Services

 

Free Phone Consultation (20 Minutes)

Our first step is a free phone consultation to talk about your needs and to ensure that I am the right match for you and your family. The goal is to get a sense of your current concerns and if the services I offer is going to be the most helpful option for you.

During that call, you’ll have an opportunity to:

• Share about your areas of concern – Why are you reaching out?
• Identify any goals you have in mind – Are there ways you can imagine things feeling better day-to-day?
• Note any details about what you might be looking for in a clinician and treatment – Have you had past experiences you want to either replicate or avoid? Are there certain types of adults you’ve noticed your child gravitates to?
• Ask questions about anything else you might want to know more about.

Once we decide to work together, you can schedule immediately. If for any reason, I’m unable to provide the support you’re looking for, I will help you find what you need.

Parent Intake (70 Minutes)

• Parents/Caregivers only.
• Includes:
  • 60 minutes with your clinician to:
    • explore your current concerns and challenges.
    • discuss developmental, social, and medical history, and previous therapeutic interventions and evaluations.
    • begin charting the path the therapy will take to meet your goals.
  • 10 minutes of initial contact with another member of your/your child’s treatment team of your choice.
    • Parents often chose to have their clinician touch base with a child’s teacher, school counselor, pediatrician, psychiatrist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and/or speech and language pathologist.
  • Letters to any other treatment team members you chose to notify them of treatment.

Individual Counseling 

My practice specializes in providing therapy to young children.  I use a Child Centered play therapy approach to help the child express his or her emotions through their main form of communication, play.  Using tools like a doll house, a sandbox, puppets, interactive and directive play are just some of the common tools used in my sessions.  

To get technical, Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is a humanistic approach to therapy that is committed to providing a non-judgmental, emotionally supportive, therapeutic environment, with clear boundaries, to provide an atmosphere to the child that allows for the learning of emotional and behavioral self-regulation.

Parent Check-Ins

• 15, 30 or 45 minutes, as needed or requested
• occurs after the 4^th individual session with the child. 
• the purpose of this session is:
  • the discussion of problems and the progress of the child and the family and
  • incorporates parent education that is specific to the needs of the family.

Parent/Caregiver Support Can Help With

• Increasing positive interactions
• Solving problems before they escalate
• Behavioral challenges
• Creating routines
• Managing transitions
• Developing useful reward systems
• Enjoying time as a family again

What to expect

During our initial phone consultation, we’ll have a chance to determine whether or not I believe that brief parent support is likely to affect the kinds of change you’re seeking.

If either you or your child are experiencing challenges directly related to a mental health concern, it’s likely that psychotherapy is the best approach.

There is no ongoing commitment – we may only have one support session ever, one a month or one a week.

The Fine Print

Parent/Caregiver support is a separate service from psychotherapy. It is not an insurance reimbursable service.

If your child is coming to Alva Robinson, LSW LLC for individual or group therapy, parent sessions are typically covered under “Family Therapy without Client Present”.

Groups

• Intake Session: 40 minutes, parent(s)/caregiver(s) only.
• Group Sessions: 60-90 minutes.
• Parent Check-In: 25 minutes, at the conclusion of semester or as requested.
  • Spring 2020 Semester: January 6 – May 18
  • Summer 2020 Semester: June 22 – August 24