Child therapy, also known as counseling for kids, helps young individuals better understand and manage the challenges that affect their mental health. Common challenges amongst kids include behavioral issues, trauma, bullying, depression, and anxiety. All ages of children can attend and benefit from child therapy at Thriveworks .
Child therapy works by using multiple techniques tailored to fit the child’s needs based on their age group, their challenges, and the severity of their challenges. It might involve play therapy for younger kids or cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, art therapy, and others for varying ages. In any case, Thriveworks child therapists in , NJ have the expertise and experience to help kids at their level.
It’s not always obvious when a child should see a therapist for their behavior, though in the midst of challenges like divorce, loss, bullying, and other mental health conditions, it’s often a good idea to seek it out. Common behaviors that can indicate a need for child therapy include separation anxiety, bedwetting (at inappropriate ages), and agitation/excessive irritability — especially if it reaches a point of physical violence.
Being a child should mean playing with your friends until the daylight starts to disappear. Whispering during sleepovers when you hear your parents walk down the hallway. Making up silly dances to your favorite songs while you sing at the top of your lungs. When kids transition into teens, they start going to football games together, grab milkshakes after a movie, and swap their favorite playlists. Now, if only every child and teenager only had these types of memories. Unfortunately, things happen in life that cause them emotional and mental stress. As a parent, this can be hard to watch, and you would do everything in your power to take away their burden and make everything better.
I think as you’re growing up, your emotions are just as deep as they are when you’re an adult. Your ability to feel lonely, longing, confused, or angry are just as deep. We don’t feel things more as we get older.” – Spike Jonze
Like in the above quote mentions, children and teens experience heartaches, turmoil, and challenges just as adults do. Because they are still growing and learning, coping with these things can be much harder for them to process than adults. That’s why when your child or teen is experiencing something tough, it’s important to reach out for help. At Thriveworks New Jersey, we have child therapists who dedicate themselves to understanding and helping these young minds through the difficulties of life. If your little one or teen could use some extra guidance from a trusted outsider, consider reaching out to us today.
Is My Child the Right Fit for Therapy?
Everyone can benefit from talking to a third-party voice about our challenges and troubles, especially young minds who don’t have fully developed communication skills. If your child seems unhappy, or something is just slightly off even if everything appears to be okay, a licensed therapist can help them navigate their challenges and equip them with skills to move forward happier and healthier.
There are many reasons why parents may seek out the help of a child therapist. Common issues we see kids facing include:
- Bullying or being bullied
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Difficulty focusing
- Grief
- Trauma or PTSD
- Behavioral problems at home or at school
- Anger management
- Stress management
- Learning disabilities
- ADD/ADHD
- Autism concerns
- Difficulty making friends or adapting to social situations
- Trouble coping with a major life change such as moving or parents getting a divorce
Our goal is to help your child work through whatever challenge they are facing. If you don’t see their specific situation on the list, don’t worry. Our counselors are trained in helping work through a myriad of issues that children face. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to ask for help. With your continued undeniable love and our therapeutic techniques, we can get your son or daughter back to being a kid again.
What Can We Expect Child Therapy to Look Like?
Child therapy has the same principles as regular adult therapy – we want to help them tackle the obstacles in their way and learn how to maneuver future conflicts with ease. At Thriveworks New Jersey Counseling, our child psychologists have been trained to meet children where they are at mentally and on a level they can understand. To achieve these, they will assess your child to pinpoint where the root cause of their turmoil is. Then with their findings, the counselor will create a treatment plan based on the child’s specific needs and goals. To do so, they may use a variety of different methods including:
- Traditional talk therapy
- Art therapy – using art to express feelings and emotions
- Play therapy – utilizing play to express feelings similarly to art therapy
- Family therapy – getting the whole family involved to make meaningful progress together
- Anger management
- Stress management
- Coping mechanisms
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – traditionally used for illnesses like anxiety and depression
These are just a few of the methods used for child therapy. Online child therapy also offers additional benefits to our clients such as ease, comfort, and effectiveness. You don’t have to worry about your son or daughter receiving less quality of care when done virtually. In some cases, kids may even make more meaningful progress virtually than in person. You and your little one can choose between telephone counseling or video chat counseling. We recommend trying out both options if you’re unsure of which direction to take.
Schedule an Appointment with a Trusted Child Counselor at Thriveworks New Jersey
When you’re ready to get started and help your child move on from the things holding them back, consider working with one of our compassionate counselors at Thriveworks New Jersey Counseling. We do not operate on a waitlist and can get your child into their first appointment within 24 hours of your initial call. We are client-focused and believe you should get the help you need, when you need it.
To get started, visit our online booking system or give us a call to be connected with a scheduling specialist. We have flexible scheduling options that surely will fit your schedule. We can’t wait to hear from you.
