My Tx Approach with Children and Adolescents

ROBERT M. NEWELL, PH.D.

FORENSIC AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Specializing in Behavioral Healthcare for Children &

Adolescents, Families, Couples, and Adults.

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MY APPROACH TO TREATMENT WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

As a parent, it is important that you have an understanding of my basic philosophy and approach toward providing behavioral healthcare treatment to children and adolescents, especially as it relates to your role as a consumer of treatment services. If your child or teen is a new patient, please read the information below so that you will be prepared to get the most out of our treatment sessions. We’ll discuss any questions you have when we meet.

► CLICK HERE to read Information for Parents.

As you may know, there are many different types of therapy or treatment models in psychology. When working with children and adolescents, the type of psychotherapy I practice is a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), family systems theory, and parent effectiveness training. Each of these approaches to treatment are empirically based—which means that they have been shown through scientific research to be effective in helping people to overcome their psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems.

Working with Children and Adolescents

My treatment approach to working with children and adolescents is somewhat different than what you may have in mind, or what you’ve experienced if you’ve worked with other child/adolescent psychologists. In my opinion, providing children and adolescents with effective behavioral healthcare differs in a substantial way from providing them with medical healthcare. The difference relates to the role that a parent plays in their child’s treatment.

When your son or daughter is physically ill, you take him or her to a physician for diagnosis and treatment. A physician’s approach to treating physical illness is based on the medical model. In terms of a parent’s role in the treatment process, the medical model usually requires only that the parent transport the child to the doctor’s office, wait in the lobby while the doctor examines the child, and then make sure that the child takes the medication the doctor prescribed for the cure.

The parent’s role with regard to treating a child’s psychological, emotional, and/or behavioral problems is very different. Based on a biopsychosocial model, effective treatment with children and adolescents often requires that a parent actively participate in their child’s therapy. With a medial model approach, the treatment agent or the “active ingredient” in treatment, is the medication prescribed by the doctor. But based on a biopsychosocial model approach, effective treatment often requires the parent to be the “active ingredient.” This will become more clear to you as we proceed with treatment. The most important point for you to understand right now is that your child’s successful treatment will require your active participation.

So, one fundamental aspect of my approach to treatment is that you, as your child’s parent, are the best individual for providing your child with the emotional support and behavioral structure he/she needs to overcome his/her challenges. Part of my role as your child’s doctor is to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of the various biological, psychological, and environmental factors that either caused, or are serving to maintain, your child’s problems. Another important role I have is to provide you with an effective treatment plan that addresses this issues effectively.

► CLICK HERE to read A Primer on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

► CLICK HERE to read Some Basic Principles of Effective Parenting.

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DR. ROBERT M. NEWELL

Telephone: 509-910-0329

Email: mail@drrobertnewell.com

Website: www.drrobertnewell.com