Announcing a New Service for kids and teens:  Social Effectiveness Coaching

What is it? Your child can work one-on-one with a skilled group psychotherapist to help resolve social dilemmas, on an “as needed” basis

Who can benefit? Any child who is experiencing frustration, confusion, or conflict in peer relationships.  This program will be most helpful for youth who have already completed a year in one of the Connections groups, and have been introduced to a set of social problem solving strategies.  Youth who have made progress in their social skills but continue to encounter specific problems or obstacles, and who do not have time to participate in a weekly group, will also benefit.

How does it work? Your child will have a one-on-one session (with parent in some instances) with a skilled group psychotherapist, to identify the specific social difficulty, explore possible coping strategies, select a strategy and a plan for implementation, and then arrange for follow-up.  When possible, your child can meet with a therapist from his/her group, who will already have some familiarity with your child’s needs and social strengths.  It is possible to schedule a single session, as a one-time consultation, or a series of several sessions, and then to have a follow-up to review the plan.

How will it help my child? Particularly for youth who have already made the investment of participating in a group to improve social functioning, Social Coaching provides the opportunity to utilize skills that have previously been introduced, in order to solve real-life social dilemmas.  Also, since any skills that are unused tend to fade over time, Social Coaching helps youth retain and enhance strategies that were learned in the group.  For children/teens who haven’t participated in one of our groups, this can serve as a valuable introduction to social problem-solving.

Would this conflict with my child’s individual psychotherapy? No, this is not an substitute for individual psychotherapy, and focuses specifically on social problem solving and solutions.  We can work collaboratively with your child’s individual psychotherapist, if you wish.

Please call to schedule a session or request more information, and feel free to forward this information to colleagues or other interested parties.

You can also post your inquiry on the “Contact Us” page!