What is child therapy?
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 Bensalem.
How does child therapy work?
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 Bensalem, PA have the expertise and experience to help kids at their level.
Play therapy vs. child therapy
Child therapy is a type of therapy meant for clients within a specific age group, while play therapy is an approach to therapy that helps children with self-expression and stress relief, among others. Play therapy is a technique that is often used in child therapy to help children express what’s running through their minds when they do not have the words to express their thoughts and emotions. It can get children to express what’s wrong, what might be causing unwanted behaviors, or what they might need in a way that is accessible to them so that therapists can then work to treat the issue.
How to tell if my child needs counseling
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.
What type of therapy is best for children?
Cognitive behavioral therapy at Thriveworks in Bensalem, PA is one of the best types of therapy for children. However, it can be administered in child therapy sessions in a variety of ways that are more accessible to young minds, such as play therapy.
Is child therapy conducted in person or online?
Child therapy at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
How long does child therapy last?
The length of child therapy depends on your child’s needs as well as the goals that you and their therapist might have for them. Generally, child therapy sessions will last for several months.
How much does child therapy cost?
At Thriveworks, we take most major forms of insurance, which means that many of our clients only pay a $0-$50 co-pay per session. However, there are also self-pay options that sit around $200 per session, depending on the service and location, for those who are out-of-network.
Need more help deciding?
Child Therapy in Bensalem, PA—Bucks Therapy for Kids and Teens
Often, kids and teens need help navigating changes. Fortunately, there are therapists and counselors out there who specialize in child therapy, who know how to best help children and teens. Whether their young clients are feeling self-conscious as they grow another year older, are struggling to cope with the separation of their parents, or are suffering from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. Whatever the case may be, a child therapist at Thriveworks Bensalem is happy to step in and can help. So, if you think that your kid or teen could find value in meeting with a mental health professional, reach out to Thriveworks Bensalem.
Should My Kid Meet with a Child Therapist?
Sometimes, it’s hard to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. But in this case, we can try to remember what it was like to be a kid—what it was like to go through our first breakup, make friends at a new school, and have trouble at home. If your child or teen is struggling to cope with an event or to manage their feelings, consider looking into a child therapist. To be more specific, a child therapist in Bucks County can help your child to address the following:
- Low self-esteem
- Life transitions
- Bullying
- Sadness and anger
- Stress
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Other mental illnesses
Therapy proves helpful to many kids and teens who are dealing with problems that negatively affect their feelings and/or behaviors, and who aren’t coping well alone. If this sounds like your child, consider meeting with a child therapist at Thriveworks Bensalem. These professionals have skills and experience that will help your child become happy and healthy again.
Tools and Techniques Used in Child Therapy
As with many other approaches to therapy, child therapy is customized for each client, based on the issue(s) at hand. That said, the primary goal in child therapy is always the same: to help the kid or teen live a happier, healthier life. Still in search of a clearer understanding? Here are a few examples of how a child therapist at Thriveworks Bensalem can help kids heal:
- Self-esteem and depression: As we touched on previously, our self-esteem is in serious danger during childhood and adolescence. Why? Because of all those developmental changes we talked about, as well as societal pressures to look and act a certain way. Fortunately, a child counselor can work with kids to build their confidence and improve self-esteem. This, in turn, can help to prevent or manage depression as well as anxiety.
- School can make for some significant challenges in childhood and teenhood. For example, many young individuals experience fallouts with their friends and blunders as they begin to experiment with romantic relationships. Additionally, they feel pressured to act a certain way (which we mentioned in #1) and might even succumb to bullying if they don’t meet these expectations. The good news is a child therapist can step in and help their young clients navigate new relationships and have an overall positive experience in elementary, middle, or high school.
Set Up a Child Therapy Session at Thriveworks Bensalem in Bucks County
The providers at Thriveworks Bensalem can offer you and your child unique benefits: in addition to their extensive skills and experience, they offer flexible hours, so as to ensure that you get the help you need as soon as possible when it’s most convenient for you. Evening and weekend appointments are available to accommodate your schedule, and most new clients meet with a provider within the same week as scheduling.
Are you ready to book an appointment? We’re ready when you are. All you have to do is give us a call.