Treatment Options

Listed below are many of the treatment options available to patients at Pediatric Behavioral Health.  Be sure to mention any particular treatments you would like your clinician to consider at your next appointment.

Psychotherapy

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): In 6 to 10 sessions, PBH clinicians can significantly reduce the symptoms of many common behavioral and psychological issues using CBT.  CBT is a scientifically proven approach that teaches patients how to take control of their symptoms so that they no longer interfere with everyday life.
  
  
• Individual Therapy:  In addition to CBT, PBH clinicians also offer more traditional play therapy for children and individual insight-oriented therapy for adolescents.  These therapies are still solution focused, but are better for some problems that are less focused, such as adjustment to divorce, parental illness,  grief, sexuality issues, and life choices.
  
  
• Couples Therapy:  When marriages and partnerships go wrong, it can affect the whole family.  If you and your partner are struggling, PBH's clinicians can help you identify the patterns of behavior that prevent you from enjoying each other as you once did.
  
  
• Family Therapy:  PBH clinicians can help your family discover your patterns of interaction that keep you from being the happy, cohesive unit you would like to be.
  

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 Psychiatry

• Psychiatric Diagnosis:  If you have concerns that your child may be showing signs of depression, anxiety disorders, or other mental health  issues, or if you are not sure quite what is going on, PBH's Child and Adolescent psychiatrist can meet with you and your child, evaluate your child's symptoms and behaviors, and discuss with you the available treatment options, help you understand the likely course of the disease or behavior, and develop a treatment plan with you that is right for your family. 
  
  
• Medication Evaluations and Management:  For some issues, a medication may be an important part of a child's treatment.  A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist can help you understand how medications may help your child, what medications are available, and what the risks of using medications may be.  PBH accepts both second-opinion or one-time consultations and those patients needing ongoing treatment.
  

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 Parent Support

• Parenting Coordination:  If you have shared custody of your children but for whatever reason are unable to cooperate directly with your former partner, PBH's parenting coordinators can provide an intermediary to facilitate parenting time and coordinate approaches to parenting issues without letting old patterns get in the way. 
  
  
• Behavioral Management Training:  Behavioral management techniques are a variety of tools to address difficult child behaviors and to help parents have happier, more satisfying relationships with their children.  PBH's clinicians can teach you these tools and how to use them in a supportive, safe, and nonjudgmental environment.  You can come for weekly sessions for as long or as short as you need.
  
  
• Parenting Partner:  If you like those nanny programs on TV and wish there were one for you, you may find what you are looking for at PBH.  A trained clinician will come to your house for a 3 hour observation of you and your children, then in another 3 hour visit, demonstrate and teach you the behavior management skills you need to take control of and resolve the situation.
  

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 School Support

• Educational and Systems Advocacy:  If you need assistance getting the services that your child requires, PBH's Systems Advocate has the experience and expertise to navigate school systems, DSS, DMR, and DMH to help you get what you need.
  
  
• School and College Placement Avising: If a student is not thriving in the current school setting, a change in school may be appropriate. Parents often choose independent day or boarding school to offer students an alternative to traditional public or parochial school education. Also, few events in a student's life have as great an impact as attending college or university. At the same time, gaining admission to college today is extremely difficult. There are more students, too few spaces and the competition is intense. The decision can be overwhelming and the process stressful. Our personalized approach to the admissions process will reduce student and family stress and improve a students chances for finding the best fit.
  
  

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 Psychological and Educational Testing

PBH can provide detailed psychological, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological testing for children and adolescents.  We will tailor assessment packages to specific questions you need answered and provide you with detailed results and specific recommendations in a timely manner.

• Full Diagnostic Package: Consultation with a Neuropsychologist to understand your concerns,   customized neuropsychological and/or psychological testing (approximately 6 hours), review of findings and recommendations, diagnostic evaluation by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, discussion of treatment options and recommendations, and three hours of Educational Advocacy to see that your  needs are understood and addressed by the school system.
  
  
• Testing Package:  Consultation with a Neuropsychologist to determine your concerns,  customized neuropsychological and/or psychological testing (approximately 6 hours), review of findings and recommendations, including a detailed report that you can take to the school. The Neuropsychologist is able to meet with the school in person at an additional charge.
  
  
• ADHD Evaluation:  Two 1 hour-long diagnostic sessions with a PBH clinician using a variety of standardized assessments of ADHD.
  
  
• Developmental Delay / Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation:  For children ages 6 and under who are suspected of having a developmental delay, early diagnosis is critical to getting the services the child needs.  PBH's Evaluation Team consists of a Child Psychologist, a Developmental Specialist and an Educational Advocate.  At the time of your first appointment the Clinical Psychologist will meet with the parents to obtain a comprehensive history.  Simultaneously, your child meets with the Developmental Specialist to assess cognitive, fine motor, gross motor and social skills development.  Feedback is scheduled 1 week later with the Psychologist who goes over the evaluation results and the Educational Advocate who directs the parents to the available community and school services that are most appropriate for their child.  The parents leave the assessment not only with a comprehensive picture as to their child's needs, and a diagnosis if applicable, but also a specific plan for helping their child reach his or her developmental potential. 
  
  

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