Building Brave Muscles: The Specific Behavioral Skills that Target Increasing Bravery

Building on the information covered during the SM 101 Workshop, Laura Kirmayer, PhD, MSW, Fellow in the Selective Mutism Service at the Child Mind Institute, review the current behavioral conceptualization of selective mutism and introduce the behavioral skills that are crucial for effective treatment. There are two core skill sets that lay the groundwork in working with children with selective mutism. These behavioral skills are essential for children to begin practicing and advancing with approach tasks or targeted exposures for “brave talking.” Ms. Kirmayer teaches the skills, provides video samples of actual implementation of the skills, and allows the audience to participate in practicing the skills. Additionally, she covers the Dos and Don’ts of targeting “brave talking.”

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