When I started my psychotherapy practice in 1978, I was doing biofeedback and psychotherapy for stress related disorders to empower patients to heal without medication or to get off medication. Forty-five years and over 60.000 clinical hours later I have discovered there are high performance strategies to incorporate pharmaceuticals into the treatment process. This discussion with Dr. Mathew Lorber MD is the first in a series of interviews, the purpose of which is to educate the listener on what can be a complex process.

“Talking in 5 Sessions” - Zachary did not talk to his mother. He talked only to father and sister. No other person. He was totally shut down. Dad described his son as his “little butterfly”. Mom said her son “broke the glass door” that trapped her son verbally. Typically, effective treatment requires hard and sustained work. Each family has their individual learning curve. This case was exceptional.

“We feel we gave birth to a whole new person”

"Sophie" never talked in school until 4th grade. No one heard her voice besides parents, grand- parents, and sister. Mom said "we would do anything to set her free; nothing worked". Now it's "overwhelmingly positive". This interview highlights the reality that in most cases one to one counseling with a young child with selective mutism is unproductive. Think about it. The child has no initiative (motivation) for healing, and the therapist most often goes into enabling mode when the child is mute in session. (Of course there’s an exception to every rule). The Berent Treatment Method utilizes the leverage of the parents to nurture the child through the complex, insidious, and ingrained avoidance-dependence dynamic.