Maybe your child seems out of control lately—they’re having frequent meltdowns and seemingly insignificant things trigger them and get under their skin. Perhaps they’re arguing with you constantly, fighting with their peers, and being disruptive at school.
On the other hand, maybe your child seems abnormally withdrawn and apathetic lately. They’re not being disruptive or rebellious, but you’ve noticed concerning changes in their behavior. They no longer want to go outside or spend time with friends and have little motivation to engage in school or sports.
Regardless of what your child’s struggles are, you’re probably thinking that it’s time to talk to a therapist.
Your Child’s Mental Health Issues Could Impact Your Own Mental Health
You might feel like you’ve done everything you can to help your child, and it still isn’t enough. Eventually, this could make you exhausted. You’ve probably been so busy tending to your child that you’re too burnt out to invest in other areas of your life. As a result, your patience may be wearing thin and you may find it hard to regulate your own stress levels around your child.
Sometimes, you might worry that you’re just not doing a good job parenting. Questions like “Where did I go wrong?” and “What could I have done differently?” could run through your mind and keep you up at night.
At MindWell NYC, we recognize that you’re doing the best you can to help your child and we’re here to affirm all your hard work. Our goal is to take some of the weight off your shoulders and provide the compassionate support that your child needs. We offer therapy for children dealing with anxiety, depression, and many other emotional and behavioral challenges.
Children Today Are Growing Up In An Increasingly Stressful And Demanding World
Kids today face unprecedented amounts of pressure to succeed in school and keep up with all the latest trends on social media. In New York City, these pressures are especially intense. The academic environment is highly competitive and children are expected to know what they want to do with their lives from a young age.
In the face of all these pressures, it’s no wonder so many children struggle to regulate their emotions. They are simply too young to know how to cope with all the stressors on their plate. As a result, they often behave in problematic ways to manage their mental health issues. They might misbehave at school, have meltdowns and outbursts, or refuse to talk about their problems. To figure out how to cope with their challenges effectively, sometimes children need the help of a mental health professional.
Many Parents Feel Confused By All The Conflicting Parenting Advice In Our Culture
These days, there is no shortage of conflicting information about “the right way to parent.” It’s hard for parents to know what advice to follow and which interventions to use, especially if their child doesn’t respond to mainstream parenting techniques discussed on blogs and social media. After all, not all the parenting advice out there is particularly helpful, and some of it might not work for your child.
This is why child therapy is so vital. A counselor can help you get to the root of your child’s struggles, see their situation from a different perspective, and come up with solutions that are tailored directly to their needs.
Therapy Can Equip Your Child With Skills That Last A Lifetime
At MindWell NYC, our goal is to provide insight into your child’s emotional and behavioral difficulties. We’ll help them identify the challenging parts of their life and figure out what’s getting in the way of them feeling happy, connected, and regulated. Along the way, we’ll equip you with parenting strategies so that you can continue the work of therapy in your home environment.
Therapy gives your child a safe, welcoming, and comfortable space to discuss their concerns and open themselves up to new ways of learning. We utilize a variety of child-friendly interventions to make therapy engaging for kids. Our therapists have lots of experience working with children and we know how to get on their level through the use of art, games, and other activities that encourage skill building and self-expression.
What To Expect In Child Counseling Sessions
In the beginning, we will meet with you and your child together to discuss the basics of therapy and outline a plan for treatment. Next, we will have individual sessions with you and your child separately so that we can better understand their needs and assess what’s happening at home. From that point on, most sessions will generally be held with your child alone, although we always encourage parental participation in the healing process.
After all, your relationship with your child is the most important part of their development. We want to equip you with the insights and skills to understand your child’s behavior and make life easier for them in the home. From time to time, we can do parent coaching sessions to supplement the work of therapy and give you a chance to discuss your child’s progress.
Tailoring Your Child’s Treatment Plan
We draw from a wide variety of interventions to help children work through their mental health issues, since we recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Some of the main treatment methods that we use are outlined below:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—The goal of CBT is to teach children about the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behavior. They can learn to reduce problematic behaviors, such as lashing out or throwing tantrums, and act in a way that’s in line with their goals.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)—This approach can give children concrete skills for regulating out-of-control emotions. Doing so can help them tolerate distress without making things worse and communicate what they want and need in their relationships.
Mindfulness-based therapy—Mindfulness can help children increase their present-moment awareness, be more in tune with their emotions, and reduce risky behaviors.
No matter which approach works best for your child, it’s important to remember that childhood mental health issues are highly treatable. Kids are very adaptive and it’s easy for them to learn and apply new skills quickly. With the right support, we’re confident that your child can gain the skills to manage their emotions, improve their relationship with you, and live a more fulfilling life.
You May Have Some Questions About Child Therapy…
-Is my child’s behavior normal? This is a common question that parents ask themselves when they have concerns about their child’s behavior(s). The truth is, based on age or developmental stage, some behaviors are typical and normative and others are not. For example, as children get old enough to understand how to lie, that behavior may be normal for them. When these are of the ‘white lie’ variety, these are not typically problematic. However, if over time, lying becomes more habitual or problematic, it can become a target behavior to work on in therapy. Another common example is a child not listening to parents, which can be normal at particular ages or developmental stages. However, depending on the child’s age, the extent of the behavior, and the impact it may have, this behavior may not be in line with what is typical of a child that age. In child therapy, your therapist can help you and your child assess what behaviors may be problematic and can identify useful tools to change or manage the behavior if needed.
What if we don’t have room in our schedule for therapy?
We understand that you and your child are busy, but chances are that you’re already spending a lot of time and energy tending to your child’s emotional difficulties. Taking care of your child’s mental health struggles now can actually free up space in your schedule for both of you. When your child is healthy and well, you won’t have to invest as much time trying to help them manage their mental health issues.
What if my child doesn’t want to go to therapy?
Many parents worry that their children won’t want to sit still and talk about their feelings, and that’s okay. At MindWell NYC, we make therapy engaging for kids because we don’t expect them to behave like adults. We utilize a wide range of child-friendly activities to help kids express their feelings, reduce their stress, and learn to problem-solve. While it’s true that many children are reluctant to attend therapy at first, they usually come to enjoy their time immensely here once trust and rapport have been built.
What if my child is different and therapy doesn’t work for them?
Although we use research-backed interventions, we focus intently on adapting treatment to a child’s needs and meeting them wherever they are in life. Our therapists have lots of experience working with kids who think differently—that’s why our approach to the healing process is very customizable. We want to know what works and doesn’t work for your child so that their treatment can be effective.
Together, Let’s Empower Your Child To Live Their Best Life
Between your dedication and our support, let’s work together to set your child up for happiness and success. To learn more about our approach to child counseling, you can email us, schedule a free consultation, or call 646-809-5440.
