J. Brooke Wright, Psy.D.

p: 630-469-4699 x16 | e: brooke@alcornandallison.com

I consider therapy and assessment/testing opportunities to come alongside children and families to help them reach their mental and behavioral health goals.

Therapy

The format of individual therapy depends on the needs of the client, and may include offering coping tools, encouraging expression and exploration of feelings through play, or facilitating insight. I consider all individuals to be a part of a system—a system that is an important contributor to healthy development. Therefore, I encourage significant others to be actively involved in the therapeutic process, especially caregivers in the treatment of children. Working with caregivers involves helping them to build solid relationships with their children using the resources they have and/or equipping them with an understanding of their children’s behavior and beneficial ways to respond to that behavior. I work from a strengths-based perspective in that I help identify the strengths of individuals and systems and build upon those. I am passionate about working with young children, in particular, because I see hope and resilience within them that can be accessed through early intervention. It takes a specific expertise to work with them using their language, but has unique rewards when we are able to encourage the development and use of their innate resources.

Working with the bereaved is a special privilege. While loss is an experience common to everyone, it is generally avoided in our culture. Children are frequently referred to as the “forgotten mourners,” as adults commonly assume that children who don’t display acting-out behaviors are not impacted by the loss. However, children and teens who are given a safe place and encouragement to deal with their pain can flourish. The way in which children are able to experience the death of a loved one early in life influences his/her ability to cope with many types of loss throughout the rest of their lives. Grieving can be a long road for young people, but it is one on which I treasure the honor to join them.

Assessment

Assessment is a process through which I am able to examine the way an individual’s brain processes information and interacts with the surrounding world. By using standardized instruments on clients ages 3+, I am able to gather a wide variety of information, all of which informs my recommendations for treatment planning. I enjoy synthesizing testing results for clients in order to clarify diagnosis and reveal personal strengths and weaknesses. With this information, I am able to offer specific, concrete suggestions about how the individual can more effectively and efficiently use his/her abilities and strengths in the everyday world. By communicating these results in a usable, understandable manner, I am often able to offer relief and direction for clients who begin the process feeling defeated, frustrated, or lost.