You have been doing your best to partner with your child to overcome their challenges, but as time has gone on those troublesome thoughts and behaviors have persisted and maybe even worsened. You watch your child as they struggle and you wonder, “Would therapy help my child?”. As a parent this can be difficult to discern. Before we dig into your child’s specific areas of concern, though, here are the key systemic factors to consider as you make your decision.
Are the troublesome behaviors:
1. Interfering with my child’s ability to learn at school?
2. Impairing their ability to connect with family and friends in meaningful ways?
3. Putting my child or other people at physical risk?
4. Causing my child to doubt themselves and their abilities in substantial ways?
5. Decreasing either your child’s or family’s overall quality of life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, even if it was only to a single one, therapy can help your child and your family function more efficiently.
As you can imagine the specifics to what may lead to answering yes to the above questions varies widely from child to child, and parents often desire to take a more focused look at their child’s specific thoughts and behaviors to determine if therapy services would be beneficial for their child.
Here is a list of the most commonly manifested symptoms that indicate a child would benefit from therapeutic services:
· Strong need to have control over environment
· Emotional dysregulation
· Inattention, distraction and/or hyperactivity
· Difficulty transitioning to new circumstances (i.e. divorce, new school or house, new siblings)
· Struggles significantly when losing games
· Separation anxiety
· Difficulties connecting with parents and other caregivers
· Struggles to care for self in developmentally appropriate ways (i.e. sleep disturbances, over or under eating, bathroom regression, picking skin/nails, chewing inedible objects)
· Negative self-talk
· Defiance and opposition
· Social disconnectedness
· Excessive fears/hypervigilance
· Obsessive thoughts/behaviors
· Self-harming tendencies
· Suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors
· Addictive behaviors
· Bullying
· Adverse childhood experiences (i.e. grief, trauma, neglect, etc)
If any of these symptoms are persistent or worsening, it would be helpful for parents to request a consultation to discuss whether their child would benefit from therapeutic services with a professional counselor that specializes in treating children and adolescents. During the consultation phase the counselor will ask focused questions to ascertain which symptoms are clinically significant. Treatment strategies can be discussed as well as environmental shifts that can be made to accommodate growth from within the home environment. Ultimately, though, quality care will be filled with a non-judgmental, supportive tone that focuses on individualized treatment plans that are unique and specific to your child’s needs.
The moment parents discover their child needs therapy can be overwhelming. Often times they feel responsible or anxious about the circumstances leading them to therapy, but I encourage you to view it as a powerful opportunity to grow deeper in your understanding of who your child is and how you can best help them successfully advance through this challenging stage of their life. Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can, and with the correct resources change can happen.
Request a consultation to start this restorative journey with your child today by visiting www.playtherapycenterofgeorgia.com/
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