Is your child having trouble adjusting to life in the United States? Does your child feel homesick? Does your child feel isolated, angry, anxious or sad? I offer a six-week therapy group for students who have recently moved to the US and would benefit from assistance acclimating to a new environment. The goals are to provide a better understanding of local culture and traditions, to learn the different stages and models of acculturation, and to discuss feelings, perceptions, and experiences in a supportive group. I am developing separate co-ed groups for middle school high school students.

Stepping Stones groups involve child groups and parent groups meeting simultaneously to learn about Social IQ. During their group, children learn social skills in order to commit them to “muscle memory”, where social behaviors become more natural and automatic. Since parents play a huge role in rehearsing these skills, the parent group also covers these skills so they are able to reinforce and deepen their children’s understanding. The group meets for 40 weeks, providing a comprehensive curriculum with a lasting impact.

Group therapy for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be a powerful force to help them understand their feelings, tolerate distress and difficult emotions, and connect with others and learn ways of expressing themselves. The shifting sands of physiology, emotions, socialization, and cognition create difficulty for many adolescents. Teens with ASD must face all of these challenges as well as managing the additional burdens of developmental difficulties from childhood. The complexity of new social situations, pressure to fit in, and difficulties putting thoughts and feelings into words put many of these teenagers at risk for depression and anxiety.