Group Therapy Services
Social Skills Group Therapy for Children
Can Your Child Benefit from Social Skills Group Therapy? Social Skills Groups are not the same as a traditional play date. They are a supervised, therapeutic process with defined goals that increase social interaction skills. Children who benefit the most from structured social skills groups are those who may not be developing and navigating social skills as comfortably as some other children their age or regularly experience difficulty in social situations or with peers at school. Especially for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), learning difficulties, cognitive delays, or communication difficulties or delays, learning how to navigate social situations successfully can be challenging.
Regardless of a child's diagnosis, social skills groups effectively increase a child's ability to handle social situations. These groups have been shown to decrease peer rejection, increase confidence, decrease isolation or aggression, and other behavioral problems that may result from problems relating to others.
Heritage Counseling offers Social Skills Group Counseling for clients currently attending therapeutic services in our practice. These groups are specifically tailored to our clients' needs and focus on multiple areas of social development. Groups will be structured with bi-weekly topics, including fun, interactive games, and social experiences. The group is led in our Plano, TX, location by one of our exceptional play therapists, Muranna Sherwood, MA, LMFT.
Our next Social Skills groups will begin meeting bi-weekly on Thursday, September 18th. This group will include 4-8 children who are similar in age and developmental level, and will follow the 10-week curriculum outlined below:
10 Session Curriculum
Session 1: Introductions and Get to Know You | Thursday, September 18th
Session 2: Making and Maintaining Friendships | Thursday, October 2nd
Session 3: Social Communication Skills (Conversation Starters, Reciprocal Communication, Active Listening, etc.) | Thursday, October 16th
Session 4: Teamwork and Cooperation | Thursday, October 30th
Session 5: Emotion Expression and Regulation of Self and Others | Thursday, November 13th
Session 6: Empathy and Building Theory of Mind | Wednesday, November 19th *Schedule change due to proximity to holiday*
Session 7: Social Cues (Tone of Voice, Facial Expressions, and Body Language) | Thursday, December 11th
Session 8: Social Boundaries and Personal Space | Thursday, December 17th *Schedule change due to proximity to holiday*
Session 9: Conflict Resolution, Repair, Apologies, and Forgiveness | Thursday, January 8th
Session 10: Graduation Review and Celebration | Thursday, January 22nd
*Parents/caregivers are asked to facilitate the child practicing the skills learned on a daily basis outside of group time.
To learn more about our Social Skill Group offered at Heritage Counseling and Consulting’s Plano office, please call 214-363-2345 ext 2.