Does your child struggle with regulating big emotions? Listening and following directions at home? Social interactions with peers? Has your family recently undergone a big change such as divorce, adoption, or a traumatic event? Have you ever considered taking your child to see a therapist?
We know that child therapy might feel intimidating to both caregivers and children who are unfamiliar with the process. Therapy is a wonderful resource to support a child’s growth and development. Therapy can help children and their families learn skills to regulate emotions, get along better with others, and process traumatic memories. Therapy can help children strengthen their self-esteem and increase feelings of resilience. Research shows that addressing mental health or family challenges while they are happening, rather than waiting until a child is older, benefits the child immensely. Utilizing child therapy gives children and caregivers the tools needed to address the present concerns and the confidence to address future challenges as a family.
Therapy might benefit your child if:
- Your child is frequently sad, worried, afraid or withdrawn
- Your child displays low self-esteem or uses a lot of negative self-talk
- Your child demonstrates highly aggressive behavior toward you or others
- Your child is shy and very fearful with other children
- Your child struggles with listening, following directions, or paying attention at home or school
- Your child experiences excessive phobias
- Your child experiences bullying or is bullying other children
- You need parenting support to address concerns or issues related to discipline
- You frequently feel disconnected and stressed in your relationship with your child
So, what does child therapy look like?
Child therapy creates a safe and comfortable space for children to explore their emotions in a developmentally appropriate manner. It does not look like traditional “talk therapy” that most adults are familiar with. Child therapy takes a play-based approach. Play is an essential part of child therapy because play is a child’s first language. Before kids can talk, they can play! Research shows that children learn faster through play than any other method. Play benefits every domain of the child’s development: cognitive, social, emotional, speech and language, and physical. Play done between a caregiver and child strengthens the parent-child bond, or attachment, which is also an essential part of child therapy. Play-based therapy includes play, art, and other creative forms of expression and emotion regulation. Play-based therapy allows the therapist and caregivers to step into the child’s world and help them process their experiences and emotions in a way that is appropriate for their age.
Child therapy also supports the caregivers!
Caregivers play a key role in a child’s therapy. A child therapist can provide parent coaching on issues such as emotion regulation, discipline, fostering healthy relationships, and much more. Issues within the family such as divorce, sibling conflict, or family trauma can be addressed in therapy with the child, caregivers, and other family members together in the therapy room. The goal is for the therapist and the caregiver to work together to support the child and accomplish goals throughout the therapy process.
Where can I find a therapist?
No age is too young to begin working with a therapist; even infants and toddlers can benefit from therapy. If you have concerns with your child’s behavior, social-emotional development, or are struggling with parenting and feeling connected with your child, reach out to your child’s pediatrician. Your child’s pediatrician can provide referrals for mental health therapists who specialize in working with children. You can also use a directory website such as Psychology Today or The Association for Play Therapy Directory to search for child therapists in your area.
If you are based in Colorado or New York, you can also reach out to Ardent Grove Foundation directly to see if our services are the right fit for your child and family!