Selective Mutism Treatment

Children with Selective Mutism struggle to speak in environments like school or extracurricular activities, but can communicate at home with close family. At Thriving Minds, our highly trained therapists specialize in treating this childhood anxiety disorder, helping children build confidence and improve communication in all settings.

Expert Evaluation and Treatment for Selective Mutism

Thriving Minds offers several models of research-supported treatment for Selective Mutism:

Individual (Weekly) Therapy

Grow your child’s brave voice through weekly sessions with one of our expert therapists using behaviorally-based intervention techniques. Sessions will also incorporate community exposures or peer practices. Your therapist will also consult with your child’s school.

• In person therapy is available for Michigan-based families.

• Limited virtual slots are available for families in PsyPact-participating states. Learn about how PsyPact makes it easier for families across the country to access specialized treatment for Selective Mutism (SM).

Intensive Therapy

What is Intensive Therapy for Selective Mutism?

Intensive therapy for Selective Mutism is a structured treatment model designed to accelerate progress by providing several hours of therapy per day over a series of consecutive days. This concentrated approach allows children to practice communication skills in real-world settings, helping them build confidence faster than traditional weekly sessions, while still using the same evidence-based methods for treating Selective Mutism.

In-Clinic Intensive: Build momentum and capitalize on treatment gains with the intensive model (15-25 hours over 3-5 consecutive days). Address communication goals in the community setting alongside your child so that you feel confident with the intervention techniques when you return home. Watch Thriving Minds Director of Selective Mutism, Katelyn Reed, discuss intensive therapy here. Highlights of the in-clinic program include:

• Individualized intervention to meet your child’s specific needs and goals

• Offered year-round

• Takes place in our Chelsea, Michigan office with additional practice in the community

In-School Intensive: Our SM expert will travel to you and work with your child to grow their brave voice in his/her school! Your therapist will also help your child’s teachers and school staff to understand and use the evidence-based behavioral techniques. For detailed information click here to learn more or click here to watch a video. Key features of the in-school intensive include:

• Individualized intervention to meet your child’s specific needs and goals

• Offered during the school year

• Takes place in Michigan

• For families outside of Michigan, we have limited openings for our SM expert to travel to your home, school or community

Trying to decide between an in-clinic or in-school intensive for your child? Watch our SM experts break down both options to help you choose the best fit for your child's needs.

Confident Kids Camp: For over 10 years, we’ve offered this interactive 5-day group intensive each July, focusing on both school and community communication goals. Students are placed in a "classroom" with approximately 8 age-matched peers and are individually partnered with a counselor to help them set and achieve brave talking goals across various settings. Learn more. Some highlights of the in-clinic program include:

• School-Style Group Intensive for Selective Mutism

• Offered once per year (generally the last week in July)

• Takes place in Brighton, Michigan with spots filling up typically by the spring each year.

Confident Kids Advanced Camp (Opening Summer of 2025). We are excited to introduce the Confident Kids Advanced Camp (CKAC), a new 3-day group intensive program launching in 2025! This advanced camp is ideal for children who have previously participated in Selective Mutism programs or camps and are ready to take their communication skills to the next level with more challenging, high-level goals. Stay tuned for more details coming in late 2024, with registration opening in January 2025. Watch a brief video about the camp here or download this for more information. Key features include:

• School-Style Group Intensive for Selective Mutism

• Offered once per year (generally the second to last week in July)

• Takes place in Brighton, Michigan

Selective Mutism Consultations

School or Community Consultations: It’s essential for schools, family members, coaches, and other adults to understand Selective Mutism and use effective strategies when interacting with children who have SM. Our therapists offer expert Zoom or phone consultations to train adults on well-established methods to help children with SM communicate. We provide guidance on how to become supportive "brave coaches" and assist in developing personalized plans for success in school or community settings.*

Parent Consultations: For parents seeking expert advice on managing their child's Selective Mutism, we offer one-time or continuing consultation sessions tailored to your needs. Whether you're just starting your SM treatment journey, looking for guidance on next steps, or already have a therapist and need additional support, our experienced specialists are here to help. These consultations are perfect for parents who need professional insights on effective strategies, treatment options, and how to best support their child's communication progress.*

*Some of our SM psychologists can provide consultation services outside of Michigan. Schedule online or call today to set up a 15 minute phone consultation with our Selective Mutism Program Director, Katelyn Reed, MS, LLP, to discuss the best treatment option(s) for you and your child. Call (734) 433-5100

Effective Strategies for Treating Selective Mutism

All models of Selective Mutism treatment include a combination of some (or all) of the following strategies or components:

Exposures/Stimulus Fading: The primary component of Selective Mutism treatment is the use of what is called exposure, or gradually facing the fear of speaking and communicating. One form of exposure that is commonly used in Selective Mutism treatment is stimulus fading. Stimulus fading is a form of exposure therapy that slowly introduces the client to anxiety-provoking stimulus. In the context of Selective Mutism, this technique is used to gradually introduce the client to new people, new settings, or larger settings that cause anxiety. If introduced at a gradual pace, anxiety will decrease over time. This procedure can be easily tailored to the needs of the client.

Positive Reinforcement for Speech: While the client is being faded into situations that cause anxiety, setting up rewards for speaking to these new people or speaking in new settings will allow the client to recognize that speaking in these settings is beneficial. The therapist will work with parents to establish systems that track progress and provide rewards for brave behaviors.

"Brave Practices": As treatment progresses, the therapist will set up situations that allow the client to speak and receive rewards for speaking immediately. These are what we call "brave practices." Brave practices can occur not only in the clinic, but also in the community and in school. For example, a common brave practice is to go to an ice cream parlor to practice ordering ice cream. This allows for the client to practice ordering from a novel person and receive ice cream as a direct result. Once again, these practices can be tailored to the client's needs.

Parent Training: Weekly psychotherapy sessions are incredibly beneficial for reversing the effects of Selective Mutism, but brave practices that occur outside of weekly sessions contribute exponentially to the child's progress. Therapists will train parents to conduct fade ins and set up brave practices so these interventions can be implemented in everyday life.

School Consultations: For child with Selective Mutism, school can be an incredibly difficult setting. If Selective Mutism symptoms aren't addressed in this setting, the child's learning can be severely impacted. Unfortunately, not may clinics are equipped to help bring Selective Mutism treatment strategies into the school setting. Our therapists, however, regularly offer training and consultation with schools to help create consistent expectations and interventions in all environments.

Developing Special Education Plans: For many schools, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is needed in order to make accommodations in the classroom. Our clinicians are able to write reports and attend meetings to help advocate for the development of a plan for the client.

Hear from Our Clients: Read Selective Mutism Success Stories and Testimonials

Learn effective tools for helping children find their brave voice

Dr. Kotrba offers consultation to professionals and parents about the following topics:

• Treatment for selective mutism 

• Supporting children with SM in schools (providing consultation to school-based professionals)

• Starting a group or solo private practice

• Creating an intensive offering, such as Confident Kids Camp.

Schedule a one-hour professional consultation with Dr. Kotrba using the form below.

Want to learn more about helping your child, student, or client with Selective Mutism?

• Click here to find out about upcoming child groups, parent workshops, and professional trainings

• Click here to read articles about Selective Mutism—updated monthly.

• Click here for a list of Selective Mutism resources.