Hello All!
You survived another year! Welcome to 2018! I know it
has been a long-time sense I have posted.
Bethany NOW Offers Therapy
in Seattle
I wanted to share that Bethany Christian Services has re-opened
our ADOPTS (Addressing Post Adoption Stress in Adoptive Children) and
post-placement and adoption therapy program here in the Seattle area!!
Finally, after 4 years, we are small but mighty! Erica Shutes-David, LMHC
and Emily Visser, LMHC are our launching team. We will also be adding Amy
Schaller, LICSW as soon as her license is approved (it is pending) --hopefully
in the next couple of months (if not sooner). All will be working part
time in the program. To inquire for Bethany’s counseling
programs. Please go HERE.
*Bethany is
looking for 10 families NOW to start the ADOPTS program. Are you ready?
What is ADOPTs: https://www.bethany.org/other-services/ADOPTS
ADOPTS offers an evidence-based, specialized, trauma-focused
treatment for adopted children with or without PTSD symptoms. It addresses the
impact of traumatic experiences on children prior to adoption and gives them
the tools to develop healthier coping skills in a post-traumatic stress
situation. Bethany’s therapists support children and their parents with
education and caring intervention to help each family thrive—not just survive.
ADOPTS can help your child cultivate skills to:
·
Develop healthy expressions of emotions
·
Understand the effects of past trauma
·
Increase capacity to form healthy attachments
·
Build personal strengths and self-identity
Services
will currently, only, be offered in one location, an annex to our Shoreline office,
located in Phinney Ridge. We take
Regence, Primera, Most Medicaid covered HMOs (including Coordinated Care) and other
private insurance plans.
If you
are interested in learning more about any of our counseling services, please go
here: https://www.bethany.org/other-services/family-counseling.
Other
offices that offer therapy within Bethany:
Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and
Wisconsin.
Other Adoption Competent Therapists
in Washington State:
Northwest Family Life: Amy
Barker, LMHC (Lake City/Tacoma), Barbara Tantrum, LMHC, (Lake City/Tacoma), Lisa
Jeffries, LMHC (Bellingham), Chris Cochran, LMHC (Bellingham), Kelli Hall,
LICSW (Kirkland/Bellevue), Lindsay Dye, LMHC (Kennewick), Cindy Ridgeway, LMHC
(Tacoma), Lesley Joy Ritchie, LMHCA (Lake City)
A Place for Home (List of therapists Trained by Deborah Gray, LICSW and trained in Foster care and Adoption Therapy) (Washington: Bremerton, Vancouver, Seattle, Kennewick, Lynnwood, Bellevue, Vashon, Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland, Renton, Puyallup, Oregon: Hillsboro, Portland, Astoria, Canada: Vancouver, BC)
Finding the Right Therapist for
you
Looking
for an adoption competent Therapist can be hugely challenging. A couple of things to keep in mind. Not all therapists are created equal and you
need to find one that understands you and your child. Any adoption competent therapist needs to
include you, as the parent in the therapy.
Therapy for youth under 12 just is not effective without a parent
helping to implement the strategies. Think
about it this way, would your child learn to do math problems if they only had
one hour of math a week and never practiced at home, never did homework? It is the same with therapy. Would your child do their homework if you
were not there to prompt them and guide them and sometimes even help them? It is the same with therapy. Do you need to treat your children differently
in how you approach them with chores or even homework? Therapy works the same way, you need to learn
about your child and what works best for them. That is part of how a trauma
competent, adoption competent therapist should help you and your child, and
your family.
According to Dr. Judith Cohen, MD Medical Director, Center
for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents at Allegheny
General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Any form of child intervention
related to anxiety/trauma need to involve parent—the best interventions include
the following: PRACTICE
· Psycho-education
of parents-increase parents’ knowledge/awareness
· Relaxation
Skills-for child and family.
· Affect
Modulation-Identification of feeling using words to describe emotions
· Cognitive
Coping Skills-understanding the thoughts behind the behavior
· Trauma
Narrative-having the child share their story-as best they can
· Invio-Mastery
of Trauma Reminders-being able to handle the triggers.
· Conjoint
Sessions with Parents
· Enhancing
Safety
Do your
homework- your time has value so take the time to research
• Find a licensed mental
health therapist in your area—be sure they are fully licensed (not in
training/associate). Psychologist, Social Worker, LMFT, LMHC
• Research their web
page. What does it say?
• Do they specialize in
children? Do they appear to have certification in what your child needs?
• What is their treatment
approach or training in? Does it say?
• Are they convenient enough
that you will be able to get there in your busy life and make it work for your
family?
• Do they take your insurance?
Or can you afford to pay for their cash pay fees?
Contact
Therapists who have promise-ASK
• What type of therapeutic
intervention do they offer and where were they trained? In what
evidence-based treatments have they been trained?
• What is your experience
with complex trauma in children (or whatever it is your child’s needs are).
• Who do you do
clinical supervision or consultation with?
• What will be expected
of me for the treatment to work the best?
• How long should
we plan the treatment to take?
• How do you decide when
the treatment has worked or has been successful or when it may need to be
changed because there is not enough progress?
• What are your fees and how
to you take payment?
• How long is your waitlist?
RResources
Adoption Medicine Clinics Search Tool:
Selecting and Working with a Therapist
who is Skilled in Adoption
Choosing Therapy for Adopted
Children and Youth
Finding and Using Post Adoption
Services
