Cindy Matsakis - MFA, LCSW-C - Services

Individual therapy for children:  A blend of techniques will be used appropriate to the child’s issues and developmental level.  Techniques will include traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy as well as expressive forms of therapy such as play, drama, and art therapy.

Individual therapy for adults:  Therapy will include a blend of approaches including expressive therapy techniques (sand tray, symbols, etc.) along with traditional cognitive-behavioral therapies.

READ MORE ABOUT EXPRESSIVE THERAPY

Expressive Groups for Children:  Cynthia will continue to run children’s social skills groups using art, drama, and story to work on social skill development. 

Expressive Group for Adults:  Most recently, Cynthia has developed an eight to ten week group for adults. During the group, clients discuss issues and do activities that stimulate an imaginative response to the issues that have sometimes plagued them for years. The activities trigger imaginative responses and are geared to facilitate the development of tools to help clients reach their personal goals. The activities, which do not require the client to be “artistic,” use color, image, symbol, mask, and journaling.  Each session also provides educational material (topics range from recent brain research to meditation techniques).  Each group session builds upon the last and the final group session is designed so that each group member can decide on a symbol from the work the group has done together, that they can use in the months to come.  It is possible to design the group to include a follow-up meeting after four to six months where clients meet and share their experiences with using the symbols and rituals they developed.

Animal Guide Game: Cynthia will be running a group which will play the therapeutic social skills game, “Animal Guides,” which she developed over an 8 year period while working in Montgomery County schools, and is currently being used in the Linkages to Learning program. 

Training and supervision for therapists: Cynthia is offering free trainings on how to use the Animal Guide cards alone, and how to run the game to therapists interested in purchasing the game. The game includes two decks of hand painted Animal Guide and Shadow Animal Cards, along with an extensive manual, with creative activities to support the cognitive skills introduced during the game. HeartLight is currently taking orders for cards, and cards, game and manual. 

Tool Box for Therapists:  Over the years, Cynthia has experimented with many activities to use with her individual adult clients, and has recently developed a tool box of therapeutic interventions to use with adults who suffer from trauma, ADD, and/or bipolar disorder. The tool box contains a set of symbols, a booklet describing symbolic and imaginative activities for clients, and symbolic educational tools therapists can use with clients to foster a greater understanding of their experiences, help them develop self esteem, and reach cognitive goals.  She is currently taking orders for the tool box and offering trainings in its use.  

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