What to Expect in Child Therapy
What to Expect in Child Therapy
Have you ever wondered if your child could benefit from child therapy? Many parents have wondered when is the right time to seek out therapy for their child. If you are asking the question if therapy is right maybe that is also your answer to give it a try. What is the worst that could happen if you were to try therapy… maybe it’s your child has a positive experience with therapy and seeks therapy out independently in their adult life.
One of my favorite mottos is that early intervention is key. The earlier you get support for your kiddos the quicker you will see change and can try new strategies to help your kids. In turn that could mean a little more calm. On the other hand, if you choose to not begin therapy your child could eventually feel better. Although it might take a little longer and there may be some unhelpful coping skills learned along the way.
Did you know that up to 1 in 6 children will experience a mental health condition and that 50% of mental health challenges will begin before the age of 14. (data taken from NAMI). Some signs to look for would be withdrawn, isolating, not enjoying activities they used to enjoy, complaining of tummy, head and body hurting or a child has experienced a traumatic event. These are just a few signs to look for there are many other things.
What can I expect from child therapy?
There are several modalities that can be very beneficial when working with children. We will discuss Play therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth.
Play therapy- Play therapy is typically for children 2+. The belief of play therapy is that play is a child’s language. Through play children learn to understand and express emotions. Many times children do not have the brain development or language skills to fully articulate what they are experiencing. We will see children express themselves in unhealthy ways which is challenging for the child, the parents and the school or child care.
Through play therapy children are given the opportunity to have autonomy to express their emotions. Therapists are present and reflecting the work of the child and are looking for common themes the child is expressing. Therapists are not mind reading that if a child picks this toy up it must mean this. Therapists are also not there to “fix” your child.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth (CBT)- CBT for youth is another modality that I use often when working with kids and sometimes incorporate in conjunction with play therapy. We are working to provide children education and practice how thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all connected. Oftentimes people seek out CBT therapy to help address anxiety, depression, ADHD as well as other diagnoses.
How long do I expect my child to be in therapy?
There are many variables to answer this question. The best way to answer this would be to say depending on your child’s specific situation we will base frequency on their needs. With that being said we often find that if children meet more frequently at the beginning you will start to see and experience change more quickly.
Pro Tip for Parents-
Be an active participant in the therapy process, listen, learn, and implement change outside of therapy sessions, that is where lasting change will happen.
When your child shares something about how they are feeling, validate and listen. Do not try to justify why their feelings are not valid even if it is hard to understand how they could feel that particular way.
Be willing and open to try new things!
I have seen first hand the benefits of child therapy for children, their parents and their families. I am so glad you are thinking about taking the step to get therapy for your child. If after reading this you are ready to dive in or have more questions feel free to reach out. I am always happy to help answer any questions and connect your with resources whether that is with me or other providers in the area!