Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is focused on the unique needs of one person. Each session is held one-on-one in the safety of the therapy office. Additionally, particularly for younger children, parent support and training sessions are a key component of individual therapy. As with all other programs at Hamptons Mindful Youth, a focus is placed on recognizing strengths and promoting resilience and overall psychological wellness.
Some of the issues we address in Individual Therapy include:
Anxiety
Some common diagnoses might include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, School Refusal, and Performance/Test Anxiety. Treatment for anxiety-related disorders typically focuses on helping the individual become more mindful of thinking errors and challenge faulty cognitions that perpetuate anxiety. Additionally, fears and avoidance behaviors are diminished through gradual exposure. Clients are also taught to incorporate the use of mindfulness and relaxation techniques in their daily lives.
Depression and Low Self-Esteem
Treatment for depressive disorders focuses on increasing awareness of negative thinking patterns and challenging those thoughts. Clients are encouraged to engage in activities that they value and bring them joy. Another primary focus is placed on recognizing client strengths and working on increasing self-compassion and acceptance.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Deficits in Executive Functioning
Since many children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often present with unique strengths and areas of weakness, interventions are formulated based on their specific needs. Areas of intervention may focus on executive functioning, including behavioral regulation/ impulse control, emotional regulation/ frustration tolerance; cognitive regulation skills such as the ability to focus attention and to plan/organize. Clients may also benefit from social skills training and parent support/training for increasing motivation and decreasing defiant or non-compliant behaviors.
Social Skills Deficits
Many children today find themselves struggling to navigate their social environment and could greatly benefit from social skills training. This includes learning to express one’s self assertively, rather than being passive or aggressive, social problem-solving skills, and increasing perspective-taking. Through role-play, children and adolescents can solidify skills taught.
Emotional Intelligence and Self-Regulation
These interventions aim to increase awareness of the variety of emotions and their intensities while providing clients with frustration tolerance skills to better cope with difficult emotions. Clients become more resilient as they learn skills to help them become more flexible in their thinking and in their ability to adapt to change.
Parent Support and Training
Parenting is no easy feat. Dr. Maria works with parents to provide nonjudgmental support and training. Areas of focus include non-compliant/defiant behaviors, anxiety-based behaviors- including school refusal and sleep training, establishing healthy boundaries and habits, and developing a positive behavior support program for the home.
Play Therapy
Play therapy or therapeutic play is an option for younger children and focuses on helping them learn to communicate more effectively, discover more positive ways to solve problems, to identify feelings and incorporate coping strategies. Play therapy also allows a developmentally appropriate means of expression and communication for children experiencing adverse personal events.
If you are interested in signing your child up for therapy or engaging in parent support, contact Hamptons Mindful Youth Today. To learn more about Group Therapy, read on!
Group Therapy
Group therapy is not only more cost-effective for clients but can offer additional benefits from traditional individual therapy. Group participants can see first-hand that they are not the only ones struggling and have the opportunity to learn from one another and generalize skills through role-playing.
Our current groups include:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Hamptons Mindful Youth, PLLC is currently the only provider on the East End offering MBSR. MBSR is the original and most highly researched mindfulness-based program developed by Jon Kabat Zinn.
Most Skills Building Programs are also provided on a group basis – please contact Dr. Maria for more information.
631-268-4203 | drpentcheva@hamptonsmindfulyouth.com