Advice please!

March 16, 2005

Great news Di

Mandi x

We had annual review at school last week, they are very pleased with Sam's progress, his mood is much more stable, more focused, more understanding, less anxious, very happy, initiating interaction with other children, the school do not know about chelation only that we give Sam some supplements so an unbiased view point.

October 11, 2006

Hi Amy,

What a bind you are in with finding good help for your daughter. I do

hope that things progress quickly. Do you know how long you will be

living in So Korea?

My daughter started her therapy at 7yo as well. I was with her

for a long time until she felt she could meet with the dr. alone. It

was probably a year. She did meet with her alone a few times, but

then we went back to both of us together since there were so many

things the dr. needed to ask/inform me about; the sessions just don't

last long enough!

does not have SAD, but given her age and the general anxiety

she was going through with her OCD, a one-on-one meeting would not

have been possible. Her therapist never requested it, I was the one

who suggested it to eventually and she was fine with it at that

point.

Best of luck-

nna

NY

>

> Hi!

>

> I have not posted before, but have lurked for a few months as we

> sort out our almost 7 yo daughters OCD and Separtation Anxiety

> Disorder (SAD). Thank you to all who post, I value your thoughts!

>

> We are a US NAVY family living overseas in Seoul, So. Korea. There

> is only one child psychologist for the entire country and he is an

> American Red Cross Volunteer, here until next June. After that, we

> will have NO doctors available, so we are anxious to get CBT started

> soon. My husband and I have met with him alone to discuss Lucy.

> Then Lucy and I met with him to start things going. Next Monday we

> will start CBT (I am really hoping she will respond...)

>

> Here is my question; the doctor is really pushing meeting with Lucy

> alone and with her SAD, that seems really extreme. Lucy is also NOT

> comfortable with him (yet). As well, I thought I should be part of

> the session so that I can be a team player in all this. To the

> families that have BTDT, did your children meet alone with the

> therapist, or were you invited to participate?

>

> Thank you so much!

> Amy Chan

>

October 11, 2006

Amy,

Just another suggestion, Dr. March who is one of the top in the field at

Duke University has a book out on CBT Therapy for kids with OCD. You might

want to consider purchasing this book before you return in June so you could

have a " how to " for you and your husband. I have not seen this book but have

thought of buying it myself. I know there are some others out also. I would

also get " Freeing your child from OCD " by Chansky before you go. That way

without a doctor you could at least have some valuable tools to use as

needed and learn or remind you of the techniques. Dr. Marchs book " Children

and Adolescents - Cognitive Behavior Treatment " is really written for

professionals but I read on Amazon that some parents were able to understand

and get things out of it.

http://www.amazon.com/OCD-Children-Adolescents-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatmen

t/dp/1572302429/sr=1-10/qid=1160612143/ref=sr_1_10/102-6741065-2880940?ie=UT

F8

<http://www.amazon.com/OCD-Children-Adolescents-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatme

nt/dp/1572302429/sr=1-10/qid=1160612143/ref=sr_1_10/102-6741065-2880940?ie=U

TF8 & s=books> & s=books

Good luck and hope your daughter will respond well with the Dr. here before

you leave.

Adele

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of nna

Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 7:28 PM

Subject: Re: Advice please!

Hi Amy,

What a bind you are in with finding good help for your daughter. I do

hope that things progress quickly. Do you know how long you will be

living in So Korea?

My daughter started her therapy at 7yo as well. I was with her

for a long time until she felt she could meet with the dr. alone. It

was probably a year. She did meet with her alone a few times, but

then we went back to both of us together since there were so many

things the dr. needed to ask/inform me about; the sessions just don't

last long enough!

does not have SAD, but given her age and the general anxiety

she was going through with her OCD, a one-on-one meeting would not

have been possible. Her therapist never requested it, I was the one

who suggested it to eventually and she was fine with it at that

point.

Best of luck-

nna

NY

>

> Hi!

>

> I have not posted before, but have lurked for a few months as we

> sort out our almost 7 yo daughters OCD and Separtation Anxiety

> Disorder (SAD). Thank you to all who post, I value your thoughts!

>

> We are a US NAVY family living overseas in Seoul, So. Korea. There

> is only one child psychologist for the entire country and he is an

> American Red Cross Volunteer, here until next June. After that, we

> will have NO doctors available, so we are anxious to get CBT started

> soon. My husband and I have met with him alone to discuss Lucy.

> Then Lucy and I met with him to start things going. Next Monday we

> will start CBT (I am really hoping she will respond...)

>

> Here is my question; the doctor is really pushing meeting with Lucy

> alone and with her SAD, that seems really extreme. Lucy is also NOT

> comfortable with him (yet). As well, I thought I should be part of

> the session so that I can be a team player in all this. To the

> families that have BTDT, did your children meet alone with the

> therapist, or were you invited to participate?

>

> Thank you so much!

> Amy Chan

>

October 11, 2006

Hi, my son saw a psychologist for a few months quite a while back. I

think, like you did, he met with us both the first time. And then he

generally met with (then age 12) alone. I'd usually come in

at the end of the session, sometimes not always. wasn't very

talkative, and he'd say things were fine, doing better, etc.; I had a

different version sometimes, LOL! But most of the time they'd end

the session and I wouldn't even have gone in.

Separation Anxiety...hmmm...well, if she's as bad as another of my

sons was at one time, good luck to the psychologist getting her in

there alone, my son would have been too upset, melting down. He

might try it, if it doesn't seem to be working, then he'll probably

call you in. You can always call him now and again express your

concerns due to the SAD and her not yet feeling comfortable. He may

feel she's more willing to say some things to him without you present

and want to try this. If he's good with kids, who knows, he may

succeed with 1:1. -- Well, I'm not any help. I think if it's really

nagging at you, then call him and discuss before Monday. If he's

insistent about seeing her alone, then let him try it; I assume

you'll be right out in the waiting room so not too far away. I was

lucky with my OCD son, he was fine with seeing the psychologist alone

and his psychiatrist (meds).

Just my thoughts!

single mom, 3 sons

, 17, with OCD, dysgraphia and Aspergers/autism (mild)

>

> Hi!

>

> I have not posted before, but have lurked for a few months as we

> sort out our almost 7 yo daughters OCD and Separtation Anxiety

> Disorder (SAD). Thank you to all who post, I value your thoughts!

>

> We are a US NAVY family living overseas in Seoul, So. Korea. There

> is only one child psychologist for the entire country and he is an

> American Red Cross Volunteer, here until next June. After that, we

>

October 12, 2006

Hi Amy,

With our previous therapists, john would go in by himself after the

first sessions. I didn't like this because I really had no idea of

what was going on in the session. wouldn't really tell me and

the therapist would say things are going well but I had no clue what

was going on. Every child is different and some may open up more

w/out their parents around. You know your child best, and if you feel

she would be more comfortable with you there, than you probably should

be in the session too. I feel like i'm learning more about what's

going on w/ my son and can support him more. When my son was on meds

and seeing a psychiatrist, the Dr. would sometimes have me step out of

the room for a few minutes. This was okay w/ me because if was

hesitant about saying something in front of me, then he had a chance.

Best of luck to you -

October 12, 2006

Amy,

For us, my son is 9 years old and struggles with talking to the therapist.

He talks to me but does not like to talk to anyone else about his OCD. So

how it works with us is that I go in the office with my son, I will tell a

little about what has been going on, the therapist will ask my son some

questions which he will respond to, then the therapist will start talking to

me about my son knowing my son is listening to every word. Oh, I forgot to

tell you the only way my son can cope in the office is to bring his gameboy

and play it most of the time. I don't know why, but it is extremely hard for

my son to sit for a whole hour and just talk and listen. The therapist

recognizes that and allows the gameboy. My therapist and I have been a

little frustrated that my son won't just talk more but we are both learning

he does like being there.

My insurance just ran out for my son, total bummer! I go to the therapist

alone every week and work on my stuff and my sons. My insurance for me is

okay right now. Anyway, we decided that me going can be just as helpful as

my son if I can learn the right things to do. We are also waiting for a

appointment in Nov. with a psychiatrist about some different meds. So. this

is the first week in a long time that my son actually is not going.

Interestingly he has reminded me 4 times about our appointment and then I

have had to remind him we aren't going. He acts like he doesn't' like being

there when we are there but is obviously now wishing he were going. He told

me just this week that he likes to go and just listen and let me do the

talking. Funny how their little minds work. For me, I want to do the talking

and need to do the talking.

I think bottom line is we all have to do what works for us and our child and

the therapist we are using. There are so many dynamics and personalities

involved.

Good luck!

Adele

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of julieaw66

Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 8:49 AM