Hope Goss

This is a treatment protocol that we borrow from heavily.  The folks who designed it did extensive research to establish what the most effective interventions are for addressing the needs of kids.

Not surprisingly, researchers found out that children who are having difficulties with disruptive behavior are seeking attention.  After combing through studies done by other researchers, the MAP people came up with the basics that are helpful for assisting children and parents learning how to interact in ways that promote positive attention rather than negative attention seeking.

Special play time, wherein the child gets to direct the activity with the parent for a short amount of time, tends to address this need, and makes children more responsive to following parental directives in other situations. Therapists can help you learn how to do this.  (We call it “non-directive play therapy”).  As parents, we tend to want to teach all the time.  Sometimes, we need to let the child be in the “driver’s seat.” Other skills that we might work on could be practicing situations that are challenging, like going to the grocery store, or getting ready for bed.  Learning how to praise a child in a specific way can be very rewarding.  Sometimes children need hugs.  Sometimes they need some sort of tangible reward.  And parents frequently need assistance in being consistent with children.  That can be the hard part!

Other challenges that MAP addresses are childhood depression, trauma and anxiety.

With MAP, you get the cumulative experience and knowledge of the most rigorously studied theorists out there!