems without aggression are practiced.
• Depression & Self Esteem – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) the well-researched treatment of choice for mood disorders and to improve self-esteem is employed to alter dysfunctional beliefs and self-talk and to encourage re-engagement with others and positive life activities to improve mood. Referral for medication evaluation is made to local colleagues when warranted.
• Social Skills & Peer Relationships – Children learn to identify faulty thinking patterns and social behaviors that may roadblock friendships or lead to rejection by peers. New strategies for socially problem-solving and learning to accurately “read” others facial expressions and body language are reinforced by therapist and parent who is encouraged to plan social “playdates” and interaction so the child can practice new behaviors.
• ADD & ADHD: Assessment & Treatment – A careful assessment of possible Attention-Deficit Disorder is made with teacher, parent and child reports and interview. Treatment may include referral for medication, CBT treatment so the child can make better decisions and learn to “think ahead” more effectively. A variety of cueing systems and home strategies help the child to remember to do and turn in homework and home tasks and to learn better ways of inhibiting impulsive behavior.
• Anxiety Disorders and Fears – Anxiety emerges when the child or teen misperceives the level of threat within a life or school situation. CBT and relaxation and arousal management strategies are learned to “reframe” feared or anxiety provoking situations and to learn to expose oneself to what is feared to “extinguish” the fear emotions.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Dr. Nay specializes in treating OCD with powerful CBT techniques that include cognitive restructuring, exposure training and response prevention. The child learns effective ways to challenge obsessive thinking and to replace rituals with new adaptive actions. A warning: Traditional “talk” therapy is NOT effective with OCD and may make things worse. Sometimes a referral for medication as an adjunct to treatment is recommended.
• School Motivation & Homework Issues – Powerful CBT and behavioral strategies are learned to identify roadblocks to studying or school work and new effective study habits are leaned and reinforced. While we believe studying and homework is the child’s/teen’s responsibility, parents will be offered strategies to reinforce and enforce new study behaviors.