Everyone Claims To Specialize In J operation for therapy to work," he says. If presented by the par- ents in the right way, he adds, it is rare for a child to refuse to come at all. "Tell her to try it for three sessions, and if she feels no relief or possibility of relief, you'll forget it," he advises. "And, if it's not an emergency but the child still needs treatment, the thera- pist can work with the parents and they can become surrogate therapists." Another often successful way to present the possibility of ther- apy to a resistant child, says Dr. Stettner, is to couch it in familial terms. Present the family as the source of the problem and work with a therapist who will take a family approach, he says. "Most kids don't like going to therapy because of fear and a perceived stigma. It's often helpful to have the whole family go together rather than forcing the child to go alone." What to expect from the therapist "Parents should have the op- portunity to meet with or at least talk with the therapist before the child goes," says Dr. Claire Col- man, a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist in private prac- tice in Bloomfield Township. "They should use their own gut instincts about feeling comfort- able with their choice, because the therapist will be alone with their child." It's also important, she says, that in addition to having suit- able qualifications and experi- ence, the therapist be able to deal with both children and adults. "Make sure the therapist is sen- sitive to the child's needs but re- alizes the parents' needs and expectations as well," says Dr. Colman. "The goal, after all, is fulfilling the emotional needs of all the members of the family." The younger the child, the more the parents should expect to be involved, she says. Privacy is more of an issue as the child gets older. "Adolescents, in par- ticular, will grow more in thera- py if the parent steps back. Unless the older child is in dan- THERAPY page 10 Where To Get Help While many parents choose therapists through word of mouth or from recommenda- tions by pediatricians or school personnel, there are several pro- fessional organizations that pro- vide referrals. Always check with your health-care provider to see what kinds of mental- health services are covered un- der your plan. Depending on your child's needs, you may choose to see a psychiatrist, psychologist or so- cial worker, many of whom work as a team to provide a full range of medical, testing and thera- peutic services. * American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psy- chiatry, (202) 966-7300. This organization will make referrals to child and adolescent psychiatrists anywhere in the country. A regional delegate will contact the caller to discuss the problem the child is having and make an appropriate referral. Psychiatrists are medical doc- tors who may prescribe medica- tions as part of psychotherapy. * American Psychological Association, (202) 336-5500. State of Michigan referrals are made through the Michi- gan Psychological Associa- tion, 1-800-270-9070. Referrals are made statewide to fully li- censed doctoral-degree psychol- ogists who are taking patients. (Limited licensed psychologists have a master's degree in psy- chology and work under the su- pervision of fully licensed psychologists in clinics.) Psy- chologists are skilled in admin- istering and interpreting psychological evaluative tests as well as providing therapeutic counseling. * Michigan Association of So- cial Workers, 1-800-292-7871. This group maintains a reg- ister of therapists with master of social work degrees who are qualified to provide therapeutic counseling and services to chil- dren and adolescents. We Are Michigan's Largest Certified Rolex Technician (Factory Trained by Rolex) We Use Only Factory Swiss Made Rolex Parts, Tools and Equipment Dion mined on a sliding scale based on income. JFS is a private agency receiving support from the Jewish Federation of Met- ropolitan Detroit. , s Crosswinds Mall 4301 Orchard Lake Road West Bloomfield World of Watches 539-1181 *(plus tax and parts) Rolex is a Registered Tradernark r f Rolex USA — * South Oakland Child and Adolescent Clinic (SOCAC), for southern Oakland Coun- ty residents, (810) 350-0720; North Oakland Child and Adolescent Clinic (NOCAC), for Oakland County resi- dents north of Birmingham., (810) 858-5326. "Both these clinics offer psy- chiatric evaluation and medica- tion, services for special- education clients, case manage- ment, as well as some respite services, parent training and psychotherapy," says Ray Buch, casework supervisor at NOCAC. After an evaluation, most clients are put on a waiting list * Jewish Family Service, for psychotherapy, he says, (810) 559-1500 in Southfield; while the agency works to meet (810) 737-5055 in West the clients' other needs. Bloomfield. These public community men- "At JFS, there are children as tal-health agencies will bill pri- young as 5 years old in individ- vate insurance companies, but ual treatment and groups for provide sliding-scale fees based children as young as 6," says on ability to pay for those with- Rueben Rotman, who served as out coverage. They also accept JFS's director of community re- Medicaid. source development. Groups meet at both the * Oakland Family Services, Southfield and West Bloomfield (810) 544-4004 in Berkley; locations for children having (810) 858-7766 in Pontiac. problems associated with di- This private, nonprofit agency vorce; socialization skills (help offers individual and group ther- in making friends); and a vari- apy. Fees are reimbursable ety of developmental issues (in- through insurance. For those cluding communicating with without coverage, sliding-scale parents and dealing with sib- fees are based on ability to pay. lings). Some programs are funded In the fall JFS will offer, in a through the United Way. joint program with the Jewish Among the services offered for Community Center, groups for children and teens are a fussy younger and older children with baby project; group counseling attention deficit disorder. "JFS for families; a family trauma does a lot of advocating for the unit which services physically child with the public schools," and sexually abused children; says Mr. Rotman. and a support group for teens Fees are reimbursable with eating disorders. through insurance or deter- The cost of psychotherapy for children and adolescents ranges from about $75 - $150 per ses- sion, depending on the profes- sional you choose and the type of service provided. Some ther- apists offer sliding-scale fees based on ability to pay when in- surance does not cover full costs, so parents should check with the therapist before deciding not to pursue treatment solely for fi- nancial reasons. In addition, there are several area public and private non- profit agencies which offer a va- riety of services and payment options. ROLEX REPAIR Mon.-Wed. 10-6 Thurs. & Fri. 10-9 Sat. 10-6 lFe t re Not an Authorized Rolex Dealer You get their clothes coordinated. We'll work on the rest. Gymnastics. Karate, Sports. More than good fun, they teach good things like flexibility, balance, rhythm and motor skills. For kids 4 months to 12 years. Call now for a FREE trial class 810-624-1020 Beck Village Plaza 30740 Beck Road - Novi (S. of Pontiac Trail) • Are you a family with one Jewish parent? Then Stepping Stones to a Jewish Me is for you! 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