Encouraging older children and teens with Selective Mutism and social anxiety to join a group treatment like CommuniCamp™ can be challenging, but it’s a common hurdle for many families. Rest assured, you’re not alone! Teens may worry about feeling embarrassed, be unsure of what to expect, or simply not feel ready for treatment.

You know your child best, so how you present the topic to your teen will vary from family to family. Remember to emphasize that at CommuniCamp™, there’s no pressure to talk—seriously! Our evidence-based Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT®), developed by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, focuses on building comfort, confidence, and coping skills using CBT strategies to help teens comfortably progress into social speech.

To ease your teen into the idea, emphasize that the whole family will be involved, learning how to communicate better, and they’ll meet other teens with similar experiences. For older kids, providing information about the program upfront can also give them a sense of control. Ready to learn more? Here are nine reasons why your teen should join CommuniCamp™!

  1. Feel accepted.

    • We welcome teens between the ages 13-17 years old. You and your teenager will be around other teens and families who share your lived experience.

  2. Be understood.

    • Many teens walk away from CommuniCamp™ saying that they feel more understood after attending. Counselors for the teen group are carefully hand-selected based on skill and experience of working with adolescents and are trained in S-CAT® strategies providing that inherent understanding.

  3. Accomplish goals.

    • Teens who participate in CommuniCamp™ work on building essential skills including making friends, building self-confidence, gaining coping skills for anxiety, self-advocacy, engaging with others in real-world settings, and job interview skills.

  4. Be treated as an individual.

    • At CommuniCamp™, we meet each teen at their own level and treat the whole person, not just the SM diagnosis. We are the only facility in the world to implement the world-renowned treatment, S-CAT®, developed by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum.

  5. Learn multiple coping skills.

    • Most teens with Selective Mutism have social communication challenges in multiple social settings; therefore, school-based scenarios, mock hangouts/parties/social situations, and exposure to real-world situations are used throughout the 3+ day program. Through journaling, role-plays, exposure, mindfulness, movement, and more, they will learn to bring awareness to feelings and emotions, initiate, and engage in conversations with peers.

  6. Stay motivated.

    • CommuniCamp™ is designed to increase insight and motivation for teenagers through therapeutic strategies. As a result, our teenage participants gain the tools and language to reflect on their social communication difficulties and identify specific and meaningful goals that they would like to achieve.

  7. Real-life application of skills.

    • The comprehensive, all-encompassing approach at CommuniCamp™ allows campers to see and hear themselves in everyday situations while being exposed to strategies and coping skills to positively impact communication and comfort in all areas of life. CommuniCamp™ delivers the motivation for success and will address all aspects of life including starting and joining conversations, class participation, asking others for help, and more.

  8. Reframe your mindset.

    • Insight-oriented and cognitive-behavioral approaches incorporated into the daily activities helps teens learn to challenge and replace negative, anxiety-provoking thoughts that get in the way of successful social communication. Tackling self-defeating thoughts allows teens to re-frame previously anxiety-provoking situations, try new behaviors, and experience social communication success.

  9. Communicate better as a family.

    • CommuniCamp™ is an all-day group program for parents, too! As parents, you will be fully immersed in the world of Selective Mutism for the entirety of the program. You will be educated and trained in our treatment methods and strategy to properly implement coping skills with your teen following camp. You will meet other parents, share stories, and experiences, and have the opportunity for Q&A daily with our expert clinicians.