Following an initial phone or e-mail inquiry for educational therapy services an appointment is established for an initial Family Consultation.
What are the benefits of this initial family meeting?
It is an OPPORTUNITY for all members of the family to come together and meet me, your potential educational therapist, and determine if we are a match to work together.
It is important to have as many members of the family present for this initial meeting. This may also include extended family members, such as grandmothers or a long-time nanny.
This meeting is scheduled for 1.5 – 2 hours. The first half of the time is spent with the whole family, clarifying needs and expectations, establishing foundational groundwork, and clarifying specifics of educational therapy. At this time we also discuss the differences of educational therapy and tutoring.
During the one-on-one portion of our meeting, I spend time with the student deeply listening and establishing rapport. I give the student time to express personal concerns regarding educational and socio-emotional issues both at home and at school. Friendly interview questions are posed to determine needs and to provide time and space for the student to reflect on specific skills that are strong and weak in their educational profile.
We reconvene as a group and answer any remaining questions as well as discuss a potential direction for educational therapy. The student and family members leave this meeting with new insight and clarity to embrace learning style strengths and empower weaknesses.
After this initial intake follow-up educational therapy appointments are scheduled. Copies of previous testing are requested once a commitment for educational therapy has been established.
©2021, Darlene Rose DeMaria, MA, BCET#10159
Edu-Therapy Learning Center
(650) 343-7273