My Most Recommended Therapeutic Products
Push Pop Figet/Sensory
Great regulation tool to do at home! Just like bubble wrap!
Monkey Noodles
Great for any age to use to regulate themselves as they create anything out of the noodles! This is also awesome to do as a family to see who can be the most creative with them!
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
I challenge all of my parents that walk through my doors of my office to read. It is a great book to understand your child and their needs!
Monkey Fidgetz
I absolutely loves these since they are small and very portable. Children and Adults can easily have them in their pocket to help relieve stress/worries/anxiety and so much more!
Water Beads
Very simple and easy to have in a small container at home. Great way for kids to regulate themselves, and I often have them in my playroom for kids to have access to!
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
Great book to read following “The Whole Brain Child.” Understanding the “WHY” children are acting a certain why and how to communicate to them on a level of their understanding is challenging for adults. This book helps guide you to communicate effectively with your child!
What is the difference between a counselor, therapist, and psychologist?
We often get questions like this, that come from people or parents who are new to seeking therapy, as well as people who are not new to therapy and have sought therapy in the past. It’s a valid question, and one that I decided to dive into and answer!
Certain phrases that come to many people’s mind are:
- Who are therapists in Wichita
- Who are counselors in Wichita
- Who are psychologists in Wichita
- What, or are there differences between counselors, psychologists, and therapists?
The short answer is, their training. I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and I received my training and education from Washburn University. My degree is a Master of Social Work. My diploma doesn’t say anything about being a therapist, however, I provide Psychotherapy services to individuals. So I am considered a therapist.
You will often hear or be more familiar to the term “Counselor” in the school setting. Counselors do various jobs within the school setting such as checking in with children to ensure that they are doing fine (just short term), and will only meet with them for fifteen to twenty minutes per time. They will also run groups within the school if that is something that is needed. This is where it becomes a little confusing. Like I stated before, I am a LMSW. LMSW’s can also be School Based Counselors. In fact, I know many of them! Here is the difference. Their job title is completely different than mine. I focus on psychotherapy where sessions are 45 to 60 minutes long, and School Based Counselors are 15-20 minutes long.
What about psychologists? Psychologists also provide psychotherapy and can also work in the school setting. They are referred as Psychologists because they have a Master’s degree in Psychology. So again, it goes back to their education and their training degree. Psychologists can administer psychological testing and assessments, whereas I cannot administer those tests.
So you may be wondering who are therapists in Wichita, who are counselors in Wichita, or who are the psychologists in Wichita? One of the easiest ways to figure out what you are needing is to ask your primary care physician, school counselor or any school staff, looking on PsychologyToday.com. Most therapists, counselors, and psychologists are on this database, and they list their specializations.
Fiat Family Services loves being able to help anyone get into contact with one of our trusted therapists or psychologists, because we know their work and background. We develop a network of trusted people who we can refer specialized cases to. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, and do your research before booking an appointment with someone! Read reviews (if they have them) or contact them and ask for their specialization, other trainings they have done or other certificates that they completed.
A good therapist will be honest, and will refer you out to a trusted source, if they think that you will be better served with someone else who does more with your particular case.
Contact Fiat Family Services today to discuss your therapy options!
Why People Choose Fiat Family Services
Finding a mental health therapist in Wichita isn’t an easy task, especially a child therapist.
You want the very best for yourself, your family, and your children. It can be an overwhelming and a daunting task, because there are a lot of therapists in this area! You can narrow it down by selecting if you want a therapist that focuses on a certain age group, or even the reason “why” you are needing therapy. For example, you may want a therapist that works with children, but specifically children with Anxiety. This will help narrow your search some, but you will end up finding many therapists that can do this. Finding a therapist that will be a good fit for you or your family, is the next step. This is done by reading a therapist’s biography, seeing a photo of them, and possibly their office. From there, you can try and judge if this is where you would like to do therapy. Your last step is to call or contact them to see if they have any availability for the initial visit.
This is what makes Fiat Family Services in Wichita stand out.
We are a one stop place where you are able to manage everything! We have a state of the art website and use cutting edge therapy management software. You can set up the initial visit by going on our website and selecting a time and day that works best for your schedule, do all paperwork on your computer, tablet or phone, enter in all your insurance information and credit card information. All of the insurances that Lindsey Zimmerman is In-Network with is listed on our website, and it is always kept up to date. If your insurance isn’t listed, there are other options such as self-pay or using your Health Savings Account debit card, if you have one.
Another piece that makes Fiat Family Services stand out above others, is how easy it is to have a Teletherapy (video) session. It doesn’t matter if you are in the Wichita area or not, with Teletherapy you can be anywhere in the state of Kansas and still be connected with our therapists. With our current health crisis, it is sometimes unknown if you will have to be at home for a period of time. If that is the case, we have you covered. With a few clicks you are able to connect to our video session platform and begin your session stress free. This can be done on any device with a video camera (phone, tablet, computer). Our Teletheapy video software is secure and HIPAA compliant.
Lastly, we all forget about the appointments that we have (especially if you have more than one person to look out for), so that is why we have automated appointment reminders that remind you 48 and 24 hours before your session! We strive to make your life as stress free as we can.
If you are looking for a child therapist in Wichita, adult therapist, Wichita Prepare Enrich certified therapist, or Kansas Teletherapy (video therapy), then look no further than Fiat Family Services of Wichita.
Interested? Book here with Lindsey Zimmerman, LMSW
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Play Therapy: What It Is, What to Expect, & More
What is Play Therapy?
Association of Play Therapy defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. More simply put, child play therapy is a way of being with the child that honors their unique developmental level and looks for ways of helping in the “language” of the child – play.
What to expect when your child is doing play therapy?
The therapist will do the initial intake (1st session) with you and your child. During this session the therapist will begin to assess if play therapy is the best therapeutic model to use, and if it is, the therapist will discuss their therapeutic approach that they will use and what that looks like in the play room. The following session the therapist will review the goals have been individualized for your child, which will be used to help guide the therapeutic process. Finally it’s time for your child to play! Your child will have access to all of the items in the room to use in order to work through their emotional needs.
Items in the play room include: Kitchen set, dolls and accessories, art supplies, sand and miniatures, puppets, musical items, weapons, dress up clothes, books, and other miscellaneous items that the therapist has carefully selected to be in the room.
Parents and child often feel very comfortable with the play room and all of the items in it because these may be items your children already have in their toy collections so they aren’t as scared to come to therapy. The play room is very inviting and the therapist works very hard to keep it a very safe environment for you and your child.
Do you have to have a certain diagnosis to use play therapy?
Absolutely not! The great thing about play therapy is that play therapist are able to use this therapeutic approach with many diagnoses. It does depends a lot on what the therapist feels would work best for your child, but is allows a great starting point for the therapist during the assessment process.
What ages do you have to be in order to benefit from play therapy?
We use play therapy with children ranging from 2 years to 12 years of age. Again, it will be up to the therapist if they feel this approach is the most beneficial for your child.
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