Convenient New York City locations in Manhattan and Fort Greene, Brooklyn.


Adults, Children, Families

"I am so happy to find a therapy that doesn't require me to have a problem...
I've loved the philosophical conversations we've created in my group...have gotten lots of help and made some serious life decisions." Jon L.

Call today for an intake appointment.

Christine LaCerva, Director

212-941-8844 or
718-797-3220
clacerva@socialtherapygroup.com

Alternative Treatment for
ADD and ADHD
“Kids are often diagnosed with ADD and ADHD before they come to see us,” La Cerva says. “These are among the most common diagnostic categories that we started to see about five or six years ago.”
It is little wonder why parents looking for alternative treatments bring their children to the Social Therapy Group. Unlike the strict ‘medicalized’ or purely behavioral treatment methods they have often found at other clinics, parents find Social Therapy’s creative and performatory approach and philosophy to be an attractive alternative treatment for children with ADD and ADHD.
Social Therapy can help address the relational issues left unsolved by pharmacotherapy. In a 2006 study, researchers at the University of California warned, “Even when children with ADD and ADHD are receiving stimulant pharmacotherapy, the preparatory tasks of daily living are especially challenging and linked disproportionately to child behavior problems, parent negative affect, and contentious interactions.” The researchers concluded, “Treatment targeted on these transitional hurdles may improve child behavior patterns and enhance parent-child relationships and family harmony.” These are among the exact hurdles Social Therapy addresses directly.
What Makes Social Therapy an Effective Alternative Treatment?
Social Therapy, an effective treatment for ADD and ADHD, relates to everyone as having the capacity to develop. We don’t pathologize anyone simply due to a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity. We help parents relate to their children beyond the narrow confines imposed by the traditional diagnostic categories.
We have been so successful in this area because we support the human capacity to be both who you are and who you are becoming. We relate to children and families as having the capacity to organize their lives together in more creative and developmental ways.
ADD and ADHD: No Shortage of Confusion
It makes sense that so many parents find themselves confused when it comes to understanding Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity. After all, the scientific community can appear equally confused.
For example, are ADD and ADHD genetic in origin? Depends who you ask.
According to a 2005 study by the Department of Psychiatry at Radboud University in The Netherlands, “genetic factors predominate in the etiology of ADHD.” And a 2006 study by the Psychology Department at Boston University concluded, “Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is currently recognized as a neurobiological, genetically based disorder.”
Alternatively, in 2005 a study conducted by the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, “No genetic marker has been consistently identified.” And a Cardiff University School of Medicine study claimed, “No chromosomal region has yet been unequivocally implicated..” for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity.
Alternative to Confusion
But researchers’ confusion need not interfere with successful treatment. “Whether or not ADD and ADHD are genetic in origin,” says Brooklyn Social Therapy Group director, LaCerva, “we can still relate to the child and family as having the capacity to transform how they are living their lives. A diagnosis of ADD or ADHD need not preclude development.”

“At The Social Therapy Group centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” LaCerva continues, “we show individuals and families how to organize an environment where relationality is key. In essence, it is helping all concerned look at the impact they are having on other people. In some cases, it’s helping them recognize that there are other people.”


At the Social Therapy Group in Manhattan and Brooklyn, LaCerva and her team have pioneered the multi-family group approach – a therapeutic modality that has proven effective in helping family members find new ways of relating to one another. The multi-family group brings together families dealing with a range of issues, from Asperger’s and ADD/ADHD to school performance challenges and divorce.

Christine LaCerva, M.Ed. is a psychotherapist, educator and director of Family Development Services at the New York Social Therapy Group. She has more than 20 years of experience working with children and adults with learning disabilities and other special needs. LaCerva is well known for her expertise, creativity, and success in the treatment of ADD and ADHD. La Cerva completed her graduate studies in community psychology and special education at Teachers College, Columbia University.