Therapy
Individual and group therapy is offered for both children and their non-offending family members. Families are never charged for therapy at the Advocacy Center.
Services We Provide
Through weekly sessions and regular communication, the therapist builds a healthy relationship with the child and family. They work with the child to overcome challenges, build a positive self-image, develop boundaries and build healthy relationships. All of these services are offered in both English and Spanish.
Play Therapy
When our clients may not have the language for talk therapy, we offer play therapy instead. Play therapy allows children to work through emotions and heal in an efficient, effective, and child-focused manner.
Group Therapy
The open layout of group therapy helps establish a more relaxed environment, where children are able to express themselves in situations that may feel safer, such as amongst their chosen support system.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma profoundly impacts an individual’s perspective and ways of processing their experience. Through cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT, children can reshape their mental framework and grow positively from their experiences in safe, meaningful ways.
Virtual Therapy
In an effort to ensure our therapy services remain accessible, we offer virtual therapy services for clients who may not feel comfortable with in-person appointments or perhaps are not able to access in-person services in general due to personal reasons. Regardless, we are grateful to be able to continue providing this service from anywhere, at any time.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR allows therapists to guide the client in concentrating on a troubling memory or emotion while moving the eyes rapidly back and forth (by following the therapist’s fingers). This rapid eye movement, which occurs naturally during dreaming, seems to speed the client’s movement through the healing process, making it easier for them to digest the trauma.
“Everyone’s experience in therapy is different. Our clinical team will work with every client to determine an appropriate course of treatment for their trauma care, and ensure all issues relating to their trauma are addressed.”
Tree of Healing
Once a child finishes therapy at the Advocacy Center, they get to place their hand on our tree of healing.
This tree symbolizes the growth they have made and their journey to a healthy lifestyle.
FAQs
What if I’m not sure if therapy is right for me?
The therapists at Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas are trained in and utilize several types of trauma-informed therapy. By engaging in trauma-informed therapy, your child will learn skills and strategies to help them better understand, cope with, and process emotions and memories tied to their traumatic experience.
How long will I be in therapy?
Therapy is individualized for each child; therefore, the length of time will vary from one child to the next. Our therapists meet with their clients once-per-week and work toward mutually agreed-upon goals that are set during the first few sessions. These goals are revisited throughout treatment and therapy is considered complete when those goals have been met.
If I need to come back for more therapy can I do that?
Yes. As children get older and move from one developmental stage to the next, their thoughts, feelings and understanding of their trauma will shift. It is not uncommon for children to return to therapy during these times to process their trauma with new, more mature levels of awareness and understanding.
If your child is struggling with issues not related to their trauma, we can provide you with referrals to other therapists or agencies in the community that offer services appropriate to your needs.
How much does therapy cost?
Therapy at the advocacy center is free.
How do I refer someone who I think has been abused?
If you suspect that a child has been abused, please call the Texas Department of Family and Child Protective Services abuse hotline at 1-800-252-5400 and make a report. Once the report has been made, the appropriate steps will be taken to make sure that the child is safe and receiving the services that he/she needs.
Do you see adults?
We offer support groups and skills groups for the parents/guardians of our child clients. Due to the high number of child clients who need our therapy services, we are not able to provide individual therapy services to parents at this time.
Previous child clients of the advocacy center who are now young adults may be eligible to return to therapy services.
I can’t get to my therapy appointment; I need a ride or other option.
We offer teletherapy via Zoom for those that cannot or are not ready to return to in-person therapy. For those who would like to attend in-person therapy but need help with transportation, we offer rides through Lyft.
Are my therapy sessions private? HIPPA compliant?
Therapy sessions at the Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas are strictly confidential and HIPAA compliant. The CAC operates as a team comprised of Law Enforcement, Department of Family and Protective Services, Juvenile Probation, District Attorney’s office, and the CAC staff members and clinical interns who are involved in the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse cases in Denton County. Attendance and progress in therapy may be reviewed with members of this CAC multi-disciplinary team.