Are You Worried About Your Child and Not Sure What to Do Next?

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Is your child having trouble adjusting to school, or a change in the home? Maybe he or she struggles to make or keep friends, or you discover he or she has a new group of friends who have behaviors you don't want your child to be around. If you're divorced, maybe it's tough to co-parent harmoniously and you worry about how it's affecting your child. 

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Perhaps your child has had a sudden drop in grades, is spending more time alone, has a loss of interest in activities or is expressing thoughts of self-harm. You just want your child to have more peace in his or her life again. It can feel exhausting not knowing what's happening with your child and where to turn next. 

 

Many Parents Feel Confused About What to Do When Their Child is Suffering

 

It is common for parents to feel confused or overwhelmed about finding the right mental health treatment for their child or teenager.  You want to make sure you find someone both you and your child can trust and who can help your child. You don't have to walk this difficult path alone. At Georgetown Counseling and Wellness, we offer a free 10-minute phone consultation so you can ask questions about how a potential therapist's style and how they help. 

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Your Child Can Get Better

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Child and teen counseling can be highly effective in helping children learn to express themselves in healthier ways. It also can build on what you, as a parent, are already doing, as well as offer support, education and new techniques to try at home. Being a parent is hard regardless of your unique situation, and we are here to help get to a place where he or she is feeling more confident, hopeful and happy.

 

We have helped many children and families in the Georgetown area find solutions while focusing on strengths. There is no one right answer for how to help your child feel happy and confident because each child is unique. In child and teen counseling, we will help your child discover his or her own strengths, learn new ways to process feelings and find new ways to think about themselves and others. Together, we can find what your family needs to experience more peace.

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Common Questions and Concerns About Child and Teen Counseling:

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If My Child Won’t Talk, How Will You Get to Know Them and Help them?

 

Since children under the age of 11 usually express themselves in non-verbal ways, we use play therapy as a medium for finding clues to what is happening in your child’s world as well as for helping your child express past events.

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Many times, big feelings and behavioral issues arise because a child did not get to fully process an experience from an earlier age, which causes them to feel stuck and makes adapting to a changing environment more difficult. Throughout child and teen counseling sessions, we will help your child process these issues by utilizing play therapy techniques.  Since children most often use metaphors instead of direct language, sometimes all it takes is having an environment where a child can safely re-enact issues and form new responses. The good news is, as your child overcomes his or her obstacles, your child will start to act more like his or her real age, bringing greater harmony and understanding to your family as a whole.

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How Will Play Therapy Help My Child Learn New Coping Skills?

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As mentioned above, children encounter their world at an experiential rather than cognitive level. This is because the frontal lobe of the child’s brain – which is the rational part – is not fully developed yet. Because of this, children use symbols and metaphors when expressing themselves. In child counseling, it is my job to experience what it is like to live in your child’s world so I can use language to express to them what he or she is feeling.

This modeling can teach your child to learn that feelings have names. He or she can begin to learn that naming their experience helps others better understand and help. In other words, it is my job in child counseling to be your child’s frontal lobe; with time and practice, he or she can strengthen his or her own ability to tap into the full brain, which in turn can help him or her cope in more rational ways.

 

We Have So Much Going On Already, How Will We Have Time For Child Counseling?

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As your child improves, you will have more time to do the things that nurture you and bring you joy instead of worrying. You as a parent will be encouraged to take more time for yourself. Maybe this means you need to have more alone time, or that you and your partner need time without your child around.

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Whatever it is that nurtures you, your child will thank you for making yourself a priority. You do not have to burn yourself out or trudge through life doing things you think you have to do. This does not make you feel good as an individual or a parent. Your desires are important too. It is possible to meet on middle ground and to experience harmony in your life without compromising what matters to you.

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How Will I Be Part Of My Child's Therapy?

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We will be available to meet with you and discuss what themes are coming up during the sessions and communicate what it seems like your child might be trying to express. At that time, we can brainstorm how to best meet your child’s needs. Sometimes, all it takes is figuring out what children are feeling and letting them know we understand. Also, we will be available to answer any questions or concerns you might be having along the way. It is important to keep in mind that we also need to give your child some privacy and space to work and process through whatever is in their way. 

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It is possible to find the right help for your child. If you are ready to give it a try and want to see if we would be a good fit, simply, contact us for a free consultation. We’re offering online and in-person child and teen counseling.