Behavioral Issues
Your child is a good kid: smart, funny, interesting, sweet, kind, and fun. But recently, they haven’t been acting like themselves.
It used to be that…
They were so good at doing what you asked them to do;
They got along with their siblings (for the most part);
Bedtime wasn’t a battle;
And school was a fun time for learning and friends.
But now…
It seems that everything upsets them. You would think you could pinpoint what triggers them, but you can’t.
They’re more impatient with their siblings. It seems like a fight or argument is always around the corner.
And when you impose any discipline, it’s a battle of tears and door slamming. Or the opposite: You get shut down with either silence or avoidance.
And school is a total mystery!
Your child is very smart, and you know they can do the work. But they’re struggling – both academically and socially.
More and more, they don’t want to talk about school. Which makes you wonder… what’s going on??
It’s tough for teachers to see everything your child does throughout the day, so you’re boxed out of the picture.
You know there’s a problem, but you don’t know where to turn.
Counseling is the solution you’re looking for.
Counseling will provide your child with a safe outlet to talk about their triggers and problems.
When children can process and express their emotions and talk through their struggles, they feel a sense of relief. With support, they begin to find ways to solve their problems for themselves and ask for help when needed.
They’ll begin to recognize their problem behaviors.
They will recognize their triggers and warning signs and start implementing healthy coping skills instead of yelling, hitting, criticizing, or shutting down.
We’ll also work on…
Conflict Resolution
Most children struggle with appropriately handling instances of conflict. Many shut down and passively avoid conflict. Others face conflict head-on – but with verbally or physically aggressive behaviors.
Throughout treatment, your child will identify conflicts they’ve experienced within their life and process former ways they have handled them. Your child will talk about their feelings and natural responses to conflict and identify and practice more appropriate ways to address these situations in the future, such as assertive communication skills and “rules of fighting fair.”
Anger Management
Anger can feel like a BIG uncontrollable monster for kids. While in treatment, your child will explore ways to defeat their anger monsters and begin practicing skills to de-escalate when the monster is on the loose!
After identifying their anger triggers, your child will develop healthy coping skills such as belly breathing, mindfulness, and thought redirection to implement in future triggering situations. In addition, your child will examine the feelings “underneath” the anger (embarrassment, pain, confusion, etc.) and learn to cope with those feelings, too! Your child will create a de-escalation plan for you both to begin using outside of treatment to calm those angry feelings.
Healthy Communication
Even for adults, communication can be tough, and your child wasn’t born with a communication manual. Throughout treatment, your child will identify their current barriers to communication with you (yelling, door slamming, or complete avoidance) and will explore new and healthier ways to communicate their feelings.
In sessions with me, your child will practice these new techniques – I-feel statements, identifying feelings, and active listening. Once your child is comfortable with these skills, you will be invited into the session to allow your child to teach you these skills and practice during the session. Together, we will develop a plan for your child to begin using these skills at home!
Here’s how you can help…
Throughout your child’s treatment, you and I will act as a team.
At the beginning of therapy, you and I will meet one-on-one to discuss your child’s struggles and history of behaviors. Once I have a clear understanding of your child’s struggles, your child will meet with me one-on-one, but you can help by continuing to update me about their behaviors outside of therapy.
As your child begins to develop skills, you will be invited into sessions, and your child will teach you the skills they are learning.
Together, we will develop a plan for you to help your child implement these skills throughout their daily life.
Seeking therapy for your child does not mean you’ve failed as a parent.
And it doesn’t mean you have a bad kid! You will never hear any words of judgment from me.
When parents reach out to me for help, it tells me that they know their child well and love their child so much that they’d do anything to meet their child’s needs!
Don’t wait for the next meltdown!
Contact me today to get started with a free 15-minute consultation: (901) 209-9454.