putting resilience into practice

Melissa Sornik has created a unique, family-centered practice specializing in, but not limited to, gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) children, adolescents, and their families.

Our services for children and adolescents support the social, emotional, and academic needs, including that of gifted and 2e learners, who are challenged by executive functioning and self-regulation difficulties, anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, or autism.  We view, assess, and support each client within the context of multiple environments, with an emphasis on home and educational settings. We offer a positive and strength-based approach to treatment in which we identify and value the abilities of every client to foster positive outcomes including confidence and healthy self-esteem. Services are provided in a relaxed, comfortable, and family-friendly setting.

OUR GUIDING APPROACH TO TREATMENT

Our practice provides a positive psychology-informed, strength-based approach to counseling, using techniques that incorporate research-based models including elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Social Thinking (M.G. Winner) and Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (R. Greene). The cornerstone of our treatment framework is a focus on client strengths, abilities and resilience.

BUILDING A TOOLBOX OF SKILLS

We provide an individualized "toolbox of strategies and skills" for our clients. We know that effective communication and healthy relationship functioning are critical to successful outcomes, so we provide our clients with counseling, education, and "tools" to achieve their goals.  Parent, caregiver, and gifted adult workshops and support groups are a venue for participants to share experiences, strategies, and skills in a welcoming and non-judgmental community of peers.

WORKING WITH CLIENT SYSTEMS

Our clinicians draw upon their social work and education backgrounds and training, employing systems theory in order to understand the dynamic interrelations between individuals, families, institutions and societies. We view our clients as a system with internal and external "moving parts" and influences, and we seek to identify how that system functions, what aspects of that system have a negative, or positive impact on our clients and understand how we can cause or preserve positive change in that system. Due to the complexities and variations of 2e individuals, and characteristics that may change in different environments, a systems approach to treatment that is individualized to the client's needs is the most comprehensive and inclusive treatment modality... and it is the core element of our service provision.

Online individual, family and group counseling sessions and consulting services are available on a case-by-case basis.

OUR COMMUNITY OF EXPERTS

Our network of independent practitioners has presented lectures and workshops on gifted and 2e-related topics at local and national conferences. We have also published articles on the subject of 2e. Culling from our personal and professional experiences with giftedness and twice-exceptionality, the practice hosts onsite psychoeducational workshops and events pertaining to gifted and 2e relevant topics several times a year. We also provide offsite informational and professional development workshops for the workplace, schools, parent groups, and other mental health agencies/providers.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR Services