Services

Our Mission

The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine is dedicated to improve the quality of life experience for our clients. We combine the treatment modalities of cognitive-behavioral & supportive psychotherapies with medication to help people lead happier, more productive lives.

 

RCBM offers a comprehensive program of individual, group and conjoint therapies across all areas of psychiatry and psychology. RCBM is strongly committed to a “biopsychosocial” approach to mental health conditions. We try to understand the biological basis of an individual’s affliction, the psychological conflicts that might arise from it or give rise to it, and the sociological or community context of one’s life. Our staff is composed of individuals with strengths in these areas.

 

Educating our patients about innovative treatment options and cutting edge research on mental health conditions is vital to our treatment approach. We join our patients in a collaborative effort so that they make informed educated choices for themselves. We attempt to educate through dialogue, referral to patient advocacy groups, and distribution of educational material and videos.

 

RCBM offers services to children, adolescents, adults and seniors coping with anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, work related issues, stress and family and marital issues among other conditions.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatment

A major emphasis of The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine is the identification and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder throughout the life span. We offer comprehensive screening and evaluation of this particular disorder. Screening is done through thorough psychiatric interview and the use of collateral history and symptom checklists. When needed, neuropsychological testing is available.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. Our specialist is Mindy Layne Young, J.D., M.S.W., CSW, trained at the University of Michigan Anxiety Disorders Clinic. This therapy combines behavioral exposure therapy along with cognitive restructuring to help enable the patient to confront avoidances, correct negative automatic thoughts, and return to optimal functioning.

Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation & Second Opinions

The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine offers independent psychiatric examinations. This can be helpful in challenging cases where a new diagnostic perspective is necessary.

Dementia / Cognitive Evaluations

For some patients, it is important to assess cognitive functions such as memory, recall, alertness and overall aptitude. This is formally done via neuropsychological and psychological testing.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment Program

Grief/Loss/Coping with Illness Issues

Sudden loss of a loved one from a heart attack, stroke, homicide, suicide or accident, often presents many issues for those left behind. People who experience loss from divorce, chronic or terminal illness face a different type of grieving. There are also differences in how adults, children, men and women experience grief and loss.

Individual Therapy

Individual psychotherapy is an approach in which all therapists at Rochester Center are trained in. Individuals receive assistance in addressing issues related to self, family, school and work. Clients who chose to participate in individual therapy work together with their therapist to gain insight and increase coping skills in order to improve general mental health.

Marital & Conjoint Therapy

RCBM offers marital and conjoint therapy sessions. Professionals at RCBM first carefully evaluate each member of the couple to ensure that no other condition is interfering with the marital or familial relationship. From there, individuals are brought together to begin conjoint therapy. Important steps in therapy include: reducing blaming and negativity within the couple or family; creating common goals toward which individuals can work (both and independently and together); and developing and implementing plans in order to accomplish these goals.

Mind/Body-Focused Therapy

Mind and body medicine focuses on the connections of the brain to the body and how our emotions, verbalizations, behaviors, and spirituality directly affect our health and well-being. It is a cognitive and behavioral therapeutic practice that enhances our awareness of our thoughts and actions in order to improve our level of self-esteem and self-confidence in order to live the life we want.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder which involves both obsessions (thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again) and compulsions (acts that a person repeatedly performs in an attempt to make the obsession go away). The brain seems to get “stuck” on a thought or urge and cannot shake it. Individuals with OCD often have the sense that if that “obsession” continues without them taking part in any compulsions, the anxiety will become intolerable.

Opiate Addiction

Non-medical use of opiates is dramatically increasing the U.S. Opiates include prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, as well as street drugs like heroin. A U.S. Government report released in 2005 states that prescription opiates are now the second most commonly abused drugs, after marijuana. Heroin use is also increasing among young people in their late teens to early twenties. Abuse of and dependence on opiates interferes significantly with work, relationships, and education.

Outpatient Alcohol and Addictions Treatment Program

At the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine, we offer an innovative multidisciplinary treatment approach to recovery. Our program has been developed through years of experience working with addicted clients. In addition, we have utilized many exciting new discoveries in the field of neurobiology.

Parenting Techniques

It is not uncommon for RCBM clinicians to be faced with overwhelmed parents, many of whom have attempted to implement a variety of parenting techniques but have not found success. These failed attempts can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness for these parents, which often exacerbate the problematic dynamics in the household.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder which occurs after a person has personally experienced or witnessed a dangerous and life-threatening event. Individuals who are at risk for developing PTSD include but are not limited to: Soldiers who have been in combat Survivors or witnesses of violent crimes (including rape, kidnapping, robbery, etc.) Individuals who have lived through a natural disaster Survivors of accidents or grave illness

Pseudobulbar Affect Program

The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine maintains the Pseudobulbar Affect Program. This condition, also known as PBA, is characterized by mood swings-- notably tearfulness or laughter that are often uncontrollable and can be incongruent with their actual emotional state. Newer drugs and therapies have been developed to treat this condition, and the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine offers these interventions.

Psychiatric Forensic Services

Joel L. Young, M.D. is a board certified forensic psychiatrist. Dr. Young has testified in many criminal and civil court cases and has offered testimony as an expert witness.

Psychological Screening

What is Psychological Assessment? Psychological assessment is a process that can be undertaken in order to: Provide a more accurate diagnosis Determine the level at which a patient is functioning Determine the severity of symptoms that a patient is experiencing Assist an individual in obtaining accommodations for work or school Determine the patient’s clinical baseline (status at the beginning of their treatment) enabling their progress to be tracked throughout their treatment plan Quantify a patient’s symptoms in comparison to other individuals within their demographic (age and gender)

Psychological Testing

Psychological is a process that can be undertaken to provide: Documentation for special accommodation requests for standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, MCAT, and GMAT Educational Testing including Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), a psychological test often used for private school admissions Specifics of learning disabilities Intelligence Testing including Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Projective Testing, including the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), that results in valuable insight for successful psychotherapeutic outcomes

School Advocacy

The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine works with children, parents and schools to provide a comprehensive and integrated treatment program. Children and teenagers spend the majority of their day in the school setting, and their relationships and behaviors in the school setting are often critical pieces of the diagnostic and treatment puzzle. Your child’s therapist or doctor will contact the school to ensure that treatment plans and goals are aligned and well-coordinated.

Social Phobia

Social Phobia, also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, is characterized by marked and persistent fear of situations in which one must perform or interact socially with or in front of others. A person with social phobia fears situations in which he or she is exposed to new situations or people and worries about behaving in a way that he/she might be judged by others as foolish, unacceptable, inappropriate, or inadequate.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is a disorder characterized by the pulling of hair for non-cosmetic purposes, which can often result in significant hair loss. Hair is typically pulled from eyebrows, eyelashes, scalp, beard and pubic area, though hair from other parts of the body may be pulled as well.