A Balanced Life LLC services will be 100% available online during the pandemic. We want everyone to stay physically and mentally healthy during this unprecedented time. Below are some great resources for learning more about COVID-19. Please stay healthy and protect yourself and others from exposure.
In preparing for the Defiant Child Book Club, I found a fabulous website called Verywell Family. This useful resource includes helpful information on topics throughout the lifespan of parenting, beginning with maternal mental health. VeryWell reaches more than 30 million people each month and strives to help readers "feel better and be healthier." Here’s how they describe their website:
“Verywell Family is a modern resource that offers a realistic and friendly approach to pregnancy and parenting. Our library of more than 5,000 pieces of content, created and refined over the past 20+ years, has been written by more than 100 healthcare professionals and industry experts including experienced pediatricians and parenting coaches, and is then vetted by board-certified physicians. We give you the facts and guidance to feel confident about the choices you make for you and your family."
Please read below for more online resources, including the new online services offered by A Balanced Life.
Be well,
Jane
HELPFUL LINKS TO INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19
How Long Does the Coronavirus Last on Surfaces? (WIRED)
Coronavirus (COVID-19)(CDC)
Coronavirus Resource Center (Harvard Health Publishing)
Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) (Johns Hopkins University)
Information on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Association for Play Therapy)
https://a4pt.org/page/coronavirus2019 (child-specific resources pertaining to COVID-19)
ONLINE SERVICES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Online Adult Therapy at A Balanced Life
A Balanced Life LLC uses HIPAA-compliant technology. For individual therapy, our providers use doxy.me. Your provider will send you an email just before the start of your appointment with a link. Click on the link to enter the virtual waiting room. You will need a smartphone, tablet, or laptop with a camera and a decent internet connection.
While telehealth has been around for a while, there are still many areas of telehealth use in therapy that have not been scientifically validated. Below are the evidenced-based therapies used at A Balanced Life LLC that have some research support for use in telehealth.
It is important for you to be informed that there is not enough research for standards of practice for any specific therapeutic modality delivered through telehealth. However, some therapies have some research support for online use. In these cases, practice guidelines for telehealth delivery have been published for providers.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat anxiety, depression, as well as to support behavioral change. This will be a main therapy approach for those seeking mental health support during this pandemic.
Emotionally Focused Therapy to treat relationship distress and to support adult growth and development.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and to address maladaptive behaviors.
Groups (see our online groups below)
Online Child Therapy at A Balanced Life
The current pandemic has created new challenges in providing effective child therapy. The Association for Play Therapy is a reliable resource for providing guidance to play therapists regarding how to best meet therapeutic needs of our child clients. According to information currently available through the Association for Play Therapy, there are no standards or guidelines available for the use of telehealth to deliver child therapy. We are in uncharted territory when it comes to providing research-informed child therapy online. What we do know from the California Evidenced-Based Clearinghouse (CEBC) is that there is a number of effective programs for parents with online delivery. A Balanced Life LLC will continue to investigate and report on new thinking regarding providing child therapy through telehealth. If you believe that continuing therapy at this time is essential to your child’s well-being, A Balanced Life LLC offers the following online child therapy services:
Activity/Play-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
This method is appropriate for school-aged children and adolescents ages 8 to 17. Parents and caregivers will be asked to provide support to their child by making sure they are available to help with the technology; can gather and provide supplies; and otherwise support the therapy process as they would in an in-person session. Sessions are pre-planned by the provider and will be communicated to the parent via email including a list of supplies or materials that will be needed for the session.
Filial Family Therapy:
This is an evidence-based treatment useful for helping children with anxiety, aggression, attachment needs, depression, inattention and hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, and trauma. In this modality, parents are coached to become the primary therapeutic change agent for their child using child-centered play. This model will consist of several parent only sessions to orient the parent to the model and provide initial training. The majority of sessions will include the parent and child together. Filial family therapy is appropriate for children ages 3 to 7.
Online Groups at A Balanced Life
Social support is a proven powerful ally in mental health and recovery. Connecting to community is perhaps evermore important now in a time of social distancing and sequester-at-home orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus during this pandemic. A Balanced Life LLC is moving groups to online platforms. As this is a new venture for us, we will be experimenting with several different platforms, including Zoom, Doxy, and Google. We will ensure HIPAA compliance where possible and advise participants accordingly to ensure you are informed about your privacy. Stay tuned for more online groups in addition to the following:
Mindful Addiction Recovery Group
Dates: Weekly on Mondays and/or Thursdays
Start time: 4:00 p.m. (the group will last up to 1.5 hours, depending on needs and number of participants)
Fees: $50.00 for recovery group intake (existing clients are exempt); $35.00 per group meeting
Facilitator: Terry Paine, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, RADC
A safe online environment for you to develop and practice skills to manage maladaptive coping. During your intake with Terry, you will decide whether to attend one or both groups each week.
Parent Process Group
Dates: Weekly on Thursdays
Start time: 1:30 p.m. (the group will last up to 1.5 hours, depending on needs and number of participants)
Fees: $50.00 for process group intake (existing clients are exempt); $35.00 per group meeting
Facilitator: Jane McKinney, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, RPT-S, certified EMDR therapist
An online group where the therapist provides parent coaching in the use of child-centered play therapy with emphasis on the effective use of therapeutic communication. In addition, the online group provides a safe, therapeutic environment for parents to process parenting challenges, especially with new demands of working from home, while also educating, entertaining, and disciplining young children. This is a helpful adjunct to families addressing child mental health needs.
Perinatal Support Group
Dates: Weekly on Saturdays
Start time: 10:00 a.m. (the group will last up to 1.5 hours, depending on needs and number of participants)
Fees: FREE
Facilitator: Natasha Swayze, Park University MSW candidate, under the supervision of Jane McKinney, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, RPT-S, certified EMDR therapist
A monthly support group for women who are pregnant; or, who have recently given birth and are experiencing anxiety, depression or unwanted thoughts or behaviors. The purpose of this group is to help educate, empower, and provide hope during your pregnancy and after the birth of your baby.
How to enroll in a group:
Go to https://www.abalancedlifellc.com and click on CONTACT in the menu bar at the top.
Enter your information in the contact page. We must have an email address to contact you.
Type the name of the group you want in the subject line
Tell us anything you want us to know in the message.
The program administrator will send you a link to complete your enrollment and contact you to set up electronic payment.
Your group facilitator will contact you by email to schedule an intake appointment and provide you the group link.
FREE ONLINE SERVICES AT A BALANCED LIFE
During this uncertain time, many people are adversely impacted by the pandemic socially, environmentally, and economically.
A Balanced Life LLC is fortunate to have Park University MSW candidate, Natasha Swayze, available to provide free online therapy to adults through April 30th, 2020. She is supervised by Jane McKinney, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, RPT-S, certified EMDR therapist. Natasha will also be facilitating the free online Perinatal Breakfast Club (see Groups above) .