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.