Nashville Neuropsychology & Family Services offers individual Behavior therapy services for children and adolescents (ages 2- 18 years). 

Therapeutic modalities are predominantly skill-based and include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

  • CBT is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders, through psychoeducation and skills-based approaches.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • ACT is an evidence-based mindful therapy approach that helps clients stay focused on the present moment and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment. It aims to help individuals move forward through difficult emotions so they can put their energy into healing instead of overly focusing on the negative.

• Parent-child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

  • PCIT is a short-term, evidence-based behavior management program designed for families of young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties. PCIT teaches caregivers skills through a wireless earbud coaching method to effectively manage their child’s difficult behaviors, increase connection and cooperation, and reduce parenting stress.

• Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)

  • SPACE stands for “Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions” and is a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems.

  • SPACE was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center and has been tested and found to be efficacious in randomized controlled clinical trials.

  • Parents (and other caregivers) participate in SPACE treatment sessions. In most cases, the child or adolescent does not need to attend the treatment sessions.

  • For more information, visit www.spacetreatment.net/ or watch this video on one family’s journey with SPACE.

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

  • EMDR is an evidence-based practice that produces positive outcomes when used to focus on reducing anxiety and decreasing post-traumatic stress symptoms associated with a wide range of mental health conditions. Children, adolescents, teenagers and adults can benefit from this treatment.

  • This method involves the client moving their eyes in a specific side-to-side way while they process distressing memories. Clients may also choose to use hand tappers or listen to audio tones through headphones to achieve bilateral movements or engagement of both sides of the body (and brain) during sessions.

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

  • ERP is an evidenced based treatment specifically designed to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The client and therapist will collaborate to create a hierarchy of feared situations and then gradually expose the client to these situations.

  • During exposures, the therapist will work with the client to prevent a compulsive response (rituals, safety behaviors, etc.) to the triggered situation. Additionally, client's will learn effective coping strategies to manage their symptoms both inside and outside of sessions.

    To learn more about ERP, please click the link below.

    https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/

• Behavioral parent training (BPT)/Parent Management Training (PMT)

  • Parent behavior management training is an evidence-based treatment that teaches parents effective ways to manage difficult child behaviors such as defiance, impulsivity, outbursts, and noncompliance.

• Mindfulness-based practices

  • Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is an adjunct to psychotherapy that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) methods along with mindfulness meditative practices and similar psychological strategies to reduce and manage stress.

Our team of Nashville therapists includes:

• Amanda Mendez, Psy.D. (WAITING LIST ONLY)

• Allison Koch, LPC-MHSP (WAITING LIST ONLY)

• Sam Larson, Ph.D. (not currently accepting new clients)