Counseling Program

The Counseling Program at Alpert JFS utilizes experienced, professional counselors who have specialized training working with children and families. A Master’s level counselor will meet with you and your child to assess their social and psychological functioning, the manner in which they interact with and are impacted by their environment, or relationship difficulties which need attention. If further help is needed from our testing Psychologists, the therapist will help you access those services. We are here for your child your family.

 

Who benefits from our children’s counseling program?

Children with a variety of challenges can benefit from counseling.  Often, by the time children arrive for therapy, they may have used up all of their own options for solving their problems and just do not know what else to do. By this time, they may be acting out at home, at school or with friends. By safely confronting their problems in a trusting environment, counseling can allow children to change the way they think about, feel toward, and resolve their problems.

Counseling is offered in a number of different formats:

  • Individual
  • Couples
  • Family Therapy
  • Parent/Child
  • Support Groups

 

Our Staff

All of the counseling staff hold Master’s Degrees or Doctoral degrees in the behavioral sciences and licensure as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or are under the direct supervision of the agency Ph.D. Clinical Director. Most staff have years of varied clinical experiences and specializations. The child therapists have specialized training working with children in a variety of ways, depending on the child’s needs, readiness for therapy, and abilities for verbalization. Play techniques are utilized often, especially with a younger child when relevant to his or her situation. Play is fun, and helps engage the child in the therapy session. Children can often communicate their difficulties more effectively through play than they can through language.

Families play an important role in a child’s life. You and the therapist will decide how and when to involve some or all members of the family in the child’s therapy.

Confidentiality is an utmost priority of the Counselors as well as is the desire to help a person meet their particular challenges. You and your child will be working in a safe, trusting environment with a caring professional.

The agency is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ways counseling may help my child?

Your child’s therapist, you or you and your child will determine the unique goals to be working on together. The general purpose is to enhance personal growth and development, increase problem-solving and coping capacities, develop new and creative solutions to the problems, learn new social skills, and learn to experience and express emotion and to be empathetic with respect to the thoughts and feelings of others.

 

Where are you located?

The agency maintains offices in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, and Palm Beach Gardens. The offices have been strategically located to reach our entire community, easy driving distances from Wellington, Boynton Beach, North Palm Beach and Jupiter. Various support groups are held at the branch offices in order to make services more convenient for you.

 

Can I afford for my child to see one of your professionals for counseling?

Our licensed staff are on most insurance panels. We will check out your insurance for you in determining the charge and bill your insurance for you. If you do not have insurance, we can base your fee on a reasonable sliding scale based on household income.

 

What if my counselor advises that I need additional services at your agency?

We consider our services seamless. Because we have numerous other programs, it is very possible there may be another service which would be helpful for you, your family or your situation. The therapist will facilitate your access to the other service and you do not need to make another phone call or contact. If you or your child need to be evaluated for medication or psychological testing, a referral can be made by the professional working with you.

 

Do I have to be Jewish to see a therapist at your facility?

No! Our agency welcomes all faiths. We receive funding from various sources which allows us to open our doors wide in our general community.