Does your child feel overwhelmed by social situations at school or with peers?
Is your child avoidant of social activities?
Are they having difficulty making or keeping friends?
Are they finding it hard to express what they're feeling or what they need?
Is their social environment taking a toll on their self esteem and self worth?
Middle School Social Skills Group (Ages 10-13)
Our in-person Social Skills Group aims to assist bright middle schoolers with executive functioning and learning differences. Our focus is on boosting social connection and emotional coping, while helping them navigate the challenges of middle school. We focus on a range of vital skills including:
Building lasting friendships
Interpreting nonverbal communication
Sharing needs and feelings in appropriate ways
Conversational turn taking
Adapt with cognitive flexibility
Appropriate Negotiating with parents
Increasing perspective-taking skills and empathy
Managing social anxiety and big emotions
Improve frustration tolerance
We also address important areas of middle school, such as friendships, academic pressures, peer pressure, and social media usage.
*This Group is not a good fit for individuals who need a lot of support or often struggle in group settings with dysregulated behavior disruptive to others.
When: 8 week group starting Wednesday 7-8pm starting April 10.
*Space is limited and the group will fill several weeks prior to the start date
Cost: $120 per session. Sliding scale slots available upon request. Please aim to attend all 8 sessions. As an out-of-network practice, you will pay the fee at the time of service and can then submit the provided invoice to your insurance company for reimbursement. Group therapy (CPT code: 90853) does qualify for patient reimbursement under many insurance plans. A down payment for the first and last session will be required when registering.
Teacher: Joanne Valeri, LCPC, is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS). She has worked for many years in private practice with neurodiverse kids (ADHD, anxiety, autism) at a Baltimore City School setting, and in an intensive outpatient clinic at Johns Hopkins Bayview. She combines her warm, playful approach with research approved techniques.
