Individual Therapy
When you think of a therapist, these are the types of sessions that probably come to mind. Sit down, face to face talk therapy. Typically 45/50 minutes. For many young men these sessions can be difficult. Through acknowledging this fact, and perhaps adding a board or card game, communication skills are built. An individual session provides space to process some of the harder things you or your son is dealing with. Individual sessions can also be conducted in less traditional formats, such as while on a walk or combined with a workout.
Family Therapy
Sometimes a young person’s struggle is indicative of a larger family issue. Family sessions are an opportunity for the expression of individual needs to family members in a mediated setting. The goal of a family systems approach is to fundamentally improve patterns of communication between parents, children and siblings. It is through altering established patterns that we are able to change a dynamic and improve the home environment.
Outdoor Experientals
We live in a fast paced, electronically-oriented world. We are constantly bombarded and overstimulated. Leaving the larger world behind is the first step towards resetting and reconnecting with oneself. For many young men movement is a form of meditation. Whether you’ve lost touch with the outdoors or find your happiness in the woods, getting outside changes the therapeutic dynamic. Living in the DC area we are lucky to have a number of options available for outdoor pursuits. In the summer we might be paddleboarding, in the fall hiking up a mountain to see the leaves change, and in the winter learning how to stay warm and comfortable in a cold climate. Through exercise and time in the natural world emotional barriers are broken down and the therapeutic process can occur, organically. Being outside teaches us about ourselves, and gives perspective.
Experiential activities typically range from 3-5 hours. These one on one opportunities are a great option for
-an adolescent transitioning home from a wilderness program
-adolescents wanting to get back in shape (or being encouraged to!)
-non traditional learners
-anyone who loves, or wants to love, the outdoors
Transition Support
As a former wilderness therapy field instructor and clinician at a therapeutic boarding school I have a unique perspective surrounding the reintegration process. A key factor in the success of a transition home is the support in place before the step down in level of care. Often teens are so excited about coming home that they believe “everything will be fine”. For the first little bit it is. The honeymoon phase is real. But what happens after the newness wears off? Boundaries begin to be pushed, and life risks returning to “the way it was”. I like to work with your program’s therapist to ensure that there is a continuum of care. Matisyahu said “keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds”. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Through meeting with a family, the development of a home contract, and the frontloading of logical consequences, a home structure is set up to ensure the highest possibility of transition success.
Transition services are custom for every family, but typically involve preparation before reintegration, family sessions, individual sessions, and telephone support/coaching.{
Parent Coaching
Parenting a struggling child can be an incredibly difficult endeavor. Emotions can be high, and conversations often quickly escalate into arguments. Your teen may have taken over your household, and you may be living in fear of your child's reaction. A large component of parent coaching involves helping you to retake the role of authoritative leadership in your family. I work with parents to design and implement natural and logical consequences. I teach the methodology needed to thoughtfully respond to behavioral transgressions, rather than emotionally react. Parent coaching can be performed as a stand alone service, or in concert with your child's therapeutic process.