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Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder. The central feature of SM is that children or teens who are capable of talking when not experiencing anxiety are unable to speak in situations that make them anxious. Children with SM are typically chatterboxes at home and silent in certain public settings. They do not speak in social situations such as school classrooms or the playground, or with certain people, such as their teachers, sports coaches or peers. It’s not that they won’t but rather they can’t. SM interferes with social interactions and often interferes with educational achievement as well. The good news is SM is treatable. We offering different levels of care to help support kids and teens with SM to overcome their anxiety.
How is Selective Mutism Treated?
We use Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Adapted for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM) to treat children struggling with SM. PCIT-SM uses a Child Directed Interaction (CDI) and Verbal Directed Interaction (VDI) to help kids work on brave talking. This treatment approach involves positive reinforcement and gradual shaping to increase the number of people, places and situations in which the child will comfortably speak. Kids practice brave talking in a safe trusted relationship to help them reach their goals.
Teens are treated with similar concepts applied in a developmentally appropriate way and incorporates the teen's interests. When CBT and coping skills would be helpful they are incorporated into the treatment process as well.
Teens are treated with similar concepts applied in a developmentally appropriate way and incorporates the teen's interests. When CBT and coping skills would be helpful they are incorporated into the treatment process as well.
Working with Schools
Children and teens spend so much of their time at school that it can be critical to their treatment success for us to directly work with the schools. We can teach the school staff the strategies we use in the therapy sessions to use in the school setting. We can also go into the schools virtually or in person to provide support.
Treatment Options
Individual Therapy
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Individual Intensive TreatmentSometimes typical weekly or even twice weekly therapy is not enough to get the progress a family is looking for quickly enough. We also provide intensive full day therapy sessions that may span a few days to a week. This can be a good way to get momentum built over a shorter period of time.
Group Intensive Treatment
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Upcoming Groups:
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One-Day SM Intensive
February 22, 2025
Saturday February 22, 2025 9 AM to 3 PM we are offering a 1-day group intensive focused on parent coaching in the community. The day will begin with a warm-up at our office followed by activities and lunch at a restaurant in the community, all targeting verbal interactions in a variety of settings within one day. Families must provide their own transportation the day of the event. A parent intake ($200) and fade-ins ($150/hour) are required for new patients. These can be done virtually however at least one fade-in in person is needed on 2/21/25 prior to the full day event on 2/22/25. The cost for the full day on 2/22/25 is $600 per family.
Contact our Administrative Coordinators Krista Morgan at 941-357-4090 or [email protected] for more information or to register your child.
Contact our Administrative Coordinators Krista Morgan at 941-357-4090 or [email protected] for more information or to register your child.
Mighty Mouth Kids
Camp- Sarasota (MMK-SRQ)
Mighty Mouth Kids Camp- Sarasota (MMK-SRQ) is modeled after the original Mighty Mouth Kids Camp developed at Kurtz Psychology Consulting PC by Dr Steven Kurtz. This is a week long therapeutic camp each Summer that uses PCIT-SM treatment strategies. MMK-SRQ requires a two week commitment from families for the week of camp and the week prior to camp. The week prior to camp is called "lead-ins week" and is spent conducting sessions to get your child prepared to be able to successfully participate in the camp week. Parent training is an additional component scheduled outside of those two weeks to help prepare parents for supporting their children during the camp week and beyond.
MMK-SRQ will simulate a classroom setting with a high ratio of staff support so that each child is paired individually with an adult counselor for their camp day. The camp day will create multiple opportunities for brave talking and building social skill with numerous people. There will be arts & crafts activities, a morning meeting that operates like circle time in school, guest teachers, presentations in front of the group, a lunch outing, a field trip, and more!
MMK-SRQ will simulate a classroom setting with a high ratio of staff support so that each child is paired individually with an adult counselor for their camp day. The camp day will create multiple opportunities for brave talking and building social skill with numerous people. There will be arts & crafts activities, a morning meeting that operates like circle time in school, guest teachers, presentations in front of the group, a lunch outing, a field trip, and more!
Introducing Team Brave Talker-
Our Advanced SM/Social Anxiety Camp
Parent Testimonials
Parent of a child with Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety treated at ages 6-7:
"My family and I are beyond thankful for Dr Kate and her team. I was thrilled when I found Parent and Child Psychological Services for my daughters selective mutism and social anxiety. I was excited to see that they use the latest evidence-based treatments for each diagnosis. We had a clear plan with concrete goals that provided the whole family with knowledge and tools we still use today. It has been so rewarding to see my daughter's progress and to watch her thrive in hard situations. The providers are not only highly trained experts, they are passionate and integrative in their treatments. We were able to partake in telemed group therapy, day-long intensives, individual sessions, and even a week long camp (Mighty Mouth Kids). My daughter came to love the staff and sessions and has even asked to go back to see Dr Kate. I highly recommend this practice and believe our community is fortunate to have this invaluable resource."
"My family and I are beyond thankful for Dr Kate and her team. I was thrilled when I found Parent and Child Psychological Services for my daughters selective mutism and social anxiety. I was excited to see that they use the latest evidence-based treatments for each diagnosis. We had a clear plan with concrete goals that provided the whole family with knowledge and tools we still use today. It has been so rewarding to see my daughter's progress and to watch her thrive in hard situations. The providers are not only highly trained experts, they are passionate and integrative in their treatments. We were able to partake in telemed group therapy, day-long intensives, individual sessions, and even a week long camp (Mighty Mouth Kids). My daughter came to love the staff and sessions and has even asked to go back to see Dr Kate. I highly recommend this practice and believe our community is fortunate to have this invaluable resource."
Parent of a child with Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety treated at ages 2-4:
"We cannot emphasize enough how lucky we were to have worked with Dr. Kate in treating my daughter’s selective mutism and social anxiety. Upon starting treatment when my daughter was 3, we were given a comprehensive treatment plan that was evidence-based, but also tailored to meet her unique needs. Through these sessions, both virtual and in person, Dr. Kate and her team helped to both lessen my daughter’s anxiety and also increase our understanding of her struggles so that we could best help her in her daily life.
Dr. Kate’s knowledge of childhood anxiety and enthusiasm for working with kids helped in establishing a strong rapport with my young daughter, who was always eager to see her. After doing several individual sessions, group sessions, school trainings and SM camp, we can confidently say that my daughter is thriving. She is a fully verbal and active participant in her first grade class and in extracurricular activities— a far cry from when she began treatment!"
"We cannot emphasize enough how lucky we were to have worked with Dr. Kate in treating my daughter’s selective mutism and social anxiety. Upon starting treatment when my daughter was 3, we were given a comprehensive treatment plan that was evidence-based, but also tailored to meet her unique needs. Through these sessions, both virtual and in person, Dr. Kate and her team helped to both lessen my daughter’s anxiety and also increase our understanding of her struggles so that we could best help her in her daily life.
Dr. Kate’s knowledge of childhood anxiety and enthusiasm for working with kids helped in establishing a strong rapport with my young daughter, who was always eager to see her. After doing several individual sessions, group sessions, school trainings and SM camp, we can confidently say that my daughter is thriving. She is a fully verbal and active participant in her first grade class and in extracurricular activities— a far cry from when she began treatment!"