Therapy for Children: Anxiety, Depression, and other symptoms
As children across the nation enter the school system, transition from one grade to another, move to a different city, experience bullying or simply begin to experience the stress of the modern world, they may display signs that worry their parents. As a parent you may find yourself unaware of the daily experiences that children take on. Over time, symptoms like anxiety, depression, isolation, lack of motivation, and hyperactivity, among other things, may surface. More severe symptoms like PTSD or odd behaviors may also be present due to overwhelming stress, witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event, violence, or bullying. However, depending on the age of the child, they may or may not have the language capabilities to express their emotions, and many times symptoms go unnoticed and can develop into behaviors that concern parents and teachers. Our goal is to help you create a personalized plan to help you and your child increase communication and learn coping skills to deal with these symptoms.
You are Not Alone
According to the CDC (2019), among children aged 3-17 years, 3.2% have been diagnosed with depression and 7.1% have been diagnosed with anxiety, and these symptoms may be carried over to adulthood. Furthermore, in an analysis of treatments to address these conditions, therapy done outside the school was found to be more effective than school-based programs in dealing with depression. There may be questions about the best time to take a child out of class, issues with confidentiality, challenges finding an appropriate room to provide therapy and inconsistency due to conflicts with school activities. Finding a therapist your child can connect with is still the most import part of treatment.
What is therapy for children and how does it work?
Therapy for children varies depending on the age of your child, and some therapy practices have demonstrated greater effectiveness than others for kids. For example, cognitive treatments have been shown to be effective modes of therapy to help children overcome various symptoms, like anxiety, depression, social phobias, difficulty concentrating or even trauma. Play therapy has been shown to help children develop an understanding of their experiences, create a safe space to talk about events, and learn skills to cope with symptoms.
At Pathways to Wellness, we create a safe, confidential therapeutic space by making sure parents are part of the treatment that will allow your child to freely express their feelings and emotions, as well as their gifts and strengths. Methods such as Sandtray are effective with children because they help children process and heal through play, which has shown to be the most effective way to work with children.
How Do I Know I Have Selected The Right Therapist For My Child?
However, therapy itself may not be enough, and various studies have shown that finding a therapist your child feels comfortable with is also important. The right therapist is critical to the success of any psychological treatment and not “just any therapist” will do. Therapists that work well with children and teens are specialized and have particular skills in connecting with and relating to them. In addition, it is important for you to understand your child’s experience, therefore having a good relationship with your child’s therapist may enhance the gains made during therapy.
Consistency in and out of the therapy room is important when addressing behavioral problems and parents should have an active role as part of the treatment team. At Pathways to Wellness, our therapists will work closely with you and your family to ensure that information flow is consistent between you, your child and therapist. They say that it takes a village to raise a child, and the therapist is just one member of that village. Working with children is more effective when there is a trusting relationship between you and your child’s therapist.
Personalized, Genuine Care Begins Here
Pathways to Wellness is a safe place, in which staff and clinicians who care for your child and your family work hard on the challenges that children face. We are proud to be a caring and compassionate group with a focus on wellness, connection, safety, and well-being. Even when kids are not presenting obvious symptoms, you may notice things like a change in their mood, dropping grades, difficulty getting up in the morning, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite and lack of interest in things they used to enjoy. At Pathways to Wellness, we treat you with respect, and aim to reduce feelings of shame and embarrassment because we understand the stigma associated with mental health. Additionally, we provide services in Spanish if that is something that may help your child or a family member.
If we can answer further questions for you, just call 714-432-9856 and we will be happy to help you.
