Teens and Tweens CBT Intensive Group AUG 2018

ATS is excited to announce that the Teens and Tweens CBT Group will run again in August, just in time before school resumes! The intensive group therapy will run from Thursday, August 9th, to Saturday, August 11th, 9am-12pm daily. The group will provide cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT) to teens and tweens coping with anxiety. Therapeutic goals include increasing knowledge about the relationship between brain and behavior, increasing mindfulness of how one reacts to stress/anxiety, and learning how to identify and apply adaptive coping instead of anxious avoidance. With this group, teens and tweens will prepare their plan on how to handle anxieties around school.

Learning in a group of other tweens and teens with similar experiences will allow your tween/teen to see they are not alone. Feeling a part of a group is important for a preadolescent's/adolescent's social development, ego development, and identity formation. For children with a history of selective mutism and/or social anxiety, or other anxieties, socializing with peers can be challenging, especially in a culture where more quiet personalities are often misunderstood. Gaining a better understanding of anxiety and how to cope effectively can help your tween/teen feel more prepared to face the challenges of the upcoming school year.

The group is considered Level 4 in our group therapy hierarchy at ATS. Click here to learn more about our group therapies and levels. 

Prerequisites

Group Therapy for Tweens and Teens is considered an advanced (Level 4) outpatient group at ATS.

The prerequisites are as follows:

• Must have completed sessions at ATS within the last three months, including at least one peer session (1:1 Child to Therapist ratio) or group session (1:3 Child to Therapist ratio).
• Demonstrates the ability to separate from parent and enter group room independently.
• Demonstrates the ability to respond directly to Group Therapist in the presence of peers.
• Demonstrates the ability to interact verbally with limited assistance by the Group Facilitator.

Readiness for this group can also be demonstrated by the following:

• Has participated in Adventure Camp or Winter Adventure within the last 6 months.
• Has participated in Social Exposures Group or Social Thinking Group at ATS within hte last 6 months.

If you are not sure if your tween/teen meets these prerequisites, talk it over with your tween's/teen's therapist. If it has been over three months since your tween/teen has been in treatment at ATS, then a refresher session may be necessary to reacquaint your child with ATS.

If it has been over 6 months since your tween/teen has been in treatment at ATS, or your tween/teen has never received treatment at ATS, and you think this group is ideal for his/her needs, please contact ATS at 630-230-6505 to set up an intake evaluation.

What to Expect: 

3 Hours on 3 Consecutive Days = 9 Therapy Hours Total 

From 9am-12pm each day, your tween/teen will receive education about anxiety and the brain, explore experiences relevant to their age group, and participate in group activities that reinforce learning. Decreasing anxiety is not the goal; rather, new learning is our focus in our Tweens and Teens group. By talking about anxiety, learning about the physiology of anxiety, and how to appreciate the role anxiety plays in their lives, tweens and teens are taught to embrace those parts of themselves and gain a new perpsective, which increases their sense of control, buffering the toll stress and anxiety can take on them. This new learning helps to rewire their brain to approach versus avoid anxiety-provoking situations. 

Our summer Teens and Tweens Group runs from Thursday, August 9th through Saturday, August 11th, from 9am-12pm all three days.

Fees 

Group sessions are billed by the hour. Click below to register and see associated fees, which includes 9 hours of intensive therapy. If you cancel before the first day, you will be refunded for the full 9 hours less a $35 administrative fee. 

If your child attends the first day and it is determined that he/she needs more therapy before participating in this level group, you will be refunded for the remaining 2 days, and no administrative fee will be applied. Insurance CPT code is 90853. Statements will be provided to those who wish to submit to their insurance for reimbursement.

Click to read HIPAA form.

Can't make this group? See our other groups here!

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