Maine Child Therapy Center
Our team supports children and their families from coast to coast - literally. Based in Maine, USA and Hong Kong, we aim to provide systemic, evidence-based, and accessible treatment for children all over the world.
We are committed to growing bravery for children and families using culturally-sensitive, science-backed, and individualized practices.
“When our bravery grows, we glow!”
Areas of Specialization
Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism (SM) is a childhood anxiety disorder, primarily characterized as the persistent inability to speak in certain social situations where verbal participation is required (i.e. classrooms, playgrounds, family gatherings)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder, also commonly referred to as social phobia, is excessive and persistent anxiety in one or more social situations. Common manifestations include an avoidance of social situations, intense fear of judgement, and difficulty making friends.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).
Attention-deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention-deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is distinguished by a pattern of angry/irritable moods, argumentative/defiant behaviors, or vindictiveness.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom the individual is attached to.
Offered Services
Intensive Group Behavioral Therapy
Upcoming: Summer Confident Crew
Confident Crew is our intensive group behavioral therapy program offered in the summer for children diagnosed with Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder. It is an evidence-based, highly specialized treatment model that provides a concentrated ‘dose’ of behavioral therapy over successive days to promote treatment gains.
For more information, go to our Confident Crew page!
Individual Therapy Session
Available online and in-person
Individual therapy for children is a structured, evidence-based, and family-centered approach where a child regularly meets with a trained clinician to develop coping skills, reduce anxiety symptoms, and improve overall functioning across environments (e.g., home, school, peers). Treatment is tailored to the child’s specific goals and incorporates CBT and exposure-based techniques. The frequency and intensity of sessions are determined by the child’s need for support. Sessions are active, developmentally appropriate, and include structured cognitive and behavioral activities to engage the child, build trust, and establish rapport. For older children, activities focus on helping them understand and change patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Caregivers are closely involved in sessions and receive training and guidance to support their child at home, including feedback and coaching to enhance their skills. Collaboration with schools is often part of the process to promote skill application beyond the therapy room, and progress is monitored over time with adjustments to sustain gains, boost confidence, build bravery, and promote long-term resilience
Parent Training
Upcoming workshops TBC
Meaningful progress happens when parents and caregivers feel confident supporting their child’s growth beyond the therapy room. Our parent training workshops are designed to equip families with practical and evidence-based strategies that reinforce therapeutic gains across multiple environments.
Through individualized guidance, parents learn to confidently support their child in overcoming challenges and generalize therapeutic gains to daily routines. By working together, we ensure that progress made in therapy becomes progress that lasts.
Online Consultations
Available by appointment
Online consultations offer flexible, accessible support for families and individuals who may not be able to attend in-person sessions. We also offer remote therapy sessions, parent trainings and workshops, enhancing consistency of care across busy schedules, travel, or multiple locations, while still receiving the same high-quality, personalized support you would expect in the office.
Growing Bravery
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Growing Bravery 𖠰
Our Process
INITIAL CONSULTATION
This is the first step in getting to know you and your child. Our goal is to gain a clear understanding of your child’s current challenges, needs, strengths, and interests, all of which will help us develop an individualized, evidence-based plan of care.
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BASELINE + PARENT TRAINING
The baseline and parent training allows us to gain a first-hand understanding of your child’s challenges, needs, and strengths. The parent training is consists of guided play between you and your child. Specific therapeutic skills and techniques will be coached discretely, to ensure natural play.
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TREATMENT
Specific treatment trajectories will be determined based on the initial consultation and baseline, ensuring individualized care.
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I’m Dr Melissa Giglio
SHE / HER
I’m a child clinical psychologist, author, and director of a multi-disciplinary clinic in Hong Kong. I have devoted my career to providing evidence-based therapies to help families function better. As a mother of three, I know that parenting is filled with ups and downs. Grounded in education and research, I support children, families, and educators with a greater understanding of child development, behavior, strategic responses, and overall improved well-being.
My passion for treating early childhood disorders started when I was a child. For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a doctor who could help children live happy and healthy lives. During my doctorate, I trained extensively in a broad spectrum of disorders and settings. My specialty emerged when I trained with Dr. Steven Kurtz, who specializes in the treatment of ADHD and Selective Mutism. As the child who spoke incessantly in school, I was intrigued by SM and how to effectively help these children’s voices come out.
Over the years, my desire to provide support for children continued to grow, especially after I moved to Asia and learned about the limited resources available. In Hong Kong, our private practice has grown and previously unavailable empirically supported treatments became available to the broader community and overseas. I established Confident Crew, an intensive group behavioral therapy program the first of its kind in Asia and modeled from Brave Buddies and Mighty Mouth programs in the USA. I have worked with overseas clinicians and patients from all over the world in an effort to broaden the reach of effective treatment.
Questions?
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We offer online individual therapy sessions, parent trainings, and online consultations. Intensive Group Behavioral Therapy (IGBT) programs must be in-person.
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Send Dr Giglio an email at drmelissa@mainechildtherapycenter.com or
Go to our "Contact Us” section and submit the form provided.
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The frequency and intensity of sessions are determined by the child’s need for support. Factors such as individual challenges, strengths, comorbid conditions, and familial support all have an effect on how long treatment will take.
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We use various evidence-based treatment modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective-Muytism (PCIT-SM), and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE).
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Each standard session is 50 minutes long. Treatment is tailored to the child’s specific goals and incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure-based techniques. Sessions are engaging, developmentally appropriate, and include structured cognitive and behavioral activities to build trust and establish rapport. For older children, activities focus on helping them understand and change patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Building our bravery
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Growing our glow
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Building our bravery 〰️ Growing our glow 〰️
Contact us
Please fill out the form below and we will be contact you as soon as we can.
