My Approach to Treating Selective Mutism
Bria is a licensed professional counselor, who has been assessing and treating SM and other mental health diagnoses since 2009. She is certified to treat SM through an evidence-based modality called Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism, or PCIT-SM, by Kurtz Psychology Consulting PC. In this approach, Bria works with both the child and the parent or caregiver to reduce the child’s level of anxiety and to create meaningful change in their ability to verbally communicate. Bria tailors her treatment plan to the needs of the individual child and family, providing services where they are needed most. This includes therapy in the office and via telehealth as well as in the clients home, school, and community. Treatment for Selective Mutism outside of the office includes specialized school interventions, teacher trainings, school consultations, and individual exposure therapy.
Individual Family Treatment
PCIT-SM is a behavioral approach to treating anxiety and SM. It begins with Bria building a trusting and fun relationship with the child or adolescent. This phase of treatment is called CDI, or Child Directed Interaction. During CDI, Bria puts no verbal demands on the child and allows them to lead the interaction. Bria also works with the parent or caregiver during this phase. She coaches the parent through specific interventions aimed at helping to reduce their child’s anxiety, and on increasing warmth in the relationship by becoming consistent and predictable during the therapeutic time. Once the trusting relationship has been established, and the parent or caregiver is comfortable using the interventions both in and out of session, Bria moves on to the next phase of treatment, called VDI, or Verbal Directed Interaction. During VDI, Bria teaches the parent or caregiver specific intervention strategies to increase their child’s ability to use their voice with others following a specific step-wise protocol. Brave Talking exposures are planned and practiced in session, then implemented in real-life scenarios. Younger children benefit from a mostly behavioral approach to treatment (PCIT-SM alone). When working with older children and adolescents, Bria also incorporates elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including interventions such as mindfulness, guided relaxation techniques, challenging common thought distortions, among other CBT strategies.
School Consultation
School can be a difficult place for a child with SM to navigate on their own. It can also feel daunting to parents and caregivers when figuring out how to access school resources and accommodations as well as when and how to request an IEP or 504 meeting. This service creates a cooperative and connected team between you, the school, and Bria, which can make all the difference for your child.
Bria is able to work with your child’s school via telehealth or in person. She provides training to teachers, school counselors, and speech and language pathologists. Training includes education about the diagnosis and teaching specific interventions that can help alleviate your child’s anxiety in the school. This training also includes treatment planning with the teacher, counselor, and/or speech and language pathologist, where goals and expectations are designed for your child to work through at their own pace during the school year. Bria can also help advocate for you and your child when requesting an IEP or 504 meeting with the school, and she will attend the meeting to help educate the staff on the diagnosis as well as set appropriate IEP or 504 plan goals to begin establishing speech in the school.
