Mommy! He's bugging me!!
Problems don't solve themselves They get worse!
Nobody wants to play with me
I'm not good at anything
The teacher got mad at me again
I don't want to go to school!
Mommy, don't go!!
I'm scared to sleep alone
My rebbi got mad at me again
I'm not going to cheder today!
"Accurate assessment, proven results."
Sarah
Nice to meet you · Sarah Shugerman
We treat the problem at the root.
Rosh Patuach, "an open mind," lives up to its name:
development starts in the head, in the brain.
For about 20 years, I've been helping children and teens
with learning and behavior difficulties move forward.
Therapy takes place in a warm home clinic in Neve Yaakov,
with one parent present.
Your child is fine. Really.
He's smart, he's talented, and there's so much good in him.
There's just one thing that's hard for him.
It isn't bad chinuch, and it isn't that he doesn't want to.
Most of the time, it's one ability that isn't strong enough yet.
And the good news: an ability can be strengthened.
Her mind just opened up!
Mother of A.K.
Before we begin
Sound like your child?
Check what sounds familiar:
You deserve to have strong, good, independent children.
One assessment shows how your child's brain is built, where he's strong, and where the difficulty comes from.
Yes, I want to help my children move forward!The method
A gym for the brain. Through play.
Sarah assesses and treats with the Cognitive Play method.
Just like at the gym, we find the ability that's weak,
and train exactly that one, step by step, through play.
What's behind the behavior
What's behind it?
Behind every familiar line hides an ability that isn't strong yet.
The assessment shows exactly which one.
Nobody wants to play with me
Reading between the lines
Huh? Did you call me?
Tuning in to the world
I just can't!
Not giving up
I can't sit still for this!
Seeing a task through
But you said we're going to the park!!
Rolling with change
It's not perfect, I'm erasing it!
Letting go of perfect
What's it called... um...
Catching the small details
What's small today, grows tomorrow
"We thought he'd grow out of it."
Almost every parent says that.
A difficulty doesn't just go away
Usually it only changes shape.
What was small comes back bigger.
The whole family feels it
Arguments, phone calls from the rebbi,
and the routine revolves around the difficulty.
Best to treat it while it's small
But you can start at any age.
The first step: understanding what's behind it.
What is the assessment?
One assessment that checks every area of development,
and gets to the root of the problem.
Tap an area to see what the assessment checks.
How does it work?
A talk with Sarah
You tell her what's going on, and decide together whether an assessment is needed.
An assessment through play
In a pleasant, fun atmosphere. Your child plays different games, and each game checks a different area of the brain.
A parent guidance meeting
A meeting with the parents, without the child: what the assessment showed, where the difficulties come from, and how to handle him at home and in cheder.
Therapy, and the guidance goes on
If you decide to go ahead with therapy, you're there at every session, and get tools to keep going at home.
What you get from the assessment
A feedback meeting
A detailed explanation of the strengths and the weaknesses.
Personal guidance
How to handle your child at home.
A guidance booklet, as a gift
To help you understand and cope at home.
You'll leave clear and focused.
You'll know exactly what's going on with your child and what needs to be done.
You'll learn to accept the weaknesses and strengthen them,
and lead your child toward a better future.
Parent guidance
Parents get tools too.
Therapy happens at the clinic,
but life happens at home.
Parent guidance
throughout therapy
- A parents' meeting after the assessment.
What came up, where it comes from, and what to do at home and in cheder. - Guidance at every session.
You're there for the therapy, and learn how to reach your child's heart. - Evening phone calls.
For what you can't talk about in front of your child. - Guidance for the school staff.
In cheder, school and yeshiva.
At no extra cost.
Parent guidance
with Shtulim
Sarah is a certified guide with the Shtulim organization,
using the method of Rabbi Yechiel Pleskin.
- For parents of struggling teens.
Even without therapy for the teen. - How to respond to them, and draw them close.
Based on a precise understanding of your child's nature. - Safety and preparing for adolescence.
Gentle, precise guidance on how to guide your child.
"So why not just play with him myself?"
The same game? Not at all.
There's playing at home, and there's playing in therapy.
The difference is why we play, what we play, and what we notice along the way.
Playing at homeFun, closeness and warmth. Keep it up!Therapy at Rosh PatuachPlay with a purposeWhy play?
For fun and connection.
To strengthen a specific ability the assessment found.
Which game?
Whatever's at home and whatever he likes.
A game chosen especially for that ability.
How hard?
Always the same. Sometimes too easy, sometimes frustrating.
Matched exactly to the child, and it gets harder step by step.
What do we watch?
Who won.
How the child thinks, where he gets stuck, and why.
What comes out of it?
Good time together.
A stronger ability, and tools to keep going at home.
So yes, keep playing with him.
And when something is stuck, it takes a game aimed right at it.
What does the research say?
- A review published in Science (Diamond and Lee, 2011) found that children's abilities such as self-control, attention and mental flexibility can be strengthened. The programs that worked included repeated practice with difficulty that rises step by step, and the children who struggled most gained the most.
- According to Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, the early years are when the brain builds the most connections, and the foundations laid then shape what is built later.
These studies deal with training children's abilities in general, not with this specific method.
Sources: Diamond & Lee, Science 2011 · Harvard Center on the Developing Child
"I can attest to her deep understanding of the many aspects of child development, and to her unique ability to help children overcome learning and attention difficulties and emotional problems through cognitive play. I highly recommend her."
Parents share
Before and after
Before
- "Borderline for special ed"
- Answers off the point
- Quick to get hurt and angry
Today
- High grades
- Asks and answers properly
- "The pride of the class"
Before
- Couldn't sit still
- Talked like a baby
- A year in another therapy, no progress
Today
- Mature for her age
- "Like night and day"
Before
- Outbursts
- Rough fights with his siblings
- Couldn't handle any change
Today
- Accepts changes and other opinions
- Pleasant and easygoing
- Doing well at home
"After a year of therapy, we have a different child."
"Baruch Hashem, we went from darkness to light."
"In under half a year, we're seeing calm and real progress."
All the stories are real, with details changed to protect privacy.
Every child is different, and so are the results.
Questions parents ask
What age is it for?
Any age. Most clients are children and teens, boys and girls, but the method works for adults too.
Is it a medical or psychological assessment?
No. It's a cognitive-developmental assessment through play: it maps which of your child's abilities are strong and which need strengthening. It doesn't replace an assessment by a doctor or a psychologist.
Won't it put a label on my child?
No. There's no diagnosis and no label here. What comes out of the assessment is an understanding of how your child thinks, what's strong and what's worth strengthening.
We've tried so many things already. How is this different?
Occupational therapy, remedial teaching and emotional therapy all help a lot, each in its own field. Sarah's assessment looks for the root: which ability is behind the difficulty. Sometimes Sarah will recommend adding another therapy as well.
Is a parent there during therapy?
Yes. Therapy takes place with a father or mother in the room, fully transparent, so you can carry it on at home.
Is it instead of medication?
No. Decisions about medication belong to the doctor. Play therapy can go hand in hand with medical care.
How long does therapy take?
It differs from child to child. After the assessment you'll have a clear picture and a defined goal, and you decide whether to continue.
Where is it, and what does it cost?
At the clinic in Neve Yaakov, Jerusalem. We'll gladly go over the cost by phone: 050-4170805
Let's talk.
Tell Sarah what's going on, and together you'll figure out the next step.
Call 050-4170805