Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (G-CBT) Program 
Dr. Daniela Colognori, Clinical Director

Our new Social Anxiety Mastery & Skills for Success (SAMSS) groups combine CBT skills for social anxiety and social skills training for kids, teens, and young adults. Also be on the lookout for our new Positive Parenting (P²) groups coming soon...

• SAMSS Groups for Kids (possible age range 8-12, actual age range contingent on referrals)
  
• SAMSS Groups for Teens (possible age range 13-17, actual age range contingent on referrals) 
  
• SAMSS Groups for Young Adults (possible age range 18-25, actual age range contingent on referrals) 
• P² Groups (for parents of children with ADHD and/or mild to moderate behavior problems)

Child & Family CBT is pleased to announce our upcoming series of Social Anxiety Mastery & Skills for Success (SAMSS) Groups, combining cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills for social anxiety and social skills trainingfor kids, teens, and young adults. SAMSS is an expanded version of Skills for Academic and Social Success (Masia Warner, Beidel, et al., 1999), which has been shown to be an effective treatment for youth with social anxiety and social skills challenges. SAMSS is designed for youth struggling with social skills and/or social performance deficits (e.g., shyness, awkwardness, self-consciousness) when presented with social or evaluative situations, including speaking to new or unfamiliar people, starting or joining in on conversations, understanding and relating to peers, developing and maintaining friendships, public speaking or performing in front of others, class participation, calling or asking friends to get together, and communicating with others effectively. The groups will use an active, goal-oriented CBT approach to educate youth about the nature of social anxiety--how anxiety can be helpful and how it can sometimes prevent us from doing the things we want to do (e.g., making new friends)--and will focus on identification and gradual, step-wise practice of each youth's challenging or anxiety-provoking social situations in a safe, collaborative, and supportive environment. Treatment will also focus on identifying anxious thoughts and physical feelings (body signs) and will teach relaxation, behavioral, and cognitive coping skills to help prepare each youth when challenging social situations arise. Finally, the groups will emphasize the development and refinement of social skills, including perspective-taking, social problem-solving, effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and mastery of social shyness/discomfort through modeling, collaborative role-play, and in vivo practice. The group format is a key component of the group therapy process, providing an excellent naturalistic source of social support, real-time practice, sharing and normalization of experiences, and social skills-building with same-age and same-level peers.  

The first round of SAMSS groups will begin early April 2013, run 12 weeks at our Scarsdale program, and will be co-led by our Director of Group Therapy, Dr. Daniela Colognori, an expert in social anxiety and social skills training groups with children, teens, and young adults. 

Pediatric Assessment Center (PAC) 
Dr. Julieanne Shulman, Clinical Director

Our new Pediatric Assessment Center (PAC) offers comprehensive testing and consultation needs for youth of all ages, including: 

• Intellectual, Academic, & Psychoeducational Testing, Consultation, & Advocacy
• Comprehensive Neuropsychological Testing, Consultation, & Advocacy 

In addition, our integrative diagnostic assessment approach combines:

• Structured Diagnostic Interviews
• Paper-And-Pencil Rating Scales
• State-of-the-Art Cognitive Measures

This integration allows for a more complete picture of each individual’s clinical functioning and cognitive strengths & weaknesses, which in turn, enhances accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and monitoring of symptom progress.

Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) Program
Dr. Adam S. Weissman, Clinical Director

Our individual therapy approach is time-limited and goal-focused, with an emphasis on—and clear targets for—cognitive and behavioral change. Therapy makes use of active homework assignments and families play an important role in modeling and reinforcing the skills learned in therapy. We specialize in the latest advances in cognitive and behavioral therapies, including:

• Exposure Therapy with Response Prevention
• Behavioral Activation
• Thought Challenging/Cognitive Restructuring
• Coping Skills Training
• Social Skills Training
• Problem Solving Skills Training
• Mindfulness and Relaxation
• Behavioral Parent Training & Adapted Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
• MATCH-ADTC (A new modular CBT approach designed to address anxiety, depression, and/or conduct problems as they co-occurin youth)