Individual Therapy
Individual therapy sessions are generally held on a weekly basis for the first 4–8 weeks of treatment. During the initial 2–4 sessions, Dr. Hartman assesses each person's unique needs and develops a treatment plan to help alleviate targeted problem areas. He then begins to incorporate cognitive-behavioral techniques and strategies to help minimize stressors and assist patients in relieving life problems. For children and adolescents, parents are asked to be as involved as possible in the assessment and treatment-planning process.
In sessions 4–9, Dr. Hartman implements the treatment plan and introduces methodologies, education about symptoms, and assesses progress toward targeted problem areas. On the 10th session, he formally assesses patient progress and, along with patient input, determines the medical necessity of continuing treatment and makes adjustments to the treatment plan. Each patient has unique therapeutic needs, so the length of treatment is often uncertain — as patients improve, sessions are often held less frequently (bi-weekly, once a month), and it's not uncommon for patients to take a break and return on an as-needed, "tune-up" basis.
Group Therapy
Group therapy sessions are held on a limited-time basis, usually in 8-session units. Dr. Hartman requires that group session patients first participate in individual therapy, in order to safeguard the patient and the other members of the group. It's important that patients develop the necessary coping and interpersonal skills to manage the group process before joining. Dr. Hartman typically runs groups for anger management, managing depression, and managing anxiety (including OCD, acute anxiety, and social anxiety).
Family Therapy
Family therapy sessions are often provided when young children and adolescents are the primary patient — though there are circumstances where children are not the primary focus of intervention. Dr. Hartman incorporates family systems theory into his framework of treatment, facilitating the development of a cohesive family unit that works together to solve problems. Although there is often an identified patient, family therapy attempts to incorporate all members and hold everyone accountable in a group effort to achieve harmony.