At Seattle Psychology our services include assessment for gifted and advanced learning programs and school interventions; emotional and behavioral regulation skills training; and individual, parent and family therapies. We recognize the intense social and cultural pressures our youth face today. Our commitment is to provide children and their families with resources to face and effectively overcome those challenges.
Assessment and School Interventions
At some point in the life of many children, questions emerge about academic and social functioning that can best be addressed with the help of a comprehensive assessment. By administering assessment instruments and taking a thorough history, we seek to chart the child’s cognitive and behavioral development and, where relevant, identify emotional, cognitive and neurological difficulties such as attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. At the conclusion of the assessment we provide the child and family with individualized feedback that summarizes cognitive and emotional strengths and challenges and addresses the referral concerns. Targeted treatment recommendations may include psychological and/or school interventions and wrap-around services. We welcome parental input, feedback, and collaboration throughout this process.
In addition, assessment can be helpful in assisting families with educational planning for their children. We provide comprehensive cognitive and academic assessment for gifted and advanced learning programs, Kindergarten early entrance testing, private school entry assessments, appeals testing, and independent educational evaluations (IEE).
Emotional and Behavioral Self Regulation Skill Training
Even under the best of circumstances, children may have difficulty managing and regulating powerful emotions. However, their ability to do so effectively is also predictive of social adjustment, academic achievement, and overall success across the lifespan. At Seattle Psychology, we offer children, teens and their families proven strategies that enable them to effectively regulate emotions and manage behavioral reactions that otherwise interfere with daily life and future opportunity. These challenges include excessive anxiety, depression, anger, hyperactivity, social skills deficits, and other behavioral problems. Following evaluation, each child receives an individualized treatment plan that includes components from evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral (CBT), dialectical behavior (DBT), acceptance and commitment (ACT), and other mindfulness-based therapies.
Individual, Parent, and Family Therapies
Children are uniquely influenced by the social milieu in which they live, which extends from home to school and beyond. As such, input, feedback, and support from those who know them best contribute to any successful therapy with children. Thus, our individual psychotherapeutic work with children also includes a collaborative relationship with their parents. Parent coaching and therapy may further that collaboration by offering strategies for effective communication, behavior management, and skill building beyond the therapy setting. Where difficulties exist primarily within a family itself, we provide services that address those challenges with all involved. Our family therapy interventions are informed by the rich tradition of applied systems theory.