Lynn was told that her clingy, selectively mute (for 3 years) six-year-old daughter, would “grow out of it” by the family pediatrician, teachers, and other well intentioned professionals. The problem continued to worsen with time. “Sidney” would only talk to her parents and brother and a couple of children in school. In every other possible verbal interaction she would “shut down”. While the parents were looking for guidance from the school; the teachers did not know what to do, and were frustrated as they were not able to assess the student’s academic functioning due to the void of verbal performance. This interview highlights the power of corrective parenting for the child with selective mutism.

When I started my psychotherapy practice in 1978, I was doing biofeedback and psychotherapy for stress related disorders to empower patients to heal without medication or to get off medication. Forty-five years and over 60.000 clinical hours later I have discovered there are high performance strategies to incorporate pharmaceuticals into the treatment process. This discussion with Dr. Mathew Lorber MD is the first in a series of interviews, the purpose of which is to educate the listener on what can be a complex process.

“Talking in 5 Sessions” - Zachary did not talk to his mother. He talked only to father and sister. No other person. He was totally shut down. Dad described his son as his “little butterfly”. Mom said her son “broke the glass door” that trapped her son verbally. Typically, effective treatment requires hard and sustained work. Each family has their individual learning curve. This case was exceptional.