Sometimes resources and education aren’t enough, and you may need more professional help. A private consultation may be just what you’re looking for.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
June 1, 2018
Please bear with us while we are in transition – building a more useful and user-friendly Consultation Clinic for you.
This summer I am traveling a good deal, including to several meditation retreats. In between, I’m developing a new series of mindfulness-based tools and trainings for stressed-out kids, parents, and teachers.
Can’t wait to see you again, as we re-open on August 1st!
Warmly,
-Dr. Peter Montminy
P.S. Meanwhile, if you need immediate psychological services for your child in Centre County, PA, please consider these other providers:
- Midstep Centers for Child Development
- Taking Flight Developmental Center
- Child, Adult, and Family Psychological Center
- Sunpointe Health
- Penn State Psychological Clinic
To learn more about my therapeutic services, when they become available, follow these 3 easy steps:
- Watch the brief Orientation Video.
- Read the FAQs.
- Register for an Initial Consultation. – SORRY, Temporarily Closed
PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Montminy runs a solo private practice with part-time administrative assistance. As we are unable to always keep up with the volume of calls and emails, this information has been carefully designed to help you make an informed decision about seeking services here. We hope you find this useful and user friendly!
Orientation Video
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS WITH DR. PETER MONTMINY
FAQs
What are your areas of expertise?
I specialize in Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI’s) that increase self-awareness and self-regulation in kids, so they can be more resilient when facing life challenges.
Common child and adolescent problems that I address include these “5-A’s”:
- Adversity (Adjusting to Significant Life Stressors)
- ADHD and other Executive Function Deficits
- Anxiety and Depression
- Anger and Aggression
- Autism Spectrum issues
What kind of therapeutic services do you provide?
I provide private consultations – including clinical assessments and therapeutic coaching – for children and adolescents from pre-school through high school.
My therapeutic services focus primarily on teaching kids mindfulness-based coping skills that build emotional resilience and well-being.
In addition, I work closely with parents, teachers, and healthcare providers to help ensure that each child has the best chance to succeed. I believe strongly in collaborating with a team of parents and professionals to help guide each child through their life challenges.
While all of my clinical consultations involve standardized assessment and treatment protocols, each one is also uniquely tailored to fit your personal needs and goals.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I help kids regardless of diagnosis, disability, or disorder – as well as kids without any diagnosis or label. I also help kids regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or identity, race, religion, or ethnicity.
What is Mindfulness and Why Does It Matter?
Mindfulness is the gateway skill to emotional resilience and well-being. It’s the practice of paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, nonjudgmentally. With this present-moment awareness and acceptance, we can make conscious choices for how to thoughtfully respond to our life stressors, rather than emotionally react to them.
The Mindfulness Skills that I teach kids and families include:
- Intentional Attention
- Mindful Breathing
- Sensory Awareness
- Body Awareness
- Awareness of Thoughts
- Awareness of Emotions
- Nonjudgmental Acceptance
- Conscious Choices
What is Resilience and Why Does It Matter?
Resilience is the capacity to adapt to adversity. It’s the ability to face and overcome stressful life challenges, and often to grow even stronger from them. Resilience involves the ability to utilize both internal resources (coping skills) and external resources (social supports) when facing life difficulties.
The Resilience Skills that I teach kids and families include:
- Executive Functioning
- Emotional Intelligence
- Self-Compassion
- Self-Regulation
- Mindful Communication
- Conflict Resolution
- Restorative Practices
- Relationship Building
- Time Management
- Stress Management
What is Well-Being and Why Does It Matter?
Well-being is the state of being healthy and happy. With my ongoing training in positive psychology and integrative mind-body medicine, I’m committed to enhancing your child’s well-being – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially – wherever possible.
The Well-Being Skills that I teach kids and families include:
- Clarifying Values, Meaning, and Purpose
- Harnessing Your Strengths
- Developing Growth Mindsets
- Cultivating Compassion
- Hardwiring Happiness
- Practicing Loving-Kindness
- Gratitude and Forgiveness Practices
- Connecting with Community
- Reconnecting with Nature
- Rediscovering the Power of Play
- Fostering Faith
- Choosing Love
What is your training and background?
I graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1982, went on to earn masters and doctorate degrees in child clinical psychology from Penn State University, and completed my internship year at the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center.
A summary of my professional experience includes:
- Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Penn State’s Psychological Clinic
- Clinical psychology professor at Penn State University
- Founding Director of Midstep Centers for Child Development
- Consulting psychologist to numerous schools and child service agencies in PA
- Mindfulness Teacher with Mindful Schools out of Oakland, CA
- Creator of A Mindful Village in 2016.
For over 25 years, I’ve provided mental health services to thousands of children, adolescents, and families, as well as hundreds of professional trainings for teachers, childcare and healthcare providers throughout Pennsylvania. Full bio available here.
What can we expect as your client?
These services are not for everyone. They will require a serious commitment of time and energy from you and your child. I will give you my full attention – with both head and heart – when we are working together.
If you wish to see progress, however, you will need to regularly practice the skills in-between our treatment sessions. It’s “the other 167 hours” of the week that will largely determine how much your habits will change.
Working together, we’ll seek to cultivate healthier habits of mind for you and your children.
This is what you can expect from me:
- mindful listening
- empathic understanding
- challenging questions
- encouraging suggestions
- personal accountability
- and a never-ending sense of humor and adventure.
I will teach your child ways to develop greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-control – thus helping them find ways to feel better and function better.
I will help you find ways to connect with your child more compassionately, and resolve conflicts more peacefully.
What are your appointment hours?
Private appointment hours at my State College office are typically between 1:30 to 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
Initial Consultations are limited to mid-day appointments.
Online appointments (phone, skype, facetime) are also available.
What are your fees?
The fee for the Initial Consultation is $175.
The fee for most appointments is $125 (45-minute sessions).
Do you accept insurance?
No. At this time, I see private-pay clients only.
That is, I’m not a participating provider with any health insurance companies. You will be fully responsible for payment of all fees for any services provided.
However, you may be able to submit to your insurance for partial “out-of-network” reimbursement, depending on the insurance coverage and the services provided. This transaction would be solely between you and your insurance company – though I will supply monthly statements which can be of assistance.
And yes, typically, you may use Health Savings Account (HSA) funds for my therapeutic services.
Are you accepting new clients?
SORRY, NOT AT THIS TIME. When I re-open for new clients…
However, you may have a wait of several weeks to get in to see me for your initial appointment.
You should know that I am not typically available for crises or immediate services for new clients. If you are in need of urgent care, you are advised to seek other service providers in your area. If you are in need of emergency care, please call 911 or go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Room.
How can we best prepare our child for this?
I believe it’s best to be straightforward and honest about the purpose of coming to see me, while of course being sensitive, too. Click here for a full script about how to talk to your child about treatment.