Does Your Child Need Therapy?

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When Children Need Therapy

Children have many of the same mental health issues as adults and may also need

counseling. Here's some advice on finding therapy for kids.

 

Adults like to think of childhood as a carefree time full of play and enjoyment,

but that's not true for all kids. Children are susceptible to the same emotional

health issues and mood disorders that plague adults. As many as one in five

children and adolescents may have an identifiable mental disorder that requires

treatment. At least 1 in 10 has a serious emotional disturbance.

Psychological counseling can help with many of these issues. Therapy for kids

can aid children who have such problems as anxiety, depression, bipolar

disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorder.

 

Signs of Trouble

 

Warning signs that your child may need psychological counseling include:

 

Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness

Constant anger and a tendency to overreact to situations

Persistent worry, anxiety, or fearfulness

Preoccupation with physical illness or their own appearance

Fear that someone is controlling his mind, or that he is " out of control "

A sudden, unexplained drop in grades at school

A loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed

Changes in patterns of sleeping or eating

Reclusiveness, preferring to be alone rather than in the company of friends or

family

Hearing voices that aren't there

Expressing thoughts of suicide

An inability to concentrate, think clearly, or make decisions

An inability to sit still

Performing routines obsessively throughout the day, such as washing hands or

cleaning things

Experiencing regular nightmares

Alcohol or drug use

Dieting obsessively, or binging followed by vomiting or taking laxatives

Taking part in violent acts such as setting fires or killing animals

 

If a child or adolescent shows some or many of these signs, he likely needs

therapy. Therapy for kids can be very beneficial, particularly if a problem is

identified before it can grow worse.

 

Types of Childhood Therapy

 

Many different types of mental health issues can arise in children, and therapy

comes in many forms. Some forms of counseling available to children, and the

disorders they can help treat, include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy. In this form of counseling, children are taught

how their own thoughts can affect their mood and behavior. Kids are shown how to

identify negative or distorted thought patterns and deal with them. This type of

therapy is helpful in addressing mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

 

Play therapy. Kids are given toys to play with, and a psychotherapist watches

their play to better understand their emotional or mental health issues.

Different types of play help the child figure out feelings and express them.

Play therapy can help kids who have depression or anxiety because they are

having trouble dealing with life issues like divorce or the death of a loved

one.

 

Psychodynamic psychotherapy. This is the children's version of the classic

" talking cure, " by which a psychotherapist helps figure out the issues that are

influencing how a child thinks or acts. The therapy operates on the theory that

a child's behavior will improve once his inner struggles are brought out in the

open. This can help a child who has anxiety or depression, is dealing with an

eating disorder, or is lashing out due to a conduct disorder.

 

Behavior therapy. This sort of therapy for kids differs from

cognitive-behavioral therapy in that it focuses on behavior modification.

Behaviors are identified that need to be discouraged or encouraged, and then

parents work to change the environmental factors that contribute to those

behaviors and also provide consequences for desired or undesired behavior. It is

helpful for treating children who have ADHD, as well as other conditions for

which behavior modification is desired.

 

Finding Help

 

Resources available to help parents who are concerned about their child's mental

health include:

The National Mental Health Information Center has a toll-free number (1-800-

789-2647), which parents can call to ask questions and receive information and

brochures.

 

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers an online

resource for locating certified kids' therapists. You also can call the academy

at 1-202-966-7300.

Don't hesitate to talk to your doctor or a qualified therapist if your child

seems to be having a problem. Quick attention can help him better overcome the

issues he’s coping with, and lead a happier and healthier childhood.

 

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://4autism2.teamasea.com

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

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" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport