Youth Counseling

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Youth Counseling

Mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns in childhood can result in long-term stressors that may affect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities.

Adressing a child’s concerns as soon as possible can help children reduce difficulties at home, in school, and in forming friendships. It can also help with healthy development into adulthood. Psychological therapy is a key component to improving mental health.

Youth Counseling is meant to help a child manage their symptoms so that they can function well at home, in school, and in their community. When children are young, it is common for therapy to include the parent. Sometimes therapists work with the parents alone. Older children may meet with a therapist alone as well. Some types of therapy include working with the whole family or other important adults in the child’s life (for example, a teacher).

Methods

For the most common childhood concerns, like ADHD, behavior disorders, anxiety, or depression, approaches using behavior therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy are more likely to reduce symptoms, which include the following:

Parent Training in Behavior Management – Typically works well for concerns such as disruptive behavior or attention deficit and hyperactivity.
Child Behavior Counseling – When combined with parent education and training, typically works well for concerns such as disruptive behavior or attention deficit and hyperactivity.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Typically works well to reduce the sumptoms of anxiety and depression. Symptom reduction often results in improvement of disruptive behavior and the post-traumatic stress.

How it Works

The clinician works hard to build a trusting relationship with your child, so they can communicate openly. No matter the type of therapy, a clinician’s primary goal in youth counseling is to provide a safe, comfortable space for children to feel understood. Through various methods, clinicians will most often help children with:

Identifying Thoughts & Feelings – Help children understand how they think and feel in different setting and situations.
Evaluating Thoughts & Feelings – Some thoughts and feelings may result in a reaction or behavior that is not appropriate or “fit” the situation. A clinician will help the child determine if the response is appropriate and identify alerternate thoughts, feelings, and responses
Reframe Thoughts & Feelings – When the child’s thoughts, feelings or reactions are incongruent to the situation, stressor, or environment a clinician helps the child reframe to a more accurate perception.

Benefits

Youth Counseling is a great way to help children deal with life’s challenges. It supports a reduction in anxiety and depression, and an increase in self-esteem, social skills, and a strong sense of self. Seeing a specialist allows children to learn how to better regulate emotions and learn about the connection to their behavior, creating the opportunity to better control both healthy feelings and reactions.

Call: (877)885-5850

Youth Counseling