Dr. Aimee Kotrba Featured in PEOPLE: Raising Awareness About Selective Mutism

Dr. Aimee Kotrba was recently featured in two PEOPLE magazine stories highlighting one family’s journey navigating a diagnosis of Selective Mutism and the challenges many parents face in accessing specialized care. The articles follow a young child whose anxiety made speaking outside the home feel impossible—and the determination of her family to find effective support.

As a nationally recognized Selective Mutism expert and psychologist at Thriving Minds Behavioral Health, Dr. Kotrba contributed her expertise to help the family better understand evidence-based treatment approaches, including parent coaching and stimulus fading strategies designed to gradually build a child’s confidence communicating in new settings. The stories also shed light on the broader challenges families often encounter, including limited access to specialized treatment and insurance barriers. (People.com)

Dr. Kotrba is passionate about increasing awareness of Selective Mutism and helping families understand that children with SM are not being oppositional or choosing not to speak—they are experiencing significant anxiety that interferes with communication. With early, evidence-based support, children with Selective Mutism can make meaningful progress. (People.com)

Read the articles:
• Mom Learns Daughter Has “Never Said a Single Word” at Daycare, Reveals the Moment She Knew Something “Was Wrong” (PEOPLE)
• Mom of 4-Year-Old with Selective Mutism Says Every Path Feels Like a “Dead End” While Trying to Find Treatment (PEOPLE)