Here at CFC Therapy Group, we offer a variety of therapeutic approaches to best suit the needs of each individual family and child. We recognize that each child is unique, and treatment should always be personalized and adjusted to meet your child where they are. We are proud to be able to provide each child with the research-supported care they deserve. After an initial assessment, we will tailor a plan based on the goals you have for your child and any concerns that you both have. You, the guardian, will be included in this process as we consider family involvement to be a critical component of working with young people. Your observations, encouragement and modeling of the skills taught in therapy are so valuable.
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Our child therapy specialists use a multifaceted approach that includes (but is not limited to) cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, role-playing, and family therapy. We treat a variety of challenges such as anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social/behavioral concerns, trauma and challenges related to defiance. While many children may not exhibit concerning behaviors, we also believe that therapy can be a very useful tool during times of transition. For example, therapy can make adjusting to new family or school changes feel less overwhelming. If you’re wondering if therapy is right for your child, send us a message, and we can help answer any questions that you have.
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We work hard to make sure therapy feels comfortable and respectful for your child. This helps your child see therapy in a more positive light. Most often, people have a lot of success by explaining the benefits of therapy to their child. The benefits for them are similar to the benefits for adults. They get an uninterrupted hour to discuss their successes, frustrations, and goals with an unbiased, friendly human being.
This is a great question. We always do our part to make sure all of our clients have a safe space to express themselves openly. Regardless of how young our client is, we always do our best to keep our conversations private. While we may disclose information to their guardian(s), we would not normally give a play by play of what was discussed in session. Most frequently, with the child’s consent, we would include the guardian(s) in a conversation related to our goals and progress. In order to maintain good rapport, the child is always “in the know” related to what is discussed with their guardian(s).
When a child is 12 years old, legally speaking, they have more of a right to complete confidentiality. Most often, this has to do with what kind of information they want shared with their guardians. There are reasons why a therapist would need to break confidentiality (ex: someone might be in danger), but only information pertinent to that situation would then be shared to ensure everyone’s safety.
The appropriate level of care for your child depends on their specific and unique needs. The experts and CFC can assist you in deciding the best course of action for your circumstances. Your child’s medical team can also offer you valuable insight.
The following is a crash-course on the varying levels of care:
Counseling & Therapy Services
This is the kind of treatment that CFC Therapy Group can offer. Individual therapy sessions are ideally attended weekly or bi-weekly. As the child’s guardian, you will be included in treatment to a varying extent.
Psychiatric Services
If you believe medication may be necessary for your child, it’s important to visit a psychiatrist who can help with diagnosing & prescribing.
Intensive Outpatient Program (sometimes abbreviated as IOP)
A typical IOP requires that clients come in for treatment 5 days a week for 3 hours each day. If you feel your child could benefit from more frequent, consistent care, an IOP might be a good option.
Partial Hospitalization Program (sometimes abbreviated as PHP)
PHP’s can be a good choice for children with more complex challenges. Often called “day treatment” a PHP is typically 5 days a week for 6 hours each day. These programs can be very helpful if an inpatient or residential treatment program isn’t quite appropriate for your kiddo, but you still want them to receive more intense care.
Residential Treatment
In a residential treatment setting, children will have 24-hour supervision since they will be living in the treatment center for approx.1 to 2 months.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment is designed for children who are at risk of harming themselves or others. If you believe your child’s safety is at risk, inpatient treatment is most likely the best option. For about 3 to 7 days, your child will be cared for by individuals trained to keep them safe. This amount of time may be extended if progress towards constructed goals isn’t being made. It is possible that residential treatment will be recommended if this is the case.
It is not uncommon for a child to feel intimidated by the idea of going to therapy. Some children even feel angry or resentful because of their preconceived notions about therapy. If your child flat out refuses to attend, they may be feeling afraid or like their life is out of their control. It can be very helpful to include them in the process. Find a good time to explain exactly what therapy is and to remind them that a therapist’s first priority is helping their client. At the end of the day, you know your child the best, and the conversation you have with them will be unique. Most of the time, after a couple sessions, children feel right at home.
As your child gets older, you may find they want to share less about what was discussed in therapy. This is totally natural. As children continue to develop a sense of individuality and identity, they may experiment with setting some boundaries. As a parent, it can be difficult to feel like your child isn’t comfortable sharing things with you. Most often, it isn’t related to a child’s level of comfortability with you, but instead tied to their normal developmental milestones. They are just practicing doing some of life solo! They grow up so fast! Love the way you framed this!!
Most frequently, we recommend starting off with 60 minute sessions weekly. While 30 and 45 minute sessions are available, 60 minutes is usually the best choice when starting therapy with someone new. Sessions are typically attended weekly or biweekly. That being said, every client is unique, and a personalized plan will be developed with your therapist. Each case requires a different approach, and we create each plan carefully.
The cost of therapy depends on various factors. If you have health insurance, the cost may be minimal. Each insurance plan is different, and it is best to reach out directly to your insurance company to see what is covered. Some plans cover therapy fully while others require a co-pay or for you to pay your deductible before the cost is covered. Before we schedule you with a therapist, it will be important to know what kind of insurance you have. If you don’t have insurance, we have self-pay options. The cost will vary based on which therapist is the best match for you.
We totally understand that during a child’s session can be a great opportunity for you to get some errands done! We just ask that you please return back to the office at least a few minutes before your child’s session is over. It’s important that we know your child is safely back with a guardian so we can begin the session with our next client. If you have not returned, we will have to ask that your child sit quietly in the waiting area to wait for you.
Things can definitely come up between sessions, and we appreciate that you want to keep us updated. Please note that we are unlikely to respond with feedback or advice over email. Most likely, we would want to schedule a time to speak with you face-to-face or virtually to gather more information. If you believe your child is in danger, it is important that you call 911 or alert the appropriate authority immediately (your child’s doctor, psychiatrist, the police, etc.).
We find that it is very helpful to include guardians in the goal setting process. Your child will also be actively involved in the process. It is collaborative, and we make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.
Adolescent Therapy
At CFC, we recognize that being a teenager is anything but easy. With the rise of social media and the constant new challenges with which teens are faced, it can be argued that, now more than ever, it is really tough out there in the world! That’s why our practice picks our adolescent therapy specialists carefully, and prioritizes the creation of relevant goals to bring about real change in teenagers’ lives. CFC Therapy Group values strong, collaborative therapeutic relationships that can help people towards reaching their full potential. We treat a variety of challenges such as: anxiety, depression, substance abuse, breakups, grief, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, behavioral concerns, social challenges, challenges related to defiance, and more.
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It’s really great to see young people wanting to take charge of their mental and emotional health. Something cool that’s happened in the last decade is that therapy has begun to be celebrated and normalized by our younger generations. It’s possible that, in time, your teen will become more comfortable talking with you about their mental health journey. It is not uncommon to see teenagers wanting a confidential place to vent and seek guidance. While people care about their families, sometimes it is nice to process things with someone outside of their normal circle. It isn’t a reflection of how much they trust you. Actually, the fact that they are asking you about finding a therapist shows that they really, really do!
This is a tough question. Confidentiality can be breached if a therapist thinks your teenager is in danger, and “danger” can be somewhat subjective. However, therapists are trained to assess the level of danger a client is experiencing (even with limited information). Would we breach confidentiality if your teenager told us they had a sip of beer in a friend’s basement? Most likely, no. However, if your teenager shares that they have been using substances while driving with their friends, that is a bit of a different story because of the level of danger. There’s no easy answer, but rest assured your child’s safety is our top priority.
That information is confidential. We recognize that parents want the best for their children, but we are not free to divulge your teenager’s personal, intimate information.
Information that isn’t confidential includes: if a client is going to hurt themselves, if a client is going to hurt someone else, or if someone is hurting our client. Concerns about death by suicide or homicidal ideation with the intent to harm others are a few examples of this. If someone plans to harm themselves or someone else, we have a legal duty to assess & alert the proper parties to get the client to a safe place. We are also mandated to report elder or child abuse.
Most frequently, we recommend starting off with 60 minute sessions weekly. While 30 and 45 minute sessions are available, 60 minutes is usually the best choice when starting therapy with someone new. Sessions are typically attended weekly or biweekly. That being said, every client is unique, and a personalized plan will be developed with your therapist. Each case requires a different approach, and we create each plan carefully.
The cost of therapy depends on various factors. If you have health insurance, the cost may be very minimal. Each insurance plan is different, and it is best to reach out directly to your insurance company to see what is covered. Some plans cover therapy fully while others require a co-pay or for you to pay your deductible before the cost is covered. Before we schedule you with a therapist, it will be important to know what kind of insurance you have. If you don’t have insurance, we have self-pay options. The cost will vary based on which therapist is the best match for you.
We totally understand that during a child’s session can be a great opportunity for you to get some errands done! We just ask that you please return back to the office at least a few minutes before your child’s session is over. It’s important that we know your child is safely back with a guardian and has transport home so we can begin the session with our next client.
Things can definitely come up between sessions, and we appreciate that you want to keep us updated. Please note that we are unlikely to respond with feedback or advice over email. If you believe your child is in danger, it is important that you call 911 or alert the appropriate authority immediately (your child’s doctor, psychiatrist, the police, etc.). We can certainly try to schedule a sooner appointment if you have concerns.
If you teenager wants to include you in some of their sessions, we can figure out a plan to make that work. It’s important to note that your teenager has a legal right to confidentiality, so unlike with children, a teenager’s guardians do not have any legal right to information from sessions. Your feedback and concerns are important to us but so is your teenager’s privacy. If your teenager wants to include you in the goal setting process, we can discuss that all together. We will always make sure that everyone is comfortable and consents to that arrangement.
The appropriate level of care for your teen depends on their specific and unique needs. The experts at CFC can assist you in deciding the best course of action for your circumstances. Your teen’s medical team can also offer you valuable insight.
The following is a crash-course on the varying levels of care:
Counseling & Therapy Services
This is the kind of treatment that CFC Therapy Group can offer. Individual therapy sessions are ideally attended weekly or bi-weekly.
Psychiatric Services
If you believe medication may be necessary for your teenager, it’s important to visit a psychiatrist who can help with diagnosing & prescribing.
Intensive Outpatient Program (sometimes abbreviated as IOP)
A typical IOP requires that clients come in for treatment 5 days a week for 3 hours each day. If you feel your adolescent could benefit from more frequent, consistent care, an IOP might be a good option.
Partial Hospitalization Program (sometimes abbreviated as PHP)
PHP’s can be a good choice for teens with more complex challenges. Often called “day treatment” a PHP is typically 5 days a week for 6 hours each day. These programs can be very helpful if an inpatient or residential treatment program isn’t quite appropriate for your teenager, but you still want them to receive more intense care.
Residential Treatment
In a residential treatment setting, adolescents will have 24-hour supervision since they will be living in the treatment center for approx.1 to 2 months.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment is designed for people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. If you believe your teen’s safety is at risk, inpatient treatment is most likely the best option. For about 3 to 7 days, your adolescent will be cared for by individuals trained to keep them safe. This amount of time may be extended if progress towards constructed goals isn’t being made. It is possible that residential treatment will be recommended if this is the case.
•Anxiety
•Substance abuse
•Obsessive compulsive disorder
•Behavior problems
•Academic trouble
•Defiance towards authority
•Depression
•ADD/ADHD
•Social Problems
•Autism spectrum disorders
•Loss
•Adjusting to recent changes in family or school
If you are interested in learning more about child and adolescents counseling, please call me at 312-618-4867 or fill out the form to the right.
1731 N. Marcey Street,
Suite 510
Chicago, IL 60614
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