Checking in with Reynee and David

Therapy isn't something that happens overnight. You're not gonna necessarily see the progress you wanna see immediately. It's gonna take time and effort, both inside and outside of the room. Your kid and, uh, we need the time to be as effective as possible at it. And also knowing that therapy is a very collaborative process, so even though your kid may be the ones in session, we very much like to communicate with families and include them in the process. We think it's really important. Therapy is super beneficial for kids and teens. I think that it's a great opportunity to really learn how to express feelings and emotions in a healthy way, and I think it's a great opportunity to build confidence. There's so many transitions that happen, you know, growing up, and in the world we live in, there's so many changes happening too, so being able to support your kid in a way that they feel is best for them is super valuable, and family involvement in that is super, super special to watch. Generally, bleh. Generally- Generally, a first session starts with bringing the whole family into the room if that's something that the child is comfortable with. I normally talk to the whole family, assess goals, and make sure that we're all on the same page, and I normally invite the rest of the family to sit in the waiting room while I get to know your kid a little bit better and do things that they enjoy. I love working with kids and teens because I get to be a kid and teen again. It's fun to relate to them, because even though I'm an adult, I get to do fun stuff, like play board games, or make slime, or whatever it is they wanna do. It's really about connecting with them where they're at, and that means that I get to have a good time too. Watching kids express themselves in whatever way they see fit, whether it's video games, or through board games, through art, it's super great to get to be a part of that and talk with them about things that interest them and see them light up in the room. A lot of kids come in with issues with peers, uh, struggling with transitions in general is what I see, and just needing a space t- that they feel like is their own and feeling comfortable enough to talk about things that maybe they necessarily don't get to talk about outside of here. I think anxiety is something that I see a lot of, and, and there's definitely a need for improved communication between teens and kids and their parents as well, and that's something that comes up a lot. I think that kids and teens are a lot more insightful than adults give them credit for. I think that they're able to express themselves in a way to a therapist that their parents might not normally get to see, and it's really, really fun to get to know their personalities and get to learn who they really are. I chose to train at CTC because I love working with kids and families, and I love being able to connect with kids in nontraditional ways, like we have games here, art, things like that. I really love being able to connect with them and meet them where they're at. I chose CTC for a lot of the same reasons. I think it's a really collaborative environment. There's a lot of support here, and it's also just a really fun place to work. Therapy on campus is a really awesome service that we offer. It's really cool to be able to go to a local high school and offer free therapy services for teens and kids who may not otherwise be able to have access to it. We get to go where they are, we're on their schedule, and it's at no cost to them. It's really great for parents too who may not necessarily have the time to take- Mm-hmm. ... their kids to therapy. It's an awesome resource for kids who are struggling with a range of issues, whether it be peer issues, academics, things like that. Being there to support them and even reach out to their family when it's the best time for them is super, super great.