How does Individual Therapy work?
Dr. Cohen begins treatment assessing the appropriateness of Individual Therapy for each youth. If it is determined that individual therapy is an appropriate intervention, then the next step is to clarify what treatment goals the client and family are requesting be addressed.
- Depending on the age of the youth, and the presenting concerns, the assessment may begin with the youth, or the youth’s parents. The assessment involves questioning the youth and/or the parents in pertinent areas of the child and family’s history, the child’s development, and the context of the family’s concerns. In the process of understanding each family members’ perspective, Dr. Cohen begins to establish relationships with the youth and the family.
- Other information Dr. Cohen incorporates into the assessment includes the youth’s attitude toward therapy, strengths, and cultural background, along with their willingness and capacity to engage in treatment. This information is then used in developing the youth’s treatment plan. Dr. Cohen draws from her years of experience, various psychological and behavioral theories and evidence based treatments to address the treatment goals with the youth in the context of the developing therapeutic relationship.
- Once a therapeutic relationship is established, youth are often motivated to learn new skills and appropriate ways to voice their needs. They become motivated to take the requisite “action,” to achieve their personal goals
- Throughout, as well as, at the conclusion of a youth’s individual therapy, Dr. Cohen encourages her young clients to share as comfortable, the thoughts, insights, feelings, and needs they have identified with their family members. Whether they have identified the need for support to improve problem-solving and communication skills, want family members to better recognize each others’ perspective, or need assistance expanding their repertoire of effective coping skills, following individual therapy youth are often willing to share their insights with their family.
- To maximize the efficacy of treatment, Dr. Cohen facilitates this communication, makes recommendations, identifies skills, and supports facilitation of parent-youth contracts and agreements to assist families with supporting their child. Dr. Cohen is dedicated to providing all family members the encouragement, education, tools, and skills they need to navigate quality family life and stress free relationships.
Each young person and each family presents with different needs, and circumstances. Now is a good time to reach out to Dr. Cohen for your initial complimentary consultation, or through the web-site contact page with any questions you may have.