Child Therapy in Irmo
At Irmo Counseling, we provide therapy for children in various capacities including play therapy and art with the child, family therapy with the entire family or just one parent, as well as co-parenting sessions to support the parents at home with their child.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
As children grow, they face many challenges and stressful situations as a typical part of their daily lives. They often have a difficult time comprehending the nuances of their social environment. Adding that to the frustration of not understanding the emotions they are feeling can lead to maladaptive behaviors and actions. For parents, it can be difficult to determine if what our child is going through is a normal part of childhood or a bigger problem.
Kids often suppress or hide their emotions. Unable to effectively communicate what they are feeling, we will see kids acting out emotions with tantrums, complaining of unexplainable stomach pains, becoming excessively worried or experiencing irrational fears. As parents, efforts to soothe a child in distress can seem difficult and we can become easily overwhelmed and frustrated adding unfortunately to an already stressful situation.
COMMON STRUGGLES
- Anxiety/Stress
- Sadness/Depressed Mood
- Excessive Fears & Worry
- Impulsive Behaviors
- Poor Grades/School Problems
- Social Issues/Bullying
- Traumatic Experiences
- Attention Deficit
- Grief/Loss of Loved One
- Parent/Child Relationship Issues
- Regressed Behaviors
- Self-Injurious Behaviors
- Separation/Divorce of Parents
WHEN TO SEEK HELP?
At times like these, it can be extremely helpful to get the counsel of a trained therapist who can help both you and your child find solutions to understand and overcome the problematic behaviors and emotional blocks. Many of the problems that children come to therapy for are school problems; peer relationships; attention and focus problems; grief/loss; separation of parents; traumatic loss or experience; acting out behaviors; depression and anxiety. Counseling for children, can be a powerful way to get unstuck, develop improved coping skills for depression and anxiety, process emotional blocks; develop social skills; and develop better communication and relationship between parent and child. Since children are resilient, therapy can help ensure that interruptions in childhood development do not become life-long obstacles.
HOW THERAPY FOR CHILDREN CAN HELP
Our counselors work collaboratively with parents from the initial assessment and throughout the course of treatment for your child. For this reason, the therapist will meet with the parents first to gather background information, and then the child for an initial assessment. Depending on the needs of the child and family, the therapist will determine what intervention to use in working with your child.
Interventions may vary from play therapy with the child, family therapy with the entire family or just one parent, as well as co-parenting sessions to support the parents at home with their child. Counseling for children looks and sounds different than with adolescents and adults. The therapist works through play to help children communicate about their internal world and make sense of complicated emotions and experiences. Play and art therapy help kids to express their feelings and find validation, support and tools for managing confusing emotions, difficult problems, and overcoming sadness and loss. Through working with your child on social and emotional learning we can help them understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.