Congratulations!
By considering therapy for your child, you are to be complimented on your dedication to the process of helping your child grow. What an advantage it is for a child to be given the skills to move through life in confidence!
Our world can often seem overwhelming and chaotic to a child. There are many expectations, distractions, restrictions, fears and complications that get in the way of them being able to be the happy, creative, peaceful people they could be. But for many, changes are challenges in ways that may lead to problems.
When helping a child in therapy, my approach is a team approach. I include the parents and/or caregiver, their teacher and their physician (with the parent’s/guardian’s approval). When these team members and the child work together, progress towards the child’s best outcome is greatly enhanced. Though I take this “team” approach, the child will remain my primary client. One therapeutic goal is to help each child both feel responsible for the work we do together and feel the joy of success as they acknowledge the growth they are making towards their personal goals.
While using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as my theoretic approach, I find that the more creative and fun our sessions are, the more the skills we learn and practice are remembered and utilized outside of therapy…which means the more clients progress and the happier everyone becomes!
Depending on the age of the child, therapy will include such mediums as art, puppet play, sand tray, games, music, clay, and books. General communication skills development will also be an important component.
Below, you will find a few pictures of ways in which sandtray, games, and activities are used at The Growing Place:
Working out emotional struggles, family problems, school issues, etc. in the sand is a great way to “see” what is happening internally in response to real situations. It is also a non-threatening way to work through issues that may be difficult to verbally work through. This is especially true for children. Often “solutions in the sand” are powerfully simple!
“Life’s a Picnic—Don’t be too BUGGED!!!”
“All Geared Up and Connected–How what one of us does affects the others!!!” (And how to appropriately disconnect when necessary!)
“How the Three Little Pigs Found Safety and How to Recognize the Wolves!”
A Stay at the Hospital
A stay at the hospital can be frightening to a child. Help prepare them through “play” or process past trauma.
These are just a few examples to give you a feel for what child therapy at The Growing Place will “look like!”
Issues and problems in counseling with children include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- ADHD
- Bullying
- Divorce or separation
- Death of a loved one
- Emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Witnessing or experiencing a trauma
- Family relocation
- Emotional concerns regarding medical interventions(hospital stays, surgery, etc.)
Treatment will be forward-oriented with only the necessary use of past history. One phrase that will be emphasized is “Power is in the Present!”
Again, “Congratulations” on joining your child in an experience and experiment in GROWTH! I look forward to partnering with you!