People are turning to therapy and behavioral health services more often, to help them with a range of problems, from anxiety and learning disorders to coping with grief, says Dr Molly Reid.

Reid is one of the head psychologists at the Eastside Family Institute, a clinic that specializes in helping children and teenagers who are having trouble at school or in their personal lives, or who just want a better idea of their educational progress.

She says that there is a growing acceptance of using therapy as an effective preventative step, for people of all ages

“The emphasis here is on teaching skills,” she says. “Often problems like anxiety, or anger and depression, can be relieved greatly by teaching the person the skills that help them understand and alleviate their concerns.”

“These can range from skills which help students with comprehension problems cope better with their lessons, to relaxation techniques for people suffering depression.”

Reid’s background with children includes serving as the Chief Psychologist at the Child Development and Mental Health Center and being a Consultant to the National Head Start Project.

Her recent clinical work with adults also focuses on dealing with depression, anxiety, unresolved grief, and adjustment to life change issues.

As well as providing pyschotherapy treatment, the Eastside Family Institute is also an assessment clinic, which means they are skilled in psychological assessment testing to help identify learning issues and make educational recommendations.

“The local school district is great, and so we like to work very closely with the schools when it comes to helping students overcome their difficulties,” Reid says.

“Often that will involve suggesting a slight change to their instruction, or work load. If we feel that the problem requires further attention, then we might help the parents and student get in touch with an appropriate tutor.”

Reid says that learning and behavioral disorders can be frustrating for parents, as there often seems to be no logical explanation.

“We see very bright students, intelligent young people, having problems with getting their work in on time or understanding concepts, and it is difficult for them to understand why,” she says.

“Which is why our testing component is so important; it helps to identify the source of the problem, and we go from there.”

The Eastside Family Institute is a training clinic, with doctoral students in psychology, who have already completed extensive clinical experience in other clinics and community sites, working under the supervision of licensed psychologists.

A feature of the institute is that it will offer a sliding scale fee for qualified families, bringing such care into reach of many who could previously not afford it.