The initial appointment is an assessment. This is where you will review consent forms and learn the expectations of therapy. We meet for an hour. The assessment gives your counselor a better idea as to who your child is and what their concerns are on a daily basis. You can get to know your counselor and learn about their therapy style. You familiarize yourself with the therapy room, games and flow of session. Questions are welcome as it helps us make you comfortable and ready for therapy. Getting to know your Counselor can help you and your child feel good and learn to trust them. Asking them about therapy and what to expect can reduce stress and anxiety over therapy. We are here to help!
After the initial appointment you will make 1 appointment or reoccurring appointments to start therapy and each session is 50 minutes long. Your counselor is mindful of your time and will plan each session carefully for your child.Therapy is a commitment and works when you attend consistently. Please be on time for sessions so you have the full session to work on goals. Parents get a check in at the beginning of each session and at the end. You will learn what skills and tools your child should use in between session. You will learn what best helps your child feel better. Practicing what is learned is the best way to know what works and doesn’t work. This increases success and reduces anger, anxiety, sadness, fear and worry.
A plan of care will also be developed with you, your child and your counselor. This will be your guide in therapy and help you know what to expect as therapy begins. This is unique to each child. Goals will be made together to improve your child’s areas of concern and target specific problems. This will be reviewed quarterly so we monitor and work on things throughout therapy. Open feedback and sharing likes/dislikes can help therapy work better. Your therapist invites you to share so we know what is working. You can communicate via private Spruce app, email or schedule a call with your counselor for help, feedback or questions. We are here to help in between sessions too.
Parents are welcomed into the therapy space within the comfort of their child. Some kids like having one on one time with their therapist while others prefer to have their parent in the therapy room. Your counselor will provide you with a check in at the beginning of each session and a wrap up at the end. This keeps you in the loop but also protects the integrity of the relationship between counselor and client. Separate parenting sessions are scheduled at least monthly to address parent needs, questions and parent skills. These sessions can help you help your child in new and helpful ways.
Each session is structured with a beginning, middle and end. Each session includes teaching/practicing skills, role playing, handouts, therapeutic game play and lots of fun! Many children learn best and are open when they are engaged in an interactive game or activity. Thoughtful questions with no judgment but curiosity posed in a way that gets your child thinking and open to talking is a key to our therapy sessions. Therapy is not meant to last forever. We meet as long as your child needs it and discuss treatment as we go. Counselors at My Oviedo Counselor give your child the attention and support they need to be successful.
You and your child will be asked to practice skills, use tools and provide feedback each session. This helps the counselor to gauge improvements and do more of what is working. Open and honest communication helps the therapist and you make progress in therapy. Our therapists work on helpful ways to help you and your child. Your feedback helps us develop the right plan and make sure we are headed in the right direction. We don’t worry about “bad” feedback but focus on what we can do better for you and your child. Therapy includes hard stuff, happy stuff and confusing stuff too!
