Child Therapy

Do You Wish You Knew How To Support Your Child?

Is your child experiencing frequent outbursts or meltdowns?

Are you finding it challenging to soothe them during moments of anxiety?

Do they exhibit signs of extreme shyness and find it difficult to connect with peers?

Perhaps your child appears more withdrawn and despondent than usual. Maybe they struggle with ADHD, exhibiting restlessness and difficulty focusing in school. Social situations might pose a challenge—they interrupt others frequently, misinterpret social cues, and struggle to engage in conversation, impacting their ability to form friendships.

If you’re facing these concerns, you may be considering therapy for your child.

Navigating Mental Health Challenges in Children: Recognizing the Signs

Childhood anxiety and depression often manifest differently than in adults. Your child might exhibit signs such as temper tantrums when feeling anxious, as they may struggle to express their emotions effectively. Similarly, if they’re experiencing depression, they might withdraw and avoid communication, leaving you to wonder if it’s just typical behavior or something deeper.

As a parent, you may find yourself questioning: Should I be worried? Is this a passing phase or a more significant issue?

You likely wish for your child to experience the carefree joys of childhood. At Genesis Counseling, our mission is to support your child’s emotional well-being through creative outlets like art and play. Our approach focuses on helping them navigate their emotions, ensuring they can enjoy a happy and healthy childhood.

Understanding and Supporting Children with Mental Health Challenges

Childhood isn’t always a carefree time. Many children grapple with challenges like anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, ADHD, and body image issues. Unfortunately, these struggles are often compounded by a lack of understanding from adults.

Kids today are frequently misunderstood, with their mental health issues mistakenly attributed to behavioral problems or character flaws.

For example, children with ADHD may be unfairly labeled as “lazy” or “unintelligent” due to difficulties keeping pace in school. Similarly, kids coping with OCD might be perceived as strange or easily frightened if their phobias are misunderstood by their peers.

This is where therapy plays a crucial role. It can dispel the misconception of “misbehavior” and provide insight into your child’s mental health challenges.

The Pressure on Kids Today: Expectations of Having It All Together at a Young Age

Social media, in particular, has propagated a myriad of unrealistic standards dictating how children should behave, dress, and appear. In the academic realm, kids are pressured to excel academically, striving for straight-A grades and enduring long periods of sitting quietly in class. Within the home environment, children often grapple with the challenges of divorced parents and navigating strained relationships among family members—complex dynamics they may struggle to comprehend at their young age. It’s no surprise that many children find themselves perpetually stressed.

You may find yourself thinking, “My child will outgrow their issues eventually,” or “I overcame my problems when I was younger, so they should too.” However, every child is unique, and there may be emotional hurdles your child faces that you cannot fully grasp. This underscores the importance of seeking help.

At Genesis Counseling, our aim is to address your child’s individual needs on their terms and assist them in blossoming into the best version of themselves.

Empowering Your Child: How Therapy Builds Lifelong Skills

Child therapy serves as both a preventative measure and a safeguard against potential mental health challenges in the future. It provides a crucial opportunity for your child to enhance their self-awareness and emotional intelligence, laying a strong foundation for navigating the transition into adolescence and adulthood with greater ease. Our goal is to equip them with the skills they need for a successful and fulfilling future.

At our practice, diversity is a cornerstone of our approach. We take pride in offering inclusive services that cater to everyone’s unique needs. Our team includes several clinicians who are members of the LGBTQ community, and we have extensive experience working with children who are exploring their sexuality. Additionally, for those who speak languages other than English, we offer bilingual sessions in Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Creole, and Russian.

Insight into Child Counseling Sessions: What to Expect

During the intake process, we will schedule a meeting to gather historical information, which will provide valuable insight into your child’s background. Subsequently, we will conduct individual sessions with your child, followed by a joint meeting to discuss treatment plan goals and confidentiality policies with all involved parties.

Sessions may consist of individual sessions solely with your child, a combination of child and family sessions, or parenting sessions. We strongly encourage your active participation in your child’s therapy, as your involvement plays a pivotal role in their progress. Throughout the process, the therapist will maintain open communication with you, seeking feedback and discussing your child’s development.

Furthermore, we aim to help you understand and respect your child’s boundaries. It’s important to discern between challenges they face and limitations they may have. For example, is their lack of focus in school due to a dislike for school, or could it be attributed to ADHD and an inability to concentrate? Recognizing these distinctions can foster deeper empathy and understanding between you and your child.

Creating Your Child’s Therapy Plan  

Therapy for children goes beyond traditional methods of sitting in a chair and discussing mental health problems. At our practice, we believe in making therapy enjoyable by incorporating elements of play therapy, art therapy, and other child-friendly approaches to the healing process.

Our office is equipped with a variety of toys, games, and art materials that your child can utilize to express themselves, alleviate stress, and unleash their creativity.

Moreover, the benefits of play and art extend far beyond the therapy room. The play skills your child learns can enhance their social interactions, teaching them valuable lessons in turn-taking, joint attention, and cooperation. We focus on helping your child communicate their emotions more clearly and become more receptive and attentive to others. Additionally, we aim to improve their pre-language skills, enabling them to interpret gestures, facial expressions, and other forms of body language effectively.

On a deeper level, our goal is to assist your child in understanding their emotions and gaining insight into their behavior. To achieve this, we often utilize an evidence-based approach known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT helps children increase their awareness of their thoughts and feelings, enabling them to identify when they’re experiencing sadness or anger and utilize coping skills to manage these emotions effectively.

By meeting your child on their level, we are confident that they will find our sessions enjoyable and beneficial. Most children thrive in our therapeutic environment, and we aim to provide the same positive experience for your child. Therapy offers your little one the opportunity to develop a foundation of skills that can benefit them throughout their lifetime.

You May Have Some Questions About Kids Counseling…

How long will child therapy take?

Consistency is key to maximizing the benefits of therapy for your child. To achieve optimal results, it’s crucial for your child to meet with their therapist on a weekly basis. However, the duration of treatment varies depending on your child’s individual needs. They may attend therapy for a short period, such as five sessions, or they may continue for a year or more. What matters most is that the skills and insights they acquire during their time here foster positive change in their life.

What if my child doesn’t want to come to counseling?

If your child feels hesitant about therapy, we encourage you to highlight the opportunities for artwork and play available here. Play therapy is to children what counseling is to adults, as play is the natural language through which children express themselves. It serves as both an outlet for fun and a means to enhance creativity and self-awareness.

How involved will I be in my child’s healing process?  

You know your child best, and your daily observations play a crucial role in their development. You can keep us informed about how they’re doing and any changes you notice.

Moreover, expanding your child’s support network is one of our main priorities. For example, if you’re considering medication as part of your child’s treatment plan, we can connect you with a psychiatrist who specializes in pediatric mental health.

Empowering Your Child: Let Us Help Them Thrive

If you’ve noticed your child acting out recently and you’re unsure how to support them, our warm and playful approach to therapy provides them with an opportunity to de-stress, express themselves, and acquire new skills. To begin, you can reach out to us via our contact form or by calling 561-408-1098. We offer both in-person and telehealth sessions for your convenience.