Aryeh Sova, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Teletherapy
Aryeh Sova, Ph.D.
I am a clinical psychologist who specializes in providing evidence-based treatments to children, adolescents, and young adults. I graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in business and administration from Yeshiva University in 2005. I obtained my Master’s Degree and Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 2011, I completed a rigorous internship in child and adolescent psychology at what is now known as Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - Newark, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
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I have spent my training and career working in a variety of diverse, enriching treatment settings including inpatient psychiatric units, pediatric emergency rooms, partial hospitalization programs, mobile response teams, outpatient urban hospitals, intensive outpatient units, primary care offices, community mental health centers, outpatient groups, and in schools. Additionally, I have worked on a wide range of research projects, involving giftedness, technology, education, religiosity, and positive psychology. My research experiences took place in many institutions, including Northwestern University, Columbia University, and Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration.
After moving back to Chicago in 2013, I joined Chicago Children’s Clinic as a staff psychologist. I opened up Child and Family Treatment, LLC in 2015 with locations in Lincoln Park and Skokie. I am currently working exclusively via telehealth, however I still provide in person workshops to parents and school staff and offer consultation and professional development services.
I believe that therapy is most helpful when clear, objective goals are established early on in treatment. This way, the efficacy of therapy interventions can be assessed and treatment can develop along a directed path. While therapy often involves dealing with painful or difficult feelings, I also stress the need to highlight, nurture, and cultivate the individual's strengths as part of the therapeutic process. I place great importance on maintaining a positive, compassionate, and energetic setting to foster growth and change.
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Working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families requires a collaborative process involving all of the individuals who help a child develop, including relatives, school staff, pediatricians, and other therapists. Especially when working with younger individuals, the role of a psychologist is to help the family in many roles. It is crucial to be the child’s advocate, helping him or her navigate all of the systems in which the child is involved--family, school, friends, and community. Working together provides the best support for the child’s well-being.
In addition, I work together in close collaboration with Miriam Gutmann, M.D., board certified adult and child psychiatrist and faculty member of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Anne & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, and The Chicago Center for Family Health, which allows for improved, inter-disciplinary treatment and medication consultations.
Therapy
Individual and Family Therapy
Utilizing techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family Systems therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including mindfulness, and PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy) my treatment involves evidence-based practices for a wide range of behavioral and emotional issues. My belief is that therapy should be proactive and not reactive, and that it should involve learning new skills and strategies that will allow the individual to practice and eventually master the techniques outside of the therapy setting and following the completion of treatment. Between weekly individual sessions, clients practice skills learned in session through homework exercises.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, refers to a type of therapy that focuses on patterns of thinking and behavior that exacerbate life's challenges. In CBT, clients learn techniques to recognize and change these patterns, leading to improved functioning, or to develop increased cognitive flexibility to make more enriching life choices.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a behavioral therapy program for children from as young as two yeas old until seven years old. Sessions focus on helping parents or caregivers decrease child behavior outbursts or defiance and increase appropriate social skills and cooperation by focusing on the parent-child attachment relationship. It teaches parents traditional play-therapy skills to use as social reinforcers of positive child behavior and traditional behavior management skills to decrease negative child behavior. In sessions, caregivers are taught plays and behavior management skills and then they have the opportunity to practice these skills with their child with coaching.
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Individual sessions are typically 45 minutes to 60 minutes in length. Family sessions and initial consultations are 60 minutes in length. The frequency and duration of sessions are established based upon your own unique concerns along with my professional knowledge of what is needed to reach the agreed upon goals.
Why Teletherapy?
Convenience:
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Teletherapy sessions can be scheduled from home, school, or work without juggling everyone's schedules and dealing with travel times. It also allows for more flexible session schedules, including weekends and early mornings, and even when traveling.
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Comfort:
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Children thrive when they feel safe. The ability to join sessions from their own homes and to show me their own prized possessions allows them to feel more comfortable. These advantages may especially benefit people who are anxious or resistant about starting therapy.
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Privacy:
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Using HIPAA compliant encryption platforms ensures the highest standards of privacy. In addition, clients no longer have to be concerned about running into classmates or community members at the office.
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Effective:
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A substantial amount of research studies indicate that therapy delivered remotely through telehealth is as effective for a wide range of clinical challenges and populations.
Who I Treat
I provide individual, family, and parent therapy. I treat children as young as two years old, together with his or her parents using Parent Child Interaction Therapy. My practice also serves children, teenagers, young adults, and parents. While teletherapy has many advantages, it is not the right treatment option for everyone. Please reach out and we can discuss if it is the right fit for you.
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I have extensive experience working with a broad range of issues including:
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ADHD
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Anxiety or fears
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Oppositional Behaviors
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Child and Adolescent Issues
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Bullying
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Social skills
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School Refusal
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Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Trauma and PTSD
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Parenting
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Life Transitions
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Depression
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Selective Mutism
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Impulse Control Disorders
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Sleeping Issues
Assessments
Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations
I conduct comprehensive individualized evaluations, assessing attention disorders and executive functioning difficulties, learning disabilities, language and processing delays, memory deficits, and social-emotional issues for children and adolescents. Reports contain detailed descriptions of a child's strengths and weaknesses, as well as comprehensive recommendations to help the child be more successful at home and school. I also provides child friendly feedback directly with children, so they receive crucial information about their strengths and weaknesses and what steps they can take to maximize their chances of success.
I work together with the family and the school system to help support the child’s unique learning profile. He provides recommendations for schools when implementing Response to Intervention (RTI), IEP/504 accommodations. Additionally, he can serve as an independent evaluator for students.
Billing
Fees for different services vary as they are tailored to meet your individual needs. Please contact me for specific information about the fees for individual therapy, assessments, and other services.
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For your convenience, I offer a variety of payment methods including check, cash, and credit card. Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis. Please contact me for further information.
I am considered an out-of-network provider for most insurance companies. This arrangement allows him to provide quality services without the constraints that insurance companies sometimes impose on treatment. A substantial portion of my fee is often reimbursed through your insurance plan, provided that you have out-of-network coverage and my fees are generally considered to be within the acceptable range by most insurance companies. I will provide you with an invoice that contains all of the necessary information to easily apply for reimbursement from your health insurance provider. If you choose to apply for reimbursement, the process is not as overwhelming as it might seem and I will be glad to assist in making it as smooth as possible.
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Prior to beginning therapy, it is recommended to check with your health insurance company to determine your out-of-network coverage. In addition to being reimbursed for services provided, you may be able to use a health savings, flex spending, or other similar types of accounts to cover the cost of treatment.
