CHILDREN’S THERAPY

No matter what stage of life one is going through, there will be difficult times that must be navigated through. The need for therapy can start when someone is a child, or later in life. Because everyone is so different, and has many different experiences in their lives, there is no right time to start therapy. Even children at times may need to go to child counseling to help them navigate complex, traumatic experiences, or even just to navigate fear in an attempt to be brave in their daily lives. No matter what your child needs, All About You Therapy Services wants to help your child with their struggles.

Therapy for children is similar to any other type of therapy for different age groups. In the sessions, your child will be offered professional help, and a safe space for them to be able to express their feelings. Oftentimes, children’s therapy will be used for more heavy topics such as abuse, trauma, and neglect. However, it is not necessary for a child to have gone through these difficult times in order to go to therapy. Child counseling can offer help and support throughout the process of maturing into adolescence. The principles that are often taught in these sessions include boosting the confidence and self-esteem of children, teaching them positive coping mechanisms, as well as teaching them to feel optimistic about what their future holds for them.

What are the Different Kinds of Child Counseling?

There are three different methods of working with children in therapy. Each of these methods have an objective that will help the child learn coping mechanisms, as well as will give them tools to help them through the difficult feelings that they may be experiencing.

 Play Therapy

Play therapy is a type of therapy that is used with children from the ages of three to twelve. Play therapy is used to help the child express feelings that they may have a hard time identifying and verbalizing. The act of play comes naturally to a child and can help them heal from their anxieties. In this type of therapy, the therapist will sit in a low chair, to get on the same level of the child. The therapist will then follow the child around as they play and will help them identify any feelings that they are experiencing through the session. Oftentimes, through their play, a child will act out big changes that have occurred in their life. Whether that was a new baby being born into their family, or even coping as their parents are working through a divorce. The therapist will help them identify the feelings that they are experiencing and will help them work through those especially difficult feelings.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that will help with children with ADHD, or who have a difficult time with appropriate behaviors. It can be the most effective when parents are in the session and learn all of the techniques that are used to help the child learn how to behave. Parents will learn how to create structure in the lives of their children, will learn how to reinforce positive behavior, discourage negative behavior, learn how to effectively discipline their children, all while strengthening the relationship with the child. Depending on the age and the development of the child, will change just a little bit how the therapy sessions will go. 

Expressive Therapy

This type of therapy is directly related to the arts and teaches children how they can better express themselves. Art is a great way for children to express themselves, and can actually help them reduce anxiety levels, improving their self-esteem, as well as increasing their self-awareness. Children do not always have the words that are needed to effectively express their feelings. This is where the art will come in. The expressive arts will allow them to use their imagination and will help them learn how to engage their senses. As the child participates in these art activities, they will feel a sense of calm, as they put their focus on expressing their feelings in a creative way.

If your child has any sort of mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders, that can make life difficult for not only the child, but also for the whole family unit. Helping children who struggle with these types of disorders will help them get along with others and will help reduce problems that otherwise would have occurred in the home, schools, or in the community. Having them go to therapy will not only help them make friends as a child but will also help them develop as they go through all other stages of their lives. Therapy will teach the children how they can effectively communicate the emotions that they are feeling, which is a skill that will be needed as they grow up. It will also give them the tools and coping mechanisms that they will need later in their lives as they go through hard things. Therapy will help your child not only now as they struggle but will help them all throughout their lives.

Deciding to take your child to therapy may be a decision that changes their life. They will have the opportunity to work through any difficult feelings and will learn how to express their feelings. Going to therapy will help you learn what is going on in the head of your child and can help you know what you can do to best help them. At All About You Therapy Services, our team wants to help your child so that they can learn the skills needed to feel happy and make friends. We will take the time to really observe and listen to what your child is trying to communicate.

Contact Us

If you think that your child could benefit from children’s therapy, then contact us today! We want to provide your child with the tools to help them be able to express themselves, and to get the help that they deserve.