THERAPY SERVICES
Dr. Roberge provides therapy services for children and youth from 2 years and a half to 21. This usually involves an initial interview lasting 1 h to 1.5 hr with parents to clearly identify their concerns, the interventions attempted to date, and to obtain the relevant clinical information for her clinical assessment of the child. Then she will meet with the adolescent/ youth to complete her clinical assessment to determine the treatment. In the case of children, Dr. Roberge will meet with child and his parents and then, individually to observe parents-child interactions. Then, Dr. Roberge will meet with parents to share her clinical assessment and develop a treatment plan.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
Psychotherapy involves therapeutic conversations and interactions between a therapist and a child or youth. It can help children and youth understand and resolve problems, modify behavior, and make positive changes in their lives. There are several types of psychotherapy that involve different approaches, techniques, and interventions. At times, a combination of different psychotherapy approaches may be helpful.
Individual therapy with children can take the form of play therapy that involves the use of toys, blocks, dolls, drawings, and games to help the child recognize, identify, and verbalize feelings. It allows the therapist to identifies themes or patterns to understand the child's problems. Through a combination of talk and play the child has an opportunity to better understand and manage their conflicts, feelings, and behavior. Therapy with children can also incorporate Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) techniques to helps improve a child's moods, anxiety, and behavior by examining confused or distorted patterns of thinking and teaching children that thoughts cause feelings and moods which can affect behavior. CBT then helps the child replace this thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviors.
Individual therapy with adolescent and youth can involves several techniques, such as CBT techniques and Mindfulness based stress reduction techniques. It also aims at helping the youth understand and express their feelings. In conducting therapy with teens it is important to not only work to resolve current difficulties, but also to help them develop their identity and a sense of their competence to be able to successfully face the challenges
that may arise in the future.
PARENT CONSULTATION
Parent Consultation aims at the development of tools and interventions that help parents improve their effectiveness in working day-to-day with your child on the emotional or behavioral problems they're facing. This is a key intervention with children ages 2-5, but can be utilized with children and teens at any age. Parenting consultation consists of
problem solving sessions in which the therapist and the parents collaboratively work together to develop a plan to address your child's difficulties that involves understanding the triggers of their child behaviors and how to intervene to they can change those problematic behaviors and develop the lagging skills that lead to these behaviors. Severalapproches can be used depending on the problematic.
FAMILY THERAPY
Family therapy can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts and can teach skills to deepen family connections. Family therapy involves discussion and problem-solving sessions with the family members. It can be useful in any family situation that causes stress, grief, anger or conflict. It can help you and your family members understand one another better and learn coping skills to bring you closer together. Conflicts and obstacles between family members can be especially difficult to recognize and resolve. Family therapy can help improve family functioning and return a sense of peace to your home.