After initial information is gathered and the nature of the child’s presenting challenges is determined, treatment will begin. This usually takes the form of meeting with the child individually as well as having meetings with the entire family. Services are offered on sliding fee scale, based on income and family size. No one is denied services because of inability to pay.

Individual and Family Therapy

Staff at Austin Child Guidance Center use a family systems model, which views the child not in isolation, but rather as a part of the family system where each member has a role and influence on every other member. Using this perspective, staff work with the child and family by introducing them to a wide range of cognitive behavioral interventions such as offering alternative ways of viewing the situation, introducing relaxation techniques, suggesting positive ways to reframe an issue, and presenting behavior modification techniques such as a reward system.

In order to help you and your family, therapists will work with your system to establish goals and action steps. Together you decide things you would like to work on changing, ways to achieve these changes, and a suggested time frame for achievement. Because we are interested in helping you and your child receive positive results as quickly as possible, we use a brief solution oriented focus, meaning the emphasis is on developing and finding workable solutions as opposed to spending an inordinate amount of time on why the problem developed in the first place. With hard work, the majority of families complete the intensive family and individual portion of treatment in less than three months. Individual and family therapy costs $100/hour and a sliding fee scale is available.

Austin Child Guidance Center also offers walk-in therapy services for children and families once per week, on Fridays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

Group Therapy

Group therapy is conducted both at our Center and offsite. The purpose of group therapy is to help children develop skills for positive peer interaction. This is accomplished by providing insight on reaching consensus and handling conflict, as well as encouraging young people to talk about their feelings through appropriate means of expression instead of screaming, fighting, or withdrawing. The group also provides feedback for the children about how other children perceive them.