Does your child have trouble dealing with their emotions? Is their behavior sometimes disruptive to your home life? Have they experienced sudden loss or trauma?

As they grow, children and adolescents develop social skills and emotional intelligence. This awareness helps them to develop into healthy, happy, and successful individuals. But some children have trouble processing their emotions and this often leads to behavior that negatively impacts their school life, home life, and overall well-being.

Effective Forms of Therapy for Children and Adolescents

Therapy offers children and adolescents a safe space to work through their thoughts and emotions. With the help of a specialized therapist, children can resolve problems, modify behaviors, and make positive and lasting changes.

The following are a few different types of psychotherapy available to children and families. Each offers unique approaches and techniques to bring about positive outcomes. Sometimes a therapist may choose to use just one specific treatment, and other times he or she may find a combination of various treatments is the best approach.

Play Therapy 

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate way for children to express thoughts and feelings when they may not have the words. Through play, children can process difficult experiences, build coping skills, and strengthen their sense of confidence and connection. Play therapy supports emotional growth, resilience, and self-expression in a way that feels natural and empowering to children.

I also believe that you, as a parent or caregiver, are the expert on your child. You know your child better than anyone else, and your insights are invaluable to the therapeutic process. I see therapy as a partnership, where we combine your deep understanding of your child with my clinical experience to support meaningful growth and connection. My goal is to help you feel more confident and supported in your parenting, while giving your child the tools they need to thrive.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps children to identify harmful thought patterns. Once a child recognizes that their thoughts create their feelings and moods, they can learn to control themselves and their behavior. Research has shown that CBT is highly effective at treating depression and anxiety as well as helping individuals, including children, deal with traumatic experiences. 

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented approach that focuses on what’s working and helps clients build on their strengths to create positive change.

Rather than spending a lot of time exploring problems, SFBT helps children, teens, and families identify their goals and the small steps they can take to move forward. It’s a hopeful, empowering approach that emphasizes resilience, capabilities, and the belief that change is possible.

SFBT is especially helpful for clients who are:

• Feeling stuck or overwhelmed

• Struggling with specific challenges like anxiety, school stress, or conflict

• Needing short-term support to move toward a goal

• Looking for a future-focused, strengths-based approach

By focusing on solutions instead of problems, SFBT encourages meaningful progress, often in fewer sessions.

Who is Therapy Right for?

At every age, children can be faced with life’s challenges. The following are some of the events and scenarios that can impact a child’s mental health and well-being:

• The death of a loved one
• Bullying
• Trauma
• Moving or attending a new school
• Divorce
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Life adjustments
• Self image/self esteem
• Friendship challenges
• School challenges

Therapy is not a quick fix to a child’s behavioral or emotional challenges. It is instead a thoughtful and comprehensive process that provides children with insights and skills so that they may become masters of their thoughts and feelings. This, in essence, is how children develop into happy, healthy, and successful adults.

If you would like to explore treatment options for your child, please give my office a call. All children services include consultation with parents on a weekly basis.