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 St. Louis.
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 St. Louis, MO have the expertise and experience to help kids at their level.
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.
Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers of television fame) once stated, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Through play, children can learn to make friends, develop empathy and problem-solving skills, and to regulate their own emotions. That’s why many child therapists use play in the therapeutic process in order to help children overcome their psychological and behavioral obstacles.
Play therapy is one of the many ways that mental health professionals at Thriveworks in St. Louis, MO can reach children on their own developmental level. Every child is different and requires individualized treatment if they’re experiencing a mental health issue. Child and adolescent psychologists at Thriveworks have the training, expertise, and compassion to support children who need a little more scaffolding to achieve success, whether that be in school, at home, or in their social lives. Reach out today to schedule.
Is Child Therapy Effective?
There are a number of evidence-based child therapies that can be highly effective at treating diverse issues like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression. Early interventions that involve the primary caregivers work best.
It’s also important that the child and therapist are a good match. Mental health providers at Thriveworks in St. Louis, MO specialize in diverse types of therapy and perspectives in clinical child-adolescent psychology. Each course of treatment is tailored to the individual child, whether they’re one-year-old or on the cusp of adulthood. Therapy can address a wide range of feelings and behaviors, benefiting both the child and family as a whole. Thriveworks therapists can treat mental illnesses as well as neurodiversity, learning, and behavioral issues.
What Are the Symptoms of Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents?
Young children and older children can present with a number of symptoms when they’re struggling with mental health and behavioral issues.
- Appetite changes/weight loss or gain
- Sleep difficulties (nightmares, insomnia, bed-wetting)
- Violence or aggression
- Slipping grades
- Severe anxiety
- Isolation
- Alcohol or drug use
- Self-harming behaviors
- Trouble concentrating
- Expression of suicidal thoughts
- Repetitive behaviors
- Risky behaviors
- Body image issues
- Low energy
- Intense irritability
- Inexplicable stomach-aches or headaches
How Do Child Therapists Treat Mental Health Issues?
Many child therapies overlap with adult therapies, but they must be tailored to a child’s level of cognition, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and more. Child therapies include the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Play therapy
- Art therapy and music therapy (which reach the child through self-expression)
- Child-parent relationship therapy
- Family therapy
- Behavioral therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Emotionally-focused therapy
- Child trauma therapy
A child therapist at Thriveworks in St. Louis, MO might also include a parent, caregiver, or family member in the therapy session, observing interactions and offering feedback and suggestions. These insights can be helpful for continuing the work of therapy at home.
Schedule Child Therapy at Thriveworks in St. Louis, MO
When you call the Thriveworks office in St. Louis, MO, our staff can quickly match your child to a licensed therapist. Most new clients can meet with their provider within the week of booking an appointment. Plus, we offer evening and weekend sessions, and we accept most major insurances.
Children rely on adults for guidance and care. Give them the best mental health support you can by calling Thriveworks today.
