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(301) 424-5200

Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling

Contact Us

1390 Piccard Dr, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20850

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8 – 7:30 pm
Friday: 8 – 5 pm
Saturday: 8  – 2 pm

Lisa Torvik
(301) 424-5200 ext. 306
testingtutoringcounseling@ttlc.org

Fax: (301) 424-8063

Get Started Now

If you are interested in services at The Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling Department at TLC, the first step is to contact us. We will discuss our process with you, answer any questions, and provide you with forms.

Insurance and Payment

Major credit cards and personal checks are accepted and a subsidy may be available for eligible families.  Payment is due at the time of the session unless prior arrangements have been made. We do accept Cigna insurance now. We are out-of-network, but we work with families to submit pre-authorization forms and other documentation need by their insurance plans. Payment plans are available for some services and we periodically offer discounts.

Staff

Resources

Overview

Welcome to Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling at TLC, located in Rockville, MD, where we work with students to achieve academic and emotional success. Through our programs, we not only provide a comprehensive evaluation designed to help you better understand your child’s or your own needs, but we also provide the services needed to succeed. Individuals of all ages and abilities benefit from our one-on-one tutoring or individual, group or family counseling. We focus on understanding the individual strengths and needs so we can create and implement strategies that will help each person learn and make progress at school, at home, and in life.

The Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling service utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to working with individuals. We have many years of experiences as psychologists, social workers, educational diagnosticians, therapists, and tutors to help you or your child succeed. We offer full comprehensive assessments, individual, group, and family counseling, and specialized tutoring. In addition, we also offer screenings to help you or your child determine when interventions and/or comprehensive evaluations might be necessary.

Our Philosophy

At the core of our program philosophy is the belief that our focus needs to be on people, not disabilities. With that in mind, we develop individualized plans with recommendations that address functional outcomes for each individual. We use a holistic and strengths-based approach that considers needs in the home, at work or school, and in the community, working across disciplines to address the needs of the whole person.

Our Staff

Our staff of clinical psychologists, social workers, counselors, a dance and movement therapist, and an educational diagnostician have many years of experience working with children and adults. Our tutors have a bachelor-level degree or higher, and some are current or retired teachers. All our tutors have specialized experience working with individuals with learning challenges and developmental disabilities.  All of our clinicians are licensed through the Maryland Board of Psychology, Maryland Board of Social work, or through their respective licensing field.

Expertise

At TLC, we seek to understand your child’s unique needs. Our staff of clinical psychologists, social workers, counselors, a dance and movement therapist, and an educational diagnostician have many years of experience working with children and adults. Our tutors have a bachelor-level degree or higher, and some are current or retired teachers. All our tutors have specialized experience working with individuals with learning challenges and developmental disabilities.  All of our clinicians are licensed through the Maryland Board of Psychology, Maryland Board of Social work, or through their respective licensing field.

At TLC, our clinical psychologists and educational diagnosticians use a team approach to determine the contributing factors to learning difficulties and create a solution for children and adults. We have specialized training in educational evaluations, autism, ADHD/ executive functioning, and disability evaluations. Our assessments can help children, adults, parents, and teachers understand and overcome a variety of difficulties that affect functioning at home, school and work.

Our counselors are psychologists, a dance and movement therapist, and social workers. We work collaboratively with families to help children discover “their best self.” Our counselors are trained in evidence-based psychotherapies. We provide treatment plans and goals to work with individuals and families to bring about successful outcomes.

Our tutors have a minimum of a college degree as well as specific training and experience working with students who have learning differences or who have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability. In addition to general education experience, they have taken specific training courses through TLC or other agencies including Wilson Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Read Naturally, TouchMath, and strategies for executive functioning.

Virtual Services

TLC has secured several platforms so that we can ensure continuity of care.

  • Our online tutoring through Microsoft Teams is a standard service that TLC has offered for the past year. Our tutors have training and experience working in this modality
  • Teletherapy sessions provided by psychologists, social workers and licensed professional counselors are provided through Zoom, a secure, HIPAA compliant online resource. Therapists use traditional therapy techniques augmented in a virtual platform to deliver high-quality services

Please contact Lisa Torvik at 301-424-5200 x306 or ltorvik@ttlc.org to learn more or to set up a tutoring or counseling online session.

If you are a new client and would like to schedule one of our tutoring services or virtual counseling or have questions about tutoring or counseling services at The Treatment and Learning Center, please contact Lisa Torvik at ltorvik@ttlc.org or 301-424-5200 x 306

FAQs

What if I have questions about my tutoring session?

Call or email your tutor for more information.

What if I experience technical difficulties during my tutoring session?

If you and/or your tutor experience technical difficulties you will only be charged for teachable lesson time.

What if I need to cancel because my student is sick?

We understand and require four-hour notice to cancel the session with no charge.

What is Coaching?

Executive Functioning coaching can be very helpful for middle schoolers, high schools, and college students to learn organizational and planning skills. This can help improve their academic skills and stay on top of their workload. The coach and client establish specific goals and objectives. Sessions are solution- and action-oriented, and focus on developing strategies for success. Coaches provide support, encouragement, and structure with an emphasis on accountability throughout the process. The frequency and length of sessions are decided jointly by the coach and client, based on the client’s needs. Appointments may occur in person, online, or a combination of these as determined by the coach and client.

How long will a student need tutoring?

The duration of tutoring programs varies greatly with the student and the area of difficulty. Our tutors give individualized advice based on their work with each student and usually design teaching goals to last a semester (four to five months) at a time. However, it is up to the student and family to decide how long to continue. We have some students who continue for several years with the same tutor, adjusting their goals as their skills improve. Other students come for a boost in a specific area and are at TLC for a shorter period of time.

What kind of background do TLC tutors have?

Our tutors are required to have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree; many have a Masters and are current teachers. They all have teaching and tutoring experience as well as training and experience in working with children with learning disabilities. All tutors at TLC receive tutor training courses and/or other professional development courses to prepare them to best serve client needs.

When should I consider therapy for my child?

You should consider counseling services if your child exhibits the following:

  • Increase in tantrums with age that becomes increasingly difficult to manage
  • Behavioral problems that cause the child to miss school, or be removed from school (e.g. school avoidance, suspensions, referrals, etc.)
  • Excessive tearfulness or irritability
  • Constant worrying, anxiety, or fearfulness
  • Difficult life experiences or the loss of a loved one.

What if I need help managing my child’s behavior?

Our therapists are trained in parent consultations, and we routinely offer them within our child therapy framework. Family collaboration is essential to lasting progress for your child.

How long does counseling take?

This is a very individual question, based on the unique experiences and emotions of your child. Research suggests that individuals should begin to notice changes in their feelings and behaviors around 6 months, with significant changes made around one year. Our therapists will work with your family to develop a plan for your child that address social and emotional needs.

What ages do you see in therapy?

We see children as young as two years in our therapeutic interaction groups. Children 3 to 8 generally engage in play and movement-based therapies to work through difficulties in home and school. School aged children will engage in a more traditional therapy with a strong play component. We also work with teenagers and young adults (college age) to help them with any social emotional concerns they may have. We also work with families through parent consultations and family therapy.

What are the ages of the individuals you evaluate?

We are able to evaluate individuals between the ages of three years and adulthood. Younger children receive a developmental evaluation to determine functioning in a variety of areas, while adults often need evaluations for college-level accommodations, or to determine how to cope with learning or information processing difficulties that are affecting their work situation. All evaluations are geared toward identifying individual strengths and creating recommendations to build on strengths and overcome weaker areas.

Testimonials

  • Our tutor was excellent! We couldn’t be happier with the services we received for our son.
  • My son felt very comfortable with the tutor and always looked forward to his sessions. His writing skills have definitely improved and he feels much more confident.
  • The staff genuinely care and love each and every child and creates a program that works for them.
  • The staff are very experienced, knowledgeable, and sensitive to child and parents’ needs, and are compassionate across all levels.
  • Everyone was very friendly, and did their best to assure that my daughter received the kind of help she needs. I appreciate their genuine caring.