Child/Adolescent Treatments Offered

Mindfulness is the practice of deliberately and intentionally bringing your attention to the present moment, nonjudgmentally and without analysis of or attachment to the moment. Practicing mindfulness has been demonstrated to:

•  Improve focus 
•  Reduce emotional and physical suffering 
•  Improve relationships  
•  Increase the ability to regulate emotions 
•  Increase joy 

It is a cornerstone of many evidence-based treatments, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, CBT for Anxiety, DBT for Substance Abuse and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and is utilized widely by our BPS therapists.

H.R.T is an evidence based treatment for Body-Focused, Repetitive Behaviors Disorders, such as skin-picking, Trichotillomania, nail-biting, thumb-sucking and tics. It can be done alone or as part of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which is recommended for children. It is a 3-phase treatment that involves increasing awareness of the behavior(s) and their premonitory urges, developing competing responses to these behaviors, and building and sustaining motivation and compliance, including relaxation training. CBIT includes addressing functional interventions that reduce the impact of the tics. The treatments generally last between 8-10 sessions. 

C.P.T. is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that treats Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and trauma-related issues. It was developed in the 1980s and typically involves an average of 12 sessions to complete. It has been researched with adolescents 14 years and older. C.P.T. addresses the maladaptive thoughts and feelings that people develop following traumatic experiences. It teaches the client to examine their thoughts and use skills to reformulate their thoughts in more effective and adaptive ways. These modifications to one’s thoughts then lead to changes in feelings and behaviors. Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment. Contact us today to get started! 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Prolonged Exposure is an evidence-based treatment for self-harming and/or suicidal adolescents and adults involved in DBT, who also have a diagnosis of PTSD. It was created by Dr. Melanie Harned in response to the large proportion of DBT clients who have a history of trauma. Traditionally, DBT did not treat trauma symptoms (PTSD) until “stage II” of the DBT protocol, which often took 6 months to 1 year to achieve. The DBT-PE follows the standard DBT protocol and modifies the standard P.E. protocol to allow DBT clients to begin treating PTSD much earlier in treatment. It is a stage-based treatment that first emphasizes using the DBT skills to manage intense emotions (stabilization), then targets the memories and situations being avoided, and finally, targets other problems in living that are important to the client.  

DBT-PE sessions are typically longer than standard DBT sessions. It can be administered in 90 min, 120 min sessions or multiple times a week, with one session devoted to DBT and one to P.E. per week.  

Our DBT-C program is designed for children under the age of 12-years old. It aims to help children and their parents who struggle with intense conflict. It follows the same behavioral principles as other comprehensive DBT treatments but is tailored to the needs of families with younger children. This program includes family DBT skills training, individual treatment for the child as well as separate Behavioral Parent Training for the parents. These sessions can be done together in 60 or 75-minute sessions or broken up as needed. During these sessions, the child and the parents will each learn how to apply a variety of skills they have learned to better manage their own reactions.  Emphasis is on the parents’ skill acquisition and implementation, but common treatment targets are increasing problem-solving skills, avoiding common thinking traps, learning the basics of behavior modification techniques, increasing tolerance of stressors and increased mindfulness. Please see our DBT Programs page to learn more about DBT-C 

P.M.T is a 12-15 week protocol that teaches parents specific skills to help increase wanted behaviors and reduce unwanted behaviors in their child. In this treatment, the therapist meets with the parents only, to train them to become the “behavioral therapist for their child.” The treatment was developed by Dr. Alan Kazdin and is designed for children 2–14-years old but can be used with older teens as well. It is the “gold standard” treatment for children who have Oppositional Defiant Disorder or other explosive or high-conflict interactions at home, in school or with peers. It rests on a substantial amount of researching, demonstrating its efficacy for parents and caregivers. Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment.  

Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents is indicated for the treatment of Binge Eating Disorder, Bulimia Nervosa, non-suicidal, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts/behavior. All of these issues benefit from the acquisition of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Effectiveness and Emotion Regulation skills to better manage maladaptive urges, as well as respond more effectively to feelings of shame and disgust that often follow these unwanted behaviors.  

DBT is a 6 month–1 year commitment and involves individual therapy, plus a weekly, 90-minute Multifamily DBT skills group (that involves the teen plus at least one parent/caregiver). Clients involved in our DBT-A program also have access to in-between, brief skills coaching to help apply the skills they learn in real-life situations. Family and parenting sessions are also available to support families, as needed 

Please refer to our DBT programs page for more information. 

DBT-C is designed for children ages 6-12-years old. It aims to help children and their parents who struggle with intense conflict. It follows the same behavioral principles as other comprehensive DBT treatments but is tailored to the needs of families with younger children. This program includes family DBT skills training, individual treatment for the child as well as separate Behavioral Parent Training for the parents. These sessions can be done together in 60 or 75-minute sessions or broken up as needed. During these sessions, the child and the parents will each learn how to apply a variety of skills they have learned to better manage their own reactions and facilitate more peaceful, validating interactions. 

Please refer to our DBT programs page for more information. 

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term treatment, lasting between 8 to 20 sessions. It has been empirically supported with over 30 years of research. EFT is a highly effective therapy for couples, families and individuals. Based on attachment theory, it aims to reshapes negative interactions, between couples and strengthen the attachment bond. Research indicates that 70%-75% of couples move from distress to recovery after undergoing EFT. Additionally, 90% of couples demonstrate significant improvement after treatment.  EFT fosters resiliency, facilitating clients to become more accessible, responsive, and engaged.  Moreover, research demonstrates that the results from EFT treatment are sustainable overtime.