Areas of Expertise

Each of our Behavioral Health Centers provide a range of high quality outpatient psychotherapy services to youth and families across Worcester County. In addition to our most frequently referred services, our staff have additional, specific areas of expertise to include:

Mood-related Issues

Mood disorders are mental health disorders that involve emotional problems that often involves long periods of excessive sadness (depression), excessive joyousness or elation (mania), or both (bipolar disorder). Individuals suffering from mood disorders may also have thoughts or behaviors of harming themselves through self-Injury or suicidality.

Our clinical team is trained to support individuals with mood issues through the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and in some cases with referrals to our psychiatry department for medication.

Anxiety-related Issues

Individuals with anxiety disorders suffer from intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations, and often take measures to avoid these stressful situations. This may present in diagnoses such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, phobias, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, social anxiety, or other forms of worry.

Our clinicians use a variety of intervention strategies to support these issues, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); mindfulness and meditation; family therapy; features from exposure and response prevention models, including fear hierarchies and gradual exposure.

Trauma-related Issues

Trauma is understood as the experience of, or exposure to, a very stressful event or series of events that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. This may include, physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, war-related trauma, natural disasters, major accidents, or being the victim of bullying, racism, homophobia, or other forms of marginalization.

We use a variety of evidence-based trauma treatments to address these experiences, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and TF-CBT for youth who have been Commercially Sexually Exploited; Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) and the ARC GROW model for caregivers; Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP); and the 12 Core Competencies of Childhood Trauma from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

Grief and Loss

Grief is a normal response to loss. Loss can include loss of life, a disaster or other traumatic event, or drastic and de-stabilizing changes to one’s daily life and may include illness, bereavement, separation from family, or loss of a family member. We are able to offer Children’s Peer Grief Support; grief and loss group therapy; and individual and family therapy.

Family Issues

Families come in all different constellations, and many families struggle to navigate their relationships in a way that feels supportive, especially families who have endured trauma. Some common family difficulties include parenting difficulties, divorce and other family separation, family communication problems, and attachment issues.

Our clinical team is trained to support families in navigating these challenges. Specifically, we are able to offer family and couples therapy; family mediation and consultation; divorce mediation; parenting curricula; and Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) and the ARC GROW model for caregivers.

Early Childhood and Developmental Issues

Developmental issues arise when a child’s progress in language, behavior, social engagement, or learning is less well developed than expected based on their age. This may include problems such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, preschool behavioral issues including suspensions and expulsions. In our work with developmental and early childhood issues, we use Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation; the Pyramid Model; the Brazelton Touchpoints Model; and a variety of behavioral interventions.

Gender & Sexuality

Healthy development of sexuality and gender is an important part of wellbeing. We work with youth who are exploring questions about gender, experiencing gender dysphoria, or exploring sexual orientation; and we are committed to serving the LGBTQ community. Clinicians are trained to provide gender affirming care; interventions informed by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and group therapy for LGBTQIA youth.

Social & Behavioral Issues

Behavior disorders occur when children persistently act out, causing significant problems at home or at school. Disorders and problems associated with behavior issues can include ODD/conduct problems, social skills development, anger management and bullying behavior, problematic or harmful sexual behavior, and/or other challenging behaviors. We are trained to use a variety of interventions, including behavior management; social skills training, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Problematic Sexualized Behavior (PSB-CBT) and anger management group therapy.

Substance Use Issues

A substance use disorders, also known as addiction, is a problem in which a person misuses a medication or drug. We work with adolescents who need counseling to address their substance use (i.e. nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opiates, etc.) as well as working with children or teens impacted by a family member who suffers from a substance use disorder.

We have clinicians trained in the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA); Motivational Interviewing (MI); and family therapy.