Behavioral Child & Family Psychology
Compassionate, Expert Care
Serving the Palm Beaches, and families throughout Florida and in most other US states!
What ages do you work with, and how would you describe your approach?
Dr. McGinnis: I serve children of all ages, and treatment methods are tailored to specific needs of each family to make our work as effective, efficient, and durable as possible.
For young children, particularly those who struggle with following directions or anxiety, most of my efforts go toward supporting parents with tools and tips for everyday use. Such methods are positive in nature, pretty reliable in improving things, usually bring the family closer, and enjoy decades of scientific support. Some children are more motivated for change and therefore better candidates for individual therapy with me, but there usually is a parent-based treatment component as well.
For teens, I typically take an active mediating and coaching role, seeking and bringing about win-wins for them and their parents in the short term while always keeping an eye on what will bring sustained success over the long term. This process offers good measures of rapport building, supportive conversation, firm guidance, encouragement, kudos, and accountability. Parents are very often invited to be active members of the treatment team. Rather than thinking of me as a therapist, I prefer teens see me more as a specialty coach, like a batting coach; after all, it’s not as much about how we feel but about what we do to be effective in life and make every week better than the last. This work tends to be fun and is rewarding for me. Teens I have worked with are always welcomed to reach out for support if needed once they move on to college, and many do.
Challenges Addressed
Parents, educators, and multidisciplinary professionals seek our expertise for the following concerns and more:
Family Satisfaction with Services
McGinnis Behavioral keeps close tabs on quality and customer satisfaction. Immediately following case closure and averaging all responses, families of young children and teens tell us:
AAP-Recommended ADHD Treatment
McGinnis Behavioral provides the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended and most effective therapy approach for ADHD.
Our approach offers more durable effects than medication and can make medication unnecessary and lower dosages possible. The AAP additionally recommends families seek this approach when ADHD is suspected with children under age 6 before an ADHD diagnosis is made.*
Many factors contribute to an ADHD presentation. We look to identify and address any and all such factors (e.g., getting enough sleep is a big one!) in order to make the child and family much more successful and his or her behavior likely to no longer satisfy diagnostic criteria.
School accommodations are popular for children with an ADHD diagnosis. These are typically offered through a 504 Plan or IEP. However, we believe many if not most such accommodations hurt more than help, particularly for behavioral tendencies amenable to behavioral intervention. We routinely offer parents guidance on what accommodations make sense given the case, and what accommodations are likely to maintain the problems we are all trying to solve.
Dr. McGinnis’s New Book
Dr. McGinnis is a leading voice in the science-based approach to child and family therapy known as primary care behavioral pediatrics and is the author of an Amazon Bestseller in pediatrics, Introduction to Primary Care Behavioral Pediatrics: A Guide for Behavior Analysts, published by Routledge in 2024. It is available anywhere books are sold.
This is THE text every behavior analyst needs to help them effectively conceptualize and treat everyday problems of childhood and become a significant part of standard pediatric practice.
- Jon S. Bailey, PhD, BCBA-D
Emeritus Professor, Florida State University
There is limited training in medical residency on behavioral strategies for children and adolescents. This is a great guide for all pediatricians and should be required reading for all pediatric residents.
- Shannon Fox-Levine, MD, FAAP
Pediatrician & President, Palm Beach Pediatric Society
Discounts for Active Duty Military and Law Enforcement Officers
McGinnis Behavioral thanks active duty military and police officers and their families and is proud to offer a discount for our services in gratitude for their service.
Our Services are Accessible to Most of the US
Dr. McGinnis offers telehealth services to families residing in most US states and Washington DC.
Those US states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Health Insurance
If you have out-of-network benefits, your health insurance will likely reimburse you for some or all of the cost of our services; see our Filing Out-of-Network page for more information. And whether not you have such benefits, there are other ways of keeping costs down - a link is included below for more information.
Telehealth Option
A telehealth option is always available for busy families as well as those across the country, and this option works quite well especially for parent-only appointments. The telehealth platform is secure, consistent with HIPAA and HITRUST CSF requirements.
In 2024, Dr. McGinnis obtained authorization from PSYPACT to offer services via telehealth to families residing in 40 US states and counting. Some states not yet participating in PSYPACT, however, may allow telehealth services on a short-term basis by state law.
Other Services
Dr. McGinnis also offers high-quality services for adults and couples, including science-based support for problems related to anxiety, depression, sleep, stress, and relationships. As-needed executive coaching services also are available.
These services are offered in person or via telehealth as desired.
Location
Three Palms Center
2141 S. Alternate A1A, Suite 330
Jupiter, Florida 33477
The Professional Building of Three Palms Center, Jupiter, Florida
References
Kazdin, A. E. (2005). Parent management training: Treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Oxford.
Wolraich, M. L., et al. (2019). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 144, e20192528. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2528