Children’s Therapy
Do you see your child struggling emotionally?
Your child is going through a very unique time in their lives of rapid development socially, emotionally, and physically. School stresses, and the peers they are interacting with can deeply effect their self esteem, and sometimes not in the way you hope for. Many children struggle with confidence and feel ostracized by some peers. It is completely normal for a child to have periods right now where they struggle with anxiety or sadness. You could also be witnessing them go through such moodiness that you feel like you no longer know who they are. While some of this is normal, we know ignoring signs of worsening emotional health is not advisable. We know you want to give them the best care and support you can during this time.
The impacts on children’s emotional health come from all directions.
The dynamics in our society including schooling, cultural values, sports, as well as shifts in technology can have significant impacts upon their emotional health. As parents, we are now navigating how to balance our children’s technology use and exposure, something our parents never had to consider. We now know too that additives such as red dyes impact impulsivity and focus. There is much to consider in raising a child in the 21st century. Childhood emotional health care has been widely recognized as a crucial part to overall wellness that can have lasting effects through adulthood. Providing your child with the opportunity to reflect and emotionally grow is critical in supporting their healthy development.
Children’s therapy builds mental wellness and resilence
When your child engages into counseling, they are entering a world where they can learn about themselves. They build the language needed to express feelings, and find ways to cope or respond to situations or relationships. Early intervention to help build their emotional intelligence has many positive impacts. Through their counseling work, they will build stronger identities that allow for them to maintain overall wellness but also the adaptability they need to manage life’s difficulties. Children’s relationships and family connections improve after therapy. All this contributes to a healthy future!
Play in therapy is children’s tools of expression
Counseling children is a unique approach as we have to address their stage of development, any delays they may be experiencing, and also engage family within the treatment process. Having family involved in the treatment process is crucial, as much of children’s emotional wellness is directly impacted by their family connections and dynamics. Due to this, often our clinicians engage youth through the creative arts, expressive therapies, and movement based interventions. Our clinicians are excited to help them build healthy identities, relationships, and coping skills through many approaches. Some of the activities you can expect your child to participate in include:
Art Therapy – The use of art in emotional processing is a creative and expressive way for children to show their feelings. Coloring, painting, sculpting play can help them externalize thoughts, feelings, and relationships.
Music Therapy – We know music moves us, and for children this too can be an emotional pexperience. Expressing emotions through sound, lyrics, and poetry is a tool that many children enjoy.
Play Therapy – “Play is the work of children.” ~Jean Piaget. Especially helpful for those under 8 years of age, in play therapy children are able to make sense of their worlds through the use of dolls/action figures/houses etc.
Drama Therapy – Acting, role playing, scene writing help children to share their emotional experiences, and also practice new skills they learn in therapy. This can be very powerful for children to “try on” new qualities or social skills they are learning to master.
If your child struggles with any of the following, we can help!
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- Self Esteem
- Emotional Control
- Positive Relationships
- Attention & Focus
- Family Relationships
- Self Injury or Self Destructive Behaviors
- Depression
- Anxious Emotions and/or Behaviors
All children benefit from counseling due to the learning experience in self reflection and growth in emotional understanding of others. Giving your child the opportunity to engage in supportive counseling will give them the psychological skills to grow into healthy, attachment positive adults. When you feel your child is needing that supportive professional, submit a request for us to reach out to you today!
