Child Therapy
Our children can be the most precious parts of our lives, and yet they are often the very reason parents act out in frustration. Parenting books, classes, and techniques can be extremely helpful in helping find a style of discipline, but child therapy can help shift a child’s view of themselves and fundamentally change their relationship to other people and the world.
Therapy with children is different than with adults; children operate in the present and communicate through metaphors of play and art. Scientists are recognizing the importance of play in a child’s healthy social and emotional growth. Play therapy can be a way for a trained adult psychotherapist to reach a child on their level and in their own language of play. While adults are more likely to talk about their feelings about their relationships, children are better able to demonstrate through metaphors in play about how they think and feel. By helping a child express and process these dynamics, a therapist can help a child work through trouble spots along their developmental path.
Counselors work with parents and children to help a child move through grief, deal with divorce, ease anxieties about school or friends, and help heal unhealthy patterns before they become part of an adult personality. As children return to school after COVID, many face a great deal of anxiety and depression; child therapy can help a child and her/his parents negotiate this challenging time. Therapists can work with children and parents to communicate important information, foster stalled developmental growth in children, and assist during times of transition.
At times parents notice behaviors or statements that raise concern; at other times teachers or others notice a child may have trouble remaining focused on activities or cooperating with peers. Consulting a trained child therapist can be a helpful way to determine if therapy would be helpful for your child.
