A child and adolescent can grow and flourish in a supportive, stable and predictable environment. Yet significant changes at home, school or in their social world can be disruptive and confounding. Similarly, as children move through school and face an increasingly complex social world, underlying issues like ADHD, anxiety or depression may emerge. Situations like these can be difficult to navigate – both for the child and the parent. When you feel you need help for your child, a child and adolescent therapist can ease the difficulty. Life Care Wellness has several therapists trained in teen counseling and childrens’ therapy.
Typical Problems Bringing Teens and Children to Therapy
If your child or adolescent is dealing with family life disruptions such as a separation, divorce or death, behavioral changes and self-esteem issues often emerge. We can assist you in helping you bring stability back and helping your child heal. If your child or adolescent experience school-related issues, we can help your child directly with therapy. Symptoms might be impaired or unhealthy peer relationships, bullying, changes in grades or attendance, behavior or mood changes, or drug or alcohol use. Teen counseling or children’s therapy can be a huge help.
Similarly, we can help you with IEP or special education concerns. On request, we also can advocate for your child at school with your child’s teacher, principal or other school staff.
If your teen is experiencing difficulty navigating adolescence, we can help. Teens can experience a number of issues:
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief and loss
- Social issues
- Self-injury
- Substance abuse
- Identity, gender, or sexual orientation confusion
- Sexual abuse
How we work with your child or teen will depend on the child’s age, development, personality and other factors. We can work with children as young as two years old. Therapy modalities we use with a child or adolescent can include play therapy, art therapy, attachment therapy, movement therapies, existential therapy, Child Parent Therapy, DBT, EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing, among others. With children under twelve, we also will work with you, the parent, during the therapeutic process. With teens, we also will want you to be an active participant in the process, and we will check in with you during the course of therapy on how you feel your teen is doing.