Individual TreatmentJoe2022-03-16T19:09:07-04:00

Individual Treatment for children, teens & adults

We offer in-person & Telehealth services for:

1. Children/teens:

-Intake evaluation
An intake is a component of both the individualized and group services for new patients (Intensive, Jumpstart, and CommuniCamp™, see below). This component can be scheduled separately as a first step with the SMart Center to inform a recommendation for care from our experts based on the individual’s unique needs.

– Intensive S-CAT® Program: SMart Center Gold-Standard
This evidence-based treatment program is our most popular and most successful approach to the treatment of Selective Mutism. This comprehensive, Social Communication Evaluation and treatment program is designed for children, teens, and adults who have social communication challenges such as Selective Mutism, social anxiety, extreme shyness, social communication (pragmatic) disorder, and other related challenges. More than 6,000 individuals worldwide have been successfully treated with the Individualized Intensive S-CAT^® Program.

How Does It Work?

The Individualized Intensive Treatment Program is available in a one-day or multi-day format and uses Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum’s evidence-based methodology of Social Communication Anxiety Treatment^® (S-CAT^®) to provide a holistic, all-encompassing evaluation of the individual’s social communication challenges.
S-CAT^® treatment is based on our assessment and understanding of the contributing factors and/or co-occurring challenges into the development and maintenance of Selective Mutism, Social Anxiety, and related challenges.
Based on this evaluation, the clinician will recommend tailored strategies, tactics, and school-based accommodations. Treatment begins on the same day as the evaluation. Following the initial session, families receive a detailed, step-by-step written treatment plan with proven techniques to implement at home, the real-world, and within the school setting.
Follow-up treatment consultations are done either monthly via our Monthly S-CAT Program or via weekly psychotherapy and can be conducted in-person, over the phone, or via web conference. View our telehealth/virtual services to determine the type of follow ups. Continued care also can include direct school staff training and/or consultations.

Read about children/teens who overcame Selective Mutism with this program, read about the effectiveness of S-CAT^® and our research, and meet our staff.
Please contact us to receive more details and to get started

-Jump-Start S-CAT® Program
For those seeking treatment for Selective Mutism without entering our Gold-Standard Intensive Program, we offer a more incremental approach, Jump Start. This program involves one of our trained clinicians evaluating and treating you or your loved one for a range of social communication-related issues. Jump Start sessions implement S-CAT^® treatment principles but they do not include the full S-CAT^® program components such as an indepth assessment, the length of time spent at the SMart Center and the detailed, step-by-step written treatment plan. *Please contact us to receive more details and to get started

2. Adults:
Treating adults with SM and related social communication anxiety disorders is a strong specialty of ours. Dr Elisa Shipon-Blum and associates have been treating adults for over 20 years. We offer two adult tracks
1. Assessment-only Track: that determines the factors into why an individual remains Mute. Our research shows that there are factors into why an individual develops SM and why it continues, the Adult track assessment will help determine that.
1. Assessment/Treatment Track: This includes the Assessment track above, but also incorporates treatment. Treatment includes best strategies, ways to help adults feel more comfortable socially, learn skills to start/initiate conversation, make friends and to engage in reciprocal back/forth communication. Clinicians will develop with the adult individualized and step-by step strategies to communicate at home with guests, in the real world and in ALL social situations. IN addition, our clinicians help adults with job interviews, work or school-related communication challenges/opportunities.
Adults follow up monthly, biweekly or weekly depending upon their needs.

For adults who do not want an official assessment or treatment, but have questions and want generalized guidance. we do offer the professional consultation. This is an ‘Ask the Expert’ format. It includes the adult filling out relevant questionnaires, a virtual one hour consultation with a clinician to answer questions and receive guidance. This is a non-patient consultation.

Individual Treatment for General Mental Health

*For children, adolescents, and adults of all ages, we provide evidenced-based therapy for individuals and host weekly group therapy for coping with anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, social skills development, art therapy, psychoeducation, parent support groups to assist their knowledge and understanding of their child’s diagnosis/treatment, family therapy sessions to improve communication and family dynamics, and speech and language therapy.

Diagnoses we treat:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Specific Phobias
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Adjustment Disorder
Oppositional-Defiant & Conduct Disorders
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Contact us at info@smartcentercounseling.org to get started! You can also visit http://www.smartcentercounseling.org/ for more information.

Reasons to Choose the SMart Center

Because our practitioners are world experts in the field.

• The SMart Center director, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (Dr. E), pioneered early, effective treatment approaches to Selective Mutism.
• Dr. E's Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT®) program is acknowledged as a gold standard for treating SM and is increasingly being used in treatment for a range of other social communication issues.
• Dr. E and our other practitioners have ample experience using S-CAT® to treat children, teenagers, and adults.

Because our S-CAT® therapy is proven and extensively researched..

• More than 5,000 children have been successfully treated to overcome their social communication difficulties using the S-CAT® program.
• Research done at the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI) showed that children made statistically significant improvements in their ability to speak in school and other social settings with each treatment visit with the SMart Center.
• The SMart Center is the only center in the world implementing the S-CAT® program.
• Research on S-CAT® shows that children significantly improve their communication skills after each visit to the SMart Center compared to what can feel like an endless mill of visits with the psychologist, therapist or speech pathologist.

Because we get fast results.

• 3-7 visits is the average number of sessions at the SMart Center.
• Our structured, step-by-step approach saves you money while delivering results.

Because SM and social communication issues are all we do, all day, every day.

• Unlike generalist medical practices, our center is dedicated to treating children, teenagers and adults suffering only from selective mutism, social communication anxiety, and related disorders.
• When you come to the SMart Center, you are getting specialists who know what you're dealing with and who can get results for your loved one.

Because we treat the whole child/individual.

• We take a holistic approach to treating your child or loved one.
• Our treatment is based on the understanding that social communication issues are a symptom, not the root cause of what is causing your loved one to be mute or socially anxious.
• We develop an individualized approach for each patient, tailoring our S-CAT® program to their unique needs.

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