Coping and Communication Skill-Building (CCSB) Program

If your child or teen has trouble handling strong emotions, it can be tough to know how to help as a parent. It can also be challenging to deal with your own feelings during this time. CCSB at Thriving Minds aims to give families the coping and communication skills they need to use at home. In just 6-8 one-hour sessions, you and your child will learn strategies that fit your family's needs. You can choose to have these sessions online or in-person at our Livonia Office.

What Coping and Communication Skills Can We Learn?

Based on your family’s goals, you can learn tools to practice mindfulness, manage emotions, handle stress, and improve communication in relationships. These skills are based on Marsha Linehan’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which has over 30 years of research support.

Who may benefit from the CCSB Program?

  • Children aged 5-17 with intense emotions and lacking emotion management skills, along with parents looking for guidance to support their child.

  • Parents interested in individual skill-building to navigate difficult emotions and better support their child/children.

  • Parents wanting to learn age-appropriate coping methods to teach their children at home.

  • Families seeking a brief, educational therapy approach rather than committing to long-term therapy.

  • Families currently in longer-term therapy who want to build supplemental skills outside of regular therapy hours.

  • Families on the waiting list for individual therapy who want want a jump start on skill building.

Can Children and Parents Both Participate in the CCSB Program?

Your participation in the CCSB program depends on your preferences, needs, and availability. The program is offered in two flexible formats:

  • Parent-only sessions: Parents can meet individually with the therapist. During these sessions, parents will engage in individual skill-building and learn age-appropriate, creative ways to teach their children the strategies learned in CCSB.

  • Parent-child sessions: Parents can join CCSB sessions with one child or teen, allowing families to learn and practice skills together.

Can My Child Start the CCSB Program While Waiting for Traditional Therapy or Seeing Another Therapist at Thriving Minds?

Yes. You can wait for longer-term Thriving Minds therapy services while engaging in CCSB and can engage in CCSB while seeing another therapist.

Is the CCSB Program Covered by Insurance?

The CCSB Program is covered by insurance in the same way that other parent and child interventions are covered. We use the same CPT coding (for example, 90837, 90785, 90846, 90847), so if our clinic accepts your insurance—specifically BCBS PPO and Traditional plans—you should be covered. We always recommend having families speak to their insurance provider to ask about coverage for those codes, however.

How Do We Get Started?

If you are new to Thriving Minds, call our intake coordinator at 734-433-5100 to schedule an initial consultation for the CCSB program. If you are an existing client, talk to your therapist about how to get started. If you have additional questions, email Caroline Bartholomew: cbartholomew@thrivingminds.info to find out more.