Child/Adolescent Treatments Offered

Our clinicians at BPS offer a variety of treatments for children and adolescents struggling with their mental health. Based on the most up-to-date research on treatments for youth, our staff provides individualized treatment plans to suit your child, teen, or family’s needs. As such, you’ll find that most of our treatment is based on cognitive behavioral therapies.

 

Treatments for Anxiety Related Disorders

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CBT for Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders (OCD, GAD, SAD and PTSD) are well-researched and considered the gold-standard of treatment. Our CBT treatments all balance exposure-based interventions (approaching the feared stimuli to facilitate habituation) with cognitive modification strategies (teaching clients to challenge and reformulate maladaptive, negative beliefs into more adaptive, functional beliefs). Our interventions also prioritize mindfulness and relaxation training as a part of the therapeutic process.  

For younger children, we utilize age-appropriate coping tools to help your child better understand and regulate their emotions.  

Mindfulness Training

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.

 

Treatments for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Related Issues

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Exposure and Response Prevention

Developed in the 1970s, Exposure and Response Prevention is an empirically supported intervention for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It involves exposing people to the stimuli that provoke their obsessive thoughts and preventing them from engaging in their compulsive behavioral responses. Over time, clients experience a reduction in anxiety, stress and obsessive thoughts. On average, length of treatment ranges between 12-15 weeks, but is individualized to fit each client’s specific needs. It has been well researched, and based on the large amount of evidence for its efficacy, it is considered the “gold standard” treatment for OCD. Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment. Contact us today to get started! 

CBIT/Habit Reversal Training

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. 

 

Treatments for Trauma Related Disorders

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Prolonged Exposure

Prolonged Exposure is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that has been empirically demonstrated to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It teaches clients to gradually approach trauma-related feelings, memories, and sensations. It is a short-term treatment, usually lasting between 12-15 sessions. Typical length of a P.E. session is 60-90 minutes. Two central components of Prolonged Exposure are: 

  • In-vivo Exposure: Occurs in-between session and involves the client approaching feared places, objects and sometimes people (if deemed non-threatening), connected to the trauma. The therapist and client collaborate to create a hierarchy of feared stimuli that the client gradually confronts over time, thereby experiencing a reduction in anxiety and stress related to the trauma and those stimuli.  
  • Imaginal Exposure: Occurs in session, where the client recalls a memory of the trauma, in the present tense, guided by the therapist. Together the therapist and client discuss the emotions that arise and process them. The client records their story during the session to review for homework. Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment. Contact us today to get started! 

Cognitive Processing Therapy

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! 

DBT with Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE)

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.  

 

Treatments for Depression and Behavioral Disorders

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Behavioral Activation

Behavioral Activation is a behavior therapy that was developed to treat Major Depressive Disorder, and other mood disorders with depressed affect. It targets the self-reinforcing relationship between depressed mood and inactivity and attempts to disrupt this maladaptive feedback loop. Depression often promotes inactivity, social withdrawal, and a reduction in pleasurable or value-driven activities. B.A. is a well-researched treatment option for depression. It involves monitoring our daily activity to understand the ineffective relationship between mood and behavior, identifying values and goals, simple activation (scheduling activities to increase pleasure and purpose) and problem-solving any barriers to activation. Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment.  

DBT for Children (DBT-C)

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 

Parent Management Therapy

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.  

 

Treatments for Executive Functioning Disorders

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CBT for ADHD

Mastering Your Adult ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program is a 14-session intervention developed to help clients cope with symptoms of ADHD. Though medication is often considered the frontline treatment for ADHD, many clients continue to endorse additional, residual symptoms even after commencing medication. The treatment manual was developed by Safren, Sprich, Perlman & Otto in response to lack of effective psychological treatments for adult ADHD. The treatment manual is comprised of four core modules: organizing/planning, reducing distractibility, adaptive thinking, and procrastination and helps clients learn and implement new strategies with the help of their therapist.  

 

Treatments for Gender Identity Disorders

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Trans Affirmative CBT

TA-CBT is an adapted version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for transgender adolescents who are suffering from anxiety, depression and/or suicidal thoughts. TA-CBT acknowledges and challenges the oppressive or biased environments in which transgendered people have traditionally sought mental health care and seeks to help clients identify transgender specific sources of stress and resiliency.  Its primary goals are to increase psychoeducation, social support, and address any problematic cognitive thinking styles that may be contributing to the mental health issues.  Our clinicians at BPS have been trained to use this highly effective treatment. 

 Treatments for Self-harm, Suicidal Behavior and Eating Disorders

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CBT-Enhanced (CBT-E)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) is a transdiagnostic treatment for all forms of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other similar states. Developed by Christopher G. Fairburn, MD and colleagues, this treatment is a highly individualized and enhanced form of CBT intended to meet the specific needs of each client’s eating problem. Through CBT-E, clients learn to better understand their eating problems, learn skills to stabilize their patterns of eating, and receive personalized education to address their eating and weight concerns. Clients also learn coping skills to manage the processes that are maintaining their eating problems, such as concerns about body shape/eating, as well as skills to cope ahead for future setbacks and maintain progress. Here at BPS, our clinicians are trained in CBT-E and able to provide this effective treatment.   

DBT for Adolescents (DBT-A)

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 month1 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 for Children (DBT-C)

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. 

 

Treatments for Relationship Issues 

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Parent Management Therapy

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.  

Emotionally Focused Therapy

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.