Summer can be a good time to try something structured. Schedules open up, and that creates room to practice — through play, story, strategy, and relationship — in a supported setting.

These groups are available during the summer and may continue based on group interest and clinical fit. Summer gives families a clear starting point: a defined window to try structured therapeutic practice through play, story, and strategy without committing to something open-ended before we know whether it fits.

Current Summer Groups

These groups are currently forming for summer availability. Dates are still being coordinated with participating families, and groups may continue based on group interest and clinical fit.

Why summer can be a useful starting point

Summer offers a defined window. For many families, that’s exactly the right size to try something new — long enough to see whether a group is helpful, short enough that it doesn’t feel like an open-ended commitment.

If a group turns out to be clinically useful and there’s enough interest, it may continue beyond the summer. But it can also simply be a good summer experience. Either way, summer is a low-pressure place to start.

Our summer groups

What we work on

Across both groups, the clinical goals are practical and specific. Depending on the group, that can include emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, social problem-solving, flexible thinking, turn-taking, teamwork, confidence and identity, family communication, co-regulation, perspective-taking, and learning to win and lose well.

We don’t expect a child to arrive with these skills. The whole point is to practice them, with support, in a setting that feels like play.

How play, story, and strategy fit clinically

Games and stories aren’t a break from the work — they’re how the work happens. A child’s choices in a story, or a family’s dynamics over a chessboard, reveal real patterns: how they handle waiting, losing, changing plans, or working with others.

A clinician uses those moments as they come up — slowing things down, naming what’s happening, and giving everyone a chance to try again. Play, story, and strategy are the clinical tools, not a wrapper around them.

Is this a fit?

Not every child needs the same kind of support, and not every group is right for every family. Some children thrive in a group; others do better one-on-one first.

We’d rather talk honestly about fit than place a child somewhere that doesn’t serve them. If a group isn’t the right starting point, we’ll say so, and we’ll talk through what might work better.

How inquiry works

If you’re wondering whether one of these groups might fit your child or family, the best first step is to start a conversation. Reach out through our contact form and tell us a little about what you’re looking for.

Before joining a group, families complete a 1-hour intake so we can assess readiness, fit, and whether group therapy is the right starting point.

Pricing depends on insurance status and benefits. For families paying out of pocket, the current private-pay rate is $65 per 1-hour group session.

Current GATE families were contacted first, but there is currently no waiting list.

When reaching out, please include the phrase “I’m interested in summer groups” so we can route your inquiry correctly.

If there is enough community interest, we may also develop an additional structured-play group using LEGO-based activities.

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