Counseling & Integrative Treatment

At NESCA, we provide psychotherapy services for high schoolers and young adults who experience challenges including stress management, emotional and attentional regulation, anxiety, depression, low self esteem, and social/communication difficulties. Our seasoned clinicians meet each client where they’re at, moving at a pace that feels safe and comfortable. Interventions commonly used include cognitive behavioral therapy, compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness, elements of dialectical behavioral therapy and more, depending on client needs.

Each treatment plan is individualized, with progress monitored closely and continuously throughout treatment. Psychotherapists at NESCA provide short-term or long-term therapy to select individuals, as identified through the intake process. In addition to psychotherapy, our licensed clinical social worker also provides the following services:

• Individual Parent Guidance Training
• School-based Consultation to Counselors, Teachers, or Related Professionals
• Executive Function Coaching using a Relational and Therapeutic Approach (please see Coaching Services)

To learn more about these services, please email Carly Edelstein at cjean@nesca-newton.com. Or, to book an intake with Carly Edelstein, MSW, LCSW, please complete NESCA’s Intake Form and note “Psychotherapy” as your reason for referral.

Psychoeducational Counseling

At NESCA we provide one-on-one dynamic holistic psychoeducational counseling for children, teens and young adults who experience emotional, attentional, challenges, anxiety and ASD and other challenges.  There are many options of counseling available to individuals and individuals choosing psychoeducational counseling have some level of self-awareness and are seeking help for a particular situation or problem. Psychoeducational counseling provides psychotherapy with education.  Psychoeducational counseling enhances outcomes by increasing knowledge and improving skills. Sessions may include discussion, reading of articles, completion of checklists, use of biofeedback tools, watching of videos, and by assigning tasks outside of the session and tracking tool/skill usage.

Psychoeducational counseling helps clients better understand themselves, improve social competence, manage stress, and many more areas.  NESCA’s psychoeducational counseling is a holistic socio-ecological approach that assesses a client in relationship to other systems (i.e. family, school etc.) and uses that information to inform treatment and decision making.  Psychoeducational counseling uses a variety of theoretical models (i.e. CBT, mindfulness, narrative, client-centered) to improve knowledge and skills. Many clients request psychoeducational counseling because they have a specific area or problem they want to address.  For instance, clients learn that they may have cognitive distortions that are interfering with their perception of events or situations. Parent/caregiver involvement where appropriate may include separate guidance sessions or joining sessions with their son/daughter.

Counselors at NESCA provide short-term or long term psycho educational counseling to enhance individual outcomes and improve self-awareness, social-emotional functioning and stress management of select individuals, as identified through the intake process.

To learn more about these services, please email Dot Lucci at dlucci@nesca-newton.com. Or, to book an intake with Dot Lucci, please complete NESCA’s Intake Form and note “Psychoeducational Counseling” as your reason for referral.

Yoga

*NESCA is currently not taking new yoga clients.

Yoga offers a holistic, safe and empowering approach to healthy development. Many studies have shown the benefits of yoga for children, particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and Anxiety. Mind-body approaches are becoming increasingly popular as a means to directly address self-regulation, attention, and emotional reactivity. At the cutting-edge of this treatment revolution, NESCA has provided therapeutic yoga services to youth for the past several years, with excellent results.

The NESCA yoga program is rooted in the belief that self-awareness and self-regulation skills are essential foundations of success and general well-being in all settings. NESCA is pleased to offer yoga services for children and adolescents.

Yoga at NESCA combines movement and verbal processing in a meditative way that helps take children out of their mind and thoughts and into their body. Each private session is uniquely tailored to ensure the child feels supported and engaged. Movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness tools are interwoven through multisensory mediums of art, music, stories and creative play to encourage a child’s compassionate and positive relationship with himself or herself. With this foundation of self-acceptance, courage and strength are nourished to begin the practice of developing positive new coping skills and healthy habits.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that yoga and mindfulness positively impact fitness, emotional regulation, focus and happiness. Science has shown that emotions and memories are held in our bodies and can continue to impact our health. The combination of movement and processing in yoga helps provide a space to feel and identify physical sensations and emotions in the moment they occur, and start to look at how habits impact us in a safe and nonjudgmental space. Yoga is adaptable for all ages and types of learners.

NESCA’s Yoga Instructor Danielle Sugrue, M.S., has had extensive yoga teacher training, focused entirely on working with clients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related issues. With her mental health counseling background and this new training, she is uniquely positioned to include and support autistic students in her yoga practice.

Danielle works with both boys and girls of any age and ability in a safe, all-inclusive environment. She schedules an initial individual class to better understand the student and their specific needs.

In her practice, Danielle incorporates visual aids and modeling, verbal support, and written directions to suit all students’ needs. She also uses color coding to guide students on where to position themselves (motor planning), previews the class activities to aid with predictability, paces the classes appropriately, and offers students come choice in selecting activities and exercises once they become comfortable with the poses.

Through her mental health background, Danielle is keenly aware of behaviors to look out for as well as signs of discomfort, that may escalate into larger challenges. She offers tools and techniques to deescalate if students are upset or uncomfortable. She also has experience working with children with allergies, sleep disorders, seizures and GI issues.

Through yoga, Danielle aims to teach her students how to breathe, self-regulate, offer some independence and self-expression, and provide a shared, empowering experience within a community—something some students may not have had the opportunity to do previously.

Since her first yoga class at age 17, yoga has been a big part of Ms. Danielle Sugrue’s, life. She loves the practice and the way it makes people feel. Upon completion of her schooling, she went to Costa Rica to become trained as a yoga instructor. She believes that combining yoga with counseling creates space to move freely and express any emotions. Yoga has taught her how to become more mindful and find peace from within rather than looking for external factors to help manage stress and anxiety and enjoys teaching others the same. Ms. Sugrue is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Learn more about Yoga Instructor Danielle Sugrue, M.S.

Who is it for?

Yoga sessions are appropriate for a wide range of children and adolescents including those with anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities.

How is it scheduled?

Sessions are conducted 1:1 or in small peer groups. Initial classes are $50 then $150 per class thereafter. Families often schedule a 10-session pack of classes for $1400. In many cases, participants attend for much longer and yoga becomes an important and ever-evolving part of their lives.

Classes are offered at NESCA’s Newton office at 55 Chapel Street, Suite 202, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays after school hours, and Saturdays.

How does it work?

A variety of movement, breathing, and mindfulness techniques may be incorporated. Sessions are designed to work with the learning style of each individual child and to address personalized goals. Games, music and other fun activities are included as appropriate to promote engagement.

Photo courtesy of VoiceColors Yoga

Danielle also uses a variety of tools to help keep classes predictable and structured, using visual, verbal and written aids.

How can I find out if yoga is right for my child?

For more information about yoga at NESCA or to sign up, please contact Danielle Sugrue, M.S., at dsugrue@nesca-newton.com or 978-289-0332.

Personal and Social Coaching (PSC)

Billy Demiri, a Personal Trainer in Boston for more thant 5 years, has joined NESCA to offer Personal and Social Coaching (PSC) for clients. Billy is a native of Malden, Massachusetts. He attended Merrimack College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine with a concentration in Physical Therapy. Billy has several fitness certifications including: NSCA-CPT (National Strength Condition Association – Certified Personal Trainer) Certified, Autism Fit Certified, TRX Certified, Kettle Bell Athletics Level One Certified, and also Pre- and Post-natal Certified.

For kids who often struggle with low muscle tone, poor motor planning, and proprioception difficulties, fitness activities help to increase strength, stability, and motor planning for all daily activities, not just working out. More importantly, participating in regular fitness through PSC provides an opportunity for young people to have repetitive successful physical and social experiences. As kids gain more confidence in their physical abilities, they will want to participate and socialize more in additional environments and activities. Moreover, regular physical movement decreases anxiety and depression symptoms. It can also decrease off-task behavior because as the child or teen learns to focus on one exercise at a time.

Billy Demiri, a Personal Trainer in Boston for more thant 5 years, has joined NESCA to offer Personal and Social Coaching (PSC) for clients. Billy is a native of Malden, Massachusetts. He attended Merrimack College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine with a concentration in Physical Therapy. Billy has several fitness certifications including: NSCA-CPT (National Strength Condition Association – Certified Personal Trainer) Certified, Autism Fit Certified, TRX Certified, Kettle Bell Athletics Level One Certified, and also Pre- and Post-natal Certified.

Who is it for?

Boys ages 8-18 with autism, ADHD, or related social, emotional and learning challenges. Billy will be initially working with clients who are part of the NESCA family and have already participated in testing, consultation, or therapy at one of our Massachusetts or New Hampshire offices.

When does it happen?

Clients meet with Billy for 1 hour per week. This is usually after school hours or on Saturdays.

How can I find out if PSC is right for my child?

To learn more about his services, please email bdemiri@nesca-newton.com. Or, to book an intake with Billy, please complete NESCA’s Intake Form and select “Personal and Social Coaching (PSC)” as your reason for referral.