Intensive Intervention

Intensive Theraplay® Interventions (Intensives) are designed to help families who live at a distance from The Theraplay Institute in Chicago (TTI) and cannot come in for regularly scheduled sessions over several weeks or months. Intensives can be scheduled over a period of three to five days (we are not set up to have people come for longer periods for intensive treatment). In special cases it is possible to schedule the intensive over a long weekend or holiday.

The goal of an intensive intervention is to assess the nature of the problem and provide treatment that will set the family on a path that can lead to a better outcome in the future. Because we do not expect such a short-term intervention to fully accomplish the desired change, we strongly suggest that there is a home therapist identified to collaborate with the intensive therapists and can carry on the work once the family has returned home. Although it would be ideal for the home therapist to have, or obtain, Theraplay training, it is not essential. Being involved in the intensive and/or receiving the feed-back along with the parents can make it possible for the therapist to help the family stay on track. If the family does not have a current therapist, we will discuss how they can get the kind of help and support they might need to carry on the work. Parents are actively involved in the sessions and taught techniques that they can use at home to help their child. Two TTI therapists will be involved in all sessions. Intensives consist of at least two Theraplay sessions per day plus parent conference sessions. On the first day and the last day there will be more sessions.

Intensives are appropriate for children ranging in age from two through young adolescents. While the Theraplay approach can be very helpful for parents to use during the early stages of a new adoption, we do not recommend coming for an intensive until the child has been in his new home for at least six months. Before six months everything is so new that a child can be overwhelmed by making a trip to a big city and meeting new people. Because we do not have an in-patient or therapeutic parenting program available, we cannot support children who cannot be kept safe while they are with us at this time.

Intensives are held at our Chicago location. The family will need to make their own arrangements for housing and food during the intensive. TTI can provide a list of hotels that the family might choose from. We have coffee, tea, water, snacks, a fridge and a microwave available for you throughout the intensive. If other children must accompany the parents to Chicago, the family will need to make arrangements for the care of these children during the sessions, since both parents will be involved in all the Theraplay sessions. Childcare will be needed for your child during the parent sessions throughout the weekend. You can bring a caregiver or we can provide a childcare provider onsite for an additional fee that goes directly to the childcare provider.

Application Process:

• Initial telephone interview to determine the appropriateness of having your child come for an Intensive.
• The Intensive will be scheduled to meet the time constraints of the family and the therapists.
• A behavior checklist and a questionnaire about the caretakers’ backgrounds will be sent to the family. They should be filled out and sent to TTI.
• Information about the child’s past history and records of previous treatment should be sent to TTI.

Three Day Intensive Schedule

Day One

Session 1: Intake interview with parents and home therapist if available.

Session 2: Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) observation sessions.

Session 3: MIM Analysis: TTI staff analyze the MIM while parents and child take a two-hour break

Session 4: Feedback to parents (and home therapist, if available), including discussion of plan and goals for treatment

Session 5: First Theraplay session

Day Two

Session 6: Meeting with parents and home therapist, if available, to discuss previous session, report observations and answer questions

Session 7: Second Theraplay session

Session 8: Third Theraplay session followed by brief meeting with parents

Final Day 

Session 9: Meeting with parents and home therapist, if available

Session 10: Theraplay session

Session 11: Final Theraplay session

Session 12: Final long meeting with parents and home therapist, if available

Written Report (Optional)

Following the Intensive, a written report will be prepared summarizing the observations and recommendations. It will be mailed to the family. The charge is $500.

Follow Up for Family

• Families will be encouraged to call the TTI therapists to ask questions and get support.
• Calls lasting 20 minutes or less are free. Full hour consultations will be charged at the hourly rate of $160 per hour.
• Follow-up sessions can be scheduled in Chicago if the family wishes to do so.

 Follow Up for Home Therapist

• Home therapists will be encouraged to call for support and supervision if needed.
• If a regular supervision or consultation arrangements are desired, that can be arranged. The charge is $160 per hour.

Five Day Intensive Schedule

Day One
Session 1: Intake interview with parents and home therapist if available.
Session 2: Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) observation sessions.
Session 3: MIM Analysis. TTI staff analyze the MIM while parents and child take a two hour break.
Session 4: Feedback to parents (and home therapist, if available), including discussion of plan and goals for treatment
Session 5: First Theraplay session

Day Two
Session 6: Meeting with parents and home therapist to discuss previous session, report observations and answer questions.
Session 7: Second Theraplay session
Session 8: Third Theraplay session followed by brief meeting with parents

Day Three
Session 9: Meeting with parents and home therapist, if available
Session 10: Fourth Theraplay session
Session 11: Fifth Theraplay session followed by brief meeting with parents

Day Four
Session 12: Meeting with parents and home therapist, if available
Session 13: Sixth Theraplay session
Session 14: Seventh Theraplay session followed by brief meeting with parents

Final Day
Session 15: Meeting with parents and home therapist, if available
Session 16: Theraplay session
Session 17: Final Theraplay session
Session 18: Final long meeting with parents

Written Report 

Following the Intensive, a written report will be prepared summarizing the observations and recommendations. It will be mailed to the family. The charge is $500.

Follow Up for Family

• Families will be encouraged to call the TTI therapists to ask questions and get support.
• Short calls are free. Full hour consultations will be charged at $160 per hour.
• Follow-up sessions can be scheduled in Chicago if the family wishes.

Follow Up for Home Therapist

• Home therapists will be encouraged to call for support and supervision if they need it.
• If a regular supervision arrangement is desired, that can be arranged at a charge of $160 per hour.

Payment

The standard rate for Theraplay sessions is $320 per session for two certified Theraplay practitioners to work with your family from start to finish. This also includes the initial Intake interview, the MIM, the analysis of the MIM, and the feedback session and parent conferences. The final written report is $500. Payment is expected at the end of each day.

Written report $500

Total for Three-Day Intensive
(12 sessions) $3,840

Total for a Five-Day Intensive
(18 sessions)  *Please inquire for pricing as a 5-day intensive may require more than two therapists*