Does your child have trouble dealing with their emotions? Is their behavior sometimes disruptive to your home life? Are they struggling at school or with friendships? Have they experienced sudden loss or trauma?
Children develop many life skills as they grow including social skills, emotional intelligence and their own self-image. This evolving awareness helps them to become healthy, happy, and successful individuals. Sometimes things don’t go quite as planned and our children let us know through their words and actions that they need some help. Many childhood behaviors are developmental in origin or a response to difficult transitions and life events. Therapy can assist by providing a supportive space to improve symptoms, develop self esteem and learn new life tools.
Effective Forms of Therapy for Children
Therapy offers children a variety of strategies to work through their thoughts and emotions. With the help of a specialized therapist, children can learn to problem solve, develop coping strategies, and to regulate their emotions. Positive and lasting changes are of benefit to the child which often effects the dynamics of the family system
The following are a few different types of psychotherapy services available to children and families. Each offers unique approaches and techniques to bring about positive outcomes. We may choose to use just one specific treatment approach , and other times we may find that a combination of various treatments is the best approach.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps children to identify harmful thought patterns. Once a child recognizes that his or her thoughts create their feelings and moods, they can learn to manage themselves and their behavior. Research has shown that CBT is highly effective in treating depression and anxiety as well as help individuals, including children, deal with traumatic experiences.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps children and adolescents process their inner emotions. ACT provides context and understanding to emotions that can seem overwhelming. This allows kids to accept and work through emotions and move forward.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is great for helping families improve communication so they can resolve issues. Sessions can include the entire family, including children, siblings, parents and grandparents, or just one or two individuals.
Who is Therapy Right for?
At every age, children can be faced with life’s challenges. The following are some of the events and scenarios that can impact a child’s mental health and well-being:
- Grief and Loss
- Bullying
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Domestic violence
- Moving or attending a new school
- Divorce
- Social Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
- Eating Disorders
- ASD
- Chronic illness of self or family member
Therapy is not a quick fix to a child’s behavioral or emotional issues. It is instead a thoughtful and comprehensive process that provides children with insights and skills so that they may become masters of their thoughts and feelings. This, in essence, is how children develop into happy, healthy and successful adults.
If you would like to explore treatment options for your child, please give my office a call.