Is your child struggling with their emotions?
Is your child’s behavior disruptive at home or school?
Are you concerned about your teen’s mental health?
Has your child experienced a significant life change, loss, or trauma?
Therapy for Children and Teens
Children and adolescents often face challenges that are difficult to navigate on their own. Struggling with emotions, behavioral disruptions, or adapting to life changes can impact a child’s school performance, home life, and overall well-being. It’s common for young people to have difficulty identifying and processing their emotions, and this can manifest in problematic behaviors or a decline in mental health.
Therapy offers a safe, supportive space for children and adolescents to explore their thoughts and feelings. Through therapy, children can gain insight into their emotions, modify disruptive behaviors, and make positive, lasting changes in their lives. Therapy is not a quick fix; it is a comprehensive and rich process that, over time, can help reduce symptoms and significantly improve your child’s quality of life.
Integrated Approaches to Therapy
Every child is unique, and therapy may involve using a combination of different therapeutic approaches to best address the child’s specific needs. At times, therapy may be most effective when combined with medication and psychotherapy. I have experience collaborating with medical teams and can coordinate care with your child’s medication prescriber if desired.
Play Therapy for Children
A significant part of therapy for younger children is play therapy. Through play, children can express and process emotions in a non-verbal way. Play therapy utilizes toys, dolls, puppets, blocks, drawings, and games to help children recognize and verbalize their feelings. By observing how children interact with play materials, I can identify patterns or themes that can provide valuable insight into their struggles. This form of therapy helps children better understand and manage their conflicts, emotions, and behaviors.
Talk Therapy for Teens and Adolescents
As children grow into teens, therapy evolves to accommodate their changing needs. Talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma processing can help adolescents work through deeper emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, or trauma. This type of therapy empowers teens to express their thoughts and feelings more effectively, develop coping strategies, and improve emotional regulation.
Preparing Your Child for Therapy
Before the First Session:
It’s important to explain the process of therapy to your child in a way that feels comfortable and non-threatening. Here’s what you can do to prepare:
Explain the frequency and location of therapy sessions.
Let your child know that they don’t have to talk if they don’t want to; instead, they will mainly be playing.
Reassure your child that therapy is a safe space to express themselves and that most children feel better about themselves and others after a few sessions of play therapy.
During the Session:
Encourage your child to wear comfortable clothes that they can play and move in.
Remind them that therapy is a fun process, and sometimes play therapy can get messy!
After the Session:
After therapy, it’s natural for caregivers to express interest in their child’s experience, but avoid asking detailed questions or giving feedback on their artwork. It’s best not to praise or criticize their creations. Simply allow them the space to share when they’re ready, if they wish to.
Benefits of Therapy for Children and Teens
Therapy can help children and adolescents:
- Process emotions and better understand their feelings
- Improve behavior at home, school, and in social settings
- Build healthy coping strategies for managing stress, anxiety, and emotions
- Strengthen relationships with family members, friends, and peers
- Overcome trauma or life changes such as a move, divorce, or loss
- Enhance communication skills to express themselves more effectively
Ready to Help Your Child Thrive
If you’re concerned about your child or teen’s emotional well-being, therapy could be an important step toward helping them thrive. I am here to partner with you and your family, providing compassionate and effective therapy that fosters growth, healing, and long-term success. Reach out today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation and learn how I can support your family.