Pediatrics
"All children are great children." -Marian Robinson
Children: Ages 2-11
It can be heartbreaking and overwhelming when our children experience behavioral challenges. Clinical Behavior Analysis (CBA), and Behavioral Pediatrics is instrumental in the treatment of neurological, developmental, or mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity, emotional disturbance/oppositional defiance, and sensory imbalance. It is also a great fit for a neurotypical child that is experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges that are impacting the whole family.
Thriving Lives provides a holistic approach to supporting your needs by looking closely at the whole person, as an individual and in the context of the family unit, to focus on values, relationships, and purposeful action toward family-identified goals.
Through the use of scientifically proven modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), contingency/reinforcement management interventions, and functional analysis, we will work to increase skills and connections that bring growth and joy while decreasing interfering behaviors of concern. Children develop active self-listening and emotional regulation skills to better understand and manage the thoughts and feelings that are contributing to their challenging actions.... a huge and necessary step toward lifelong positive change!
An individualized schedule of direct therapy combined with parent-training sessions provided in a welcoming and calming environment, creates healthy and holistic growth. Our programs are a strong complement to an existing early-intervention or school-based support system. Collaboration, consultation, and/or educational advocacy are also available.
Adolescents: Ages 12-17
The teen years are incredibly unique, we want to support our adolescents on their path to independence while continuing to provide the guidance and structure that is vital as they navigate huge social-emotional demands. This is true for people with neurotypical and neurodiverse needs and Clinical Behavior Analysis (CBA) provides important supports during this stage.
Thriving Lives works with teenagers experiencing many of the same challenges as our younger clients. Our clients in this age group often come to us with neurological, developmental, or mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity, emotional disturbance/oppositional defiance, and sensory imbalance. We work together to gather information about what an adolescent would like to do more and do less of, developing value-based decision making and committed action skills, and intrinsic motivation for change that brings about joy, confidence, and growth. Specific target examples include: self-advocacy, comfort and confidence in social interaction, coping skills, emotional-regulation, executive functioning, self-help/independence, and cognitive flexibility.
Thriving Lives also offers an adolescent appropriate approach to many of the adult services we provide. This includes self-care/ self-compassion, mindfulness techniques, health and wellbeing practices, and weight management strategies.
Parental involvement in sessions for adolescent clients is determined based on your family's needs, and communication boundaries are set with consent and understanding ahead of initiating support. Our programs are a strong complement to an existing school-based support system. Collaboration, consultation, and/or educational advocacy are also available.
Therapeutic Support for Parents
Parenting is one of life's greatest challenges but parenting a child with special needs and difficult behaviors can feel especially demanding when we put aside our own needs as individuals and couples to focus on the needs of our children. The overwhelming sense of guilt, burden, judgment, and anxiety is devastating for many families.
Our therapeutic support for parents combines tried and true behavior strategy training specific to your family's needs with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We build values-based personal goals and provide support toward accepting feelings as appropriate and valid. Introducing ways to strengthen self-care and self-compassion routines for the adults in your home rounds out this holistic approach to change. We often see the most behavior shift in young clients when their parents have the necessary support to shift toward acceptance and self-compassion within themselves.
Services can be provided to an individual parent, a couple, or a group of adults who are co-parenting in separate homes. This service can be "parent only" or an important component of your children's individualized program at Thriving Lives—further strengthening your family unit as you move toward joy together.