What is CAFTACS?
Child, Adult, Family Therapy and Consultation Services (CAFTACS) is a mental health practice. The therapist is committed to helping children, youth, young adults, and families, along with professionals find New Days through solutions to challenges that are interfering with success and well-being. Approach involves developing an understanding of the person and desired changes. A wide variety of therapeutic models are incorporated, depending on the needs, and attention is always given to Sense of Self (a deep knowledge of how a person feels about themselves and what the beliefs are that drive interactions). Individual therapy utilizes traditional models and creative interventions to assist in life-long understanding and change. Our time together is Confidential.
CAFTACS helps parents understand, accept, and work with their child/youth to achieve growth at home, in school, and with life transitions. Young adults focus on the self, their identified issues, and family/social interactions in order to reach their potential. The CAFTACS therapist is grounded in experiential cognitive-behavioral individual/family therapy to assist families, children, youth, and young adults.
In addition to these traditional services, CAFTACS provides professional consultation and training to school and agency personnel.
Interventions and Strategies
Individualized strategies and interventions developed for the following needs are focused on helping children, youth, adults and families overcome barriers to emotional well-being, family harmony and school success.
- Challenges with Anxiety, Depression, and other Emotional States
- identifying and minimizing Big Emotions
- Emotional and behavioral challenges
- Separation issues, school avoidance, and school phobia
- Developmental, attentional, and learning challenges
- Stressors from transitions and other difficult situations
- Social issues with peers and related emotional impact
- Rigid thinking patterns and the impact on home and school life
- Challenges with self-awareness and self-regulation
Child, Adult, and Family Therapy
CAFTACS uses an Individualized Experiential Approach that utilizes cognitive-behavioral strategies with Positive Psychology and related models (ACT, DBT, Solution Oriented, etc.). Sense of Self and personal reflection, along with strategies to enhance Self-Regulation and groundedness are always part of the therapeutic process, as these are vital components to well=-being. Family supports and family systems are a part of this holistic process. Family Therapy, as well as school Teaming with recommendations for interventions are offered as primary referrals ; they are also woven into individual reversals when helpful.
CAFTACS Strives To:
- Understand and address a child’s/youth’s developmental, social, emotional, diagnostic, and educational challenges.
- Assist parents in understanding and supporting their children’s needs.
- Teach children and youth strategies and coping mechanisms and engage parents in supporting their children/youth in this process.
- Develop new family interactions and build on individual/family strengths
- Assist with life transitions (e.g. blended families, loss, illness, change of school).
- Develop emotional and behavioral plans that reflect individual/family styles and values.
- Build school and family partnerships (e.g. by attending parent teacher conferences, participating in special meetings, teaming with school counselors).
- Work with community support services (e.g. doctors, agencies, specialists).
Consultation and Training
Any group or agency is welcome to participate in both the consultation and training process. This can be hourly, daily, over a period of days or monthly. Ideally a follow-up consultation or training assists in effectiveness and the ability to fine tune the specific plan that is always given at the outcome of a consultation or training. Individuals seeking Supervision for Clinical Social Work, Family Therapy, Play Therapy, or Early Intervention contract specifically for what they are seeking to accomplish.
Possible consultation or training topics include (but are not limited to):
- Individual, classroom, and school-wide interventions
- Family systems interventions for use in the school setting
- Collaboration among schools, families, and community agencies
- Approaches to working with challenging child, adult, and family situations
- Solution-oriented and cognitive-behavioral approaches for children and youth
- Play and experiential therapy models and interventions for classroom, counseling, and home support
About the CAFTACS Therapist: Primary Therapist Marti Fausold-Mowers, Director of Services Steve Mowers
The CAFTACS therapist is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Play Therapist, and an Early Intervention Specialist. Advanced training includes traditional clinical and experiential child
interventions, current family therapy models, family systems work, and extensive experience in working with school systems.
Parents are supported as their children and youth gain an awareness of their identified challenges and discover effective strategies for change, along with a better sense of well-being. The key to lasting change is both self understanding and individualized strategies that fit each person.
The CAFTACS therapist works with children, youth, adults, and families from a strength based model to create subtle shifts in hierarchy, balance, and interactions. Individuals and families can find behavioral and relationship challenges to diminish and healthier patterns to emerge. Individuals grow to understand and manage emotions, and work towards a deeper and healthier sense of self.
