CHILD THERAPY
Therapy is often associated with adults and elders only. While it is true that most mental health issues develop later in life, children can have mental health problems too. Conditions such as trauma, fear, neglect, bullying, abuse, anxiety, etc. can have damaging effects on a child’s psyche, that carry on with the rest of their lives. Child therapy can help your children by teaching them how to overcome their mental health problems and give them the tools they need to live a happy life. Let’s see what child therapy is and how it can help your child.
What is Child Therapy?
Just like adult therapy, child therapy focuses on improving the social and emotional well-being of a child. A child therapist is very empathetic and offers warm support to children during therapy sessions. It helps build self-esteem and confidence in children, improves communication, and stimulates positive development.
A child therapist helps children understand their feelings and emotions. Therapy helps them realize that they are not alone. Therapists use child-friendly and playful techniques to engage children and help them with any underlying problems. Good therapy sessions can change a child’s life and improve their emotional vocabulary.
How do you know if a child needs therapy?
Many signs could indicate that your child is in distress. Look out for any of the following symptoms in your children and reach out to a Vaughan Counselling and Psychotherapy to be connected to a therapist.
Self-harming activities such as pulling their hair or cutting oneself
Unprovoked aggression and abusive behaviour
A loss of hunger or sudden weight loss
Talking about suicide or showing any signs of suicidal intentions
Social anxiety and difficulty engaging in social situations
Sudden academic decline or low grades
Withdraw from hobbies your child once loved
Recurrent nightmares or trouble sleeping
Excessive urine leakage
Different type of Children Therapies
Child therapies sometimes have different approaches depending on the child. Here are a few of the popularly used child counselling techniques:
Play Therapy
These types of sessions take place in environments where children feel safe. The techniques involve creative visualization, role-playing, storytelling, arts and crafts, dolls and figures, construction toys, music, puppets, and toy figures. Therapists see how a child interacts with different things and observe their behavior and then tailor their therapy according to a child’s individual needs.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is a powerful form of therapy that helps children change their negative thought patterns and incorporate new kinds of thinking and behaviors for dealing with issues. CBT teaches children to challenge their belief systems so they can learn to see their situation. It teaches children coping mechanisms to face different problems by changing their thinking.
Parent-Child Therapy
This type of therapy focuses on improving the bond between parents and children. This works by not only changing the child’s behavior but also teaching parents different methods to communicate with their child better. This therapy takes place in the presence of a child and its parents.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
DBT helps with extreme emotional instability in children. It teaches children mindfulness techniques to manage their emotions without judgment. This gives them methods to manage their feelings and change lives for the better. It helps children manage attention, develop communication skills, and tolerate emotional distress.
Family Therapy
In this method, the therapist works with the whole family as a group. This helps find the causes of friction, and different techniques can help both the child and his/her parents. It is used for various cases such as for eating disorders, anxiety, problems with aggression and substance abuse, etc. It may take 8-20 sessions and will teach both child and parents different techniques to deal with their issues in an understanding and effective way.
Child Therapy
Good child therapy can change a child’s whole life and the way they look at it. It teaches children not only how to help and change their thoughts, but also how they can improve and be better with their parents and the rest of society. Taking your child to a child counselor can be a life-changing step and grows out to be a healthy adult. Our therapists Charmin, Jovita and Parminder would be a good fit for child therapy.
For more information on Child Therapy or if you would like to book an appointment please contact us 647-267-9853.