Amoret Kaufman, familiar in the GUSD, and Jamie Given have recently opened a local office to provide group therapy.

By Mary O’KEEFE

The pandemic has been emotionally stressful for just about everyone. With the fear of getting COVID-19 to isolating, there has been a lot to deal with.

Amoret Kaufman and Jamie Given, both licensed marriage and family therapists, know all too well the struggles that those in the community have faced, not only due to the pandemic but before COVID, too.

The two have taken their expertise locally, moving their individual practices to 2626 Foothill Blvd., Ste. 208 and have become “suite mates.” Both have been involved in the community for a long time and know the needs of local residents, which include providing a place to have group therapy.

It is very difficult in the area to find a location with group seating, Kaufman said.

It can be a challenge just to find a therapist who is taking on new clients. Group therapy is an option that potential clients can consider. Given and Kaufman explained that some people may be nervous to join a group session but want people to know they offer a safe space with confidentiality assured. There are some advantages to participating in group therapy including finding others with similar concerns and getting support from those who have gone through difficult events. It also is less expensive than individual therapy.

Kaufman is well known to parents in the Glendale Unified School District in Crescenta Valley. She began and led the pre-COVID Coffee with the Principal morning chats with parents and the principal of Rosemont Middle School. During these meetings parents would share their concerns about their children and Kaufman would offer advice and guidance.

Given is seeing a mix of adolescents and adults in her practice but concentrates most of her time on children and teenagers.

“[Kids] may not even know what to feel,” Given said. “What I see with [the] teenagers is a huge distance between parents and teenagers.”

She added that during virtual learning some students did well and others really struggled. Some parents questioned their child if their grades slipped.

“[Some] think [virtual school] should be easier when really it is harder, there is not that social component, and there is so much more distraction being on virtual,” Given said.

There is also an increase in cyber-bullying. According to L1ght, an organization that tracks online harassment, there has been a 70% increase in cyber-bullying since virtual learning began.

“I see a mix of adults, tweens and teens,” Kaufman said.

After years of training and working with families, Kaufman has found the best way to help children is to focus on the parents.

“It has really become clear to me the best way to help a child, whether they are 5, 10 or 15 [years old], is to support their parents because children can only thrive if their parents are doing well,” she said. “I can talk to a kid about their anxiety but it’s the parents’ actions on a day-to-day basis that will actually teach that child coping skills.”

Studies have shown that working with parents is very helpful when their children are coping with important conditions like ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), which is addressed not only with medications and therapy like other disorders but with educating and working with parents’ planned management.

“For ADHD the gold standard first and foremost for children and parents [is] management training, teaching the parents how the teenage brain works and how to support their child’s efforts in growing effective, functioning skills,” she said.

Kaufman added the emotional component of ADHD, like big emotional swings, is not often talked about but is important to include in the conversation with parents.

The bottom line according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is it is as important to take care of mental health as it is physical or dental health. And it is important to continue that care.

For more information, contact either Jaimie Given at (818) 446-7488, info@givenguidance.com or visit the website at givenguidance.com or contact Amoret Kaufman, MS, LMFT at (818) 651-6161, support@amoretcounseling.com or at the website www.amoretcounseling.com.