5 Signs Your Child Needs Counseling
There may be times when sudden changes in your child development such as feelings of sadness or with their change of sleeping habits that make you think that he/she might have to undergo therapy or extra support. Child therapy teaches children to be aware of their mental health issues and negative behavior while helping them build their coping skills together with a mental health professional.
A change in your children's and teens' personalities might be the cause of a major life traumatic experience in his/her life or that your child is struggling with, but there are still a lot of other possibilities. Despite these, it is crucial to observe your child and know when to pursue counseling for children. Here is a list of signs that can indicate if your child could enjoy the assistance of counseling services:
Aggressive Behavior
An obvious sign your child needs counseling is when your child’s behavior causes problems inside and outside your home. It could be evident that your child is likely to start an argument, complain, or even become defensive when initiating a conversation with him/her or by just asking a simple favor. Take note of your child’s responses and reactions and how often they occur. This could be an indicator that your child is asking for help without him/her asking.
It’s also advisable to have a close relationship with your child’s teachers and other parents that interact with your child on a daily basis. It’s best to express your concern to them and they could let you know if ever they notice any different behavior in your child that affects his/her relationship with his/her peers.
Sudden Shift in Interests and Habits
Like any sudden changes in behavior, changes in a child’s common interests and habits can be a sign that your child needs counseling. The changes that can be easily noticed are areas in eating, sleeping, and personal interest. If the given changes last about two weeks or long term, considering a check-up for your child with your family doctor may be a great idea. The doctor might even put your mind at ease and help put you on the right path for they can diagnose if these changes are caused by stress in your child.
Excessive Worrying and Sadness
This is the most straightforward sign that your child might be needing help that is out of your reach. While worrying and sadness are a normal part of a child’s life, especially in transitioning periods, school stress, and other sudden changes, once they become excessive, it is a clear sign that worrying and sadness could be eating your child inside. As a result, their minds get clouded with negative thoughts and they would always have a pessimist mindset. This is not good for your child for their thoughts and feelings are vulnerable and compromised where immediate professional attention would be needed.
Regressions
Regressions are more common in younger children where they can happen when a new sibling is born when divorce occurs or any significant life changes happen at home. This is when a child acts younger or in a needier way. These can be seen when your child has more temper tantrums, has difficulty sleeping or eating, and revert to immature behavior or ways of talking. Although sometimes, a regression can happen without any particular reason is when you need to have a closer look at your child. Other common signs of regression from your child may include:
Bedwetting (when already potty trained)
Constant temper tantrums
Separation anxiety and clinginess
Excessive anxiety and fearfulness
Language regression (resorting to baby talk)
Social Isolation
Another sign is when your child isolates themselves socially, it’s better if you will have a closer look and try to talk to your child and find out what’s troubling them emotionally. This can happen when a child becomes sad or anxious causing them to avoid social interaction and keep everything to themselves. When this happens commonly and causes interpersonal relationships to fall apart, a sad day is less likely to be the cause. You can confirm this sign when your child is not really shy or an introvert and something or someone then caused them to be one.
Social isolation comes in many forms, here are some ways a child socially isolate themselves when they are down:
Eating lunch alone
Avoids playdates and other social activities
Lack of confidence or wish to leave the house
List of Therapy for Children
Family Therapy - A family therapy is beneficial for both children and adolescents alike. It is a type of group therapy for psychological counseling or psychotherapy that could help improve communication among family members and resolve any outstanding conflicts.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy - This type of therapy involves a mental health counselor that has more structure, this is done by attending a limited number of sessions. This could help your child become more aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so they could view challenging situations better and respond to them in an effective way.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy - This is a talking therapy that is based on cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. It’s specifically adapted for children who feel strong emotions. The job of DBT is to help your child understand and accept difficult feelings and learn skills on how to better manage them.
Get Your Child The Help They Need
Reframe Counseling Services has a wide range of counseling programs and services for your child until the age of 21 years old. Apart from the mental health services offered, our goal is to give the proper assistance to the needs of each child individually. Given the list of signs that your child might need counseling, you now have a better idea of when to better take care of your child’s mental health and emotional well-being with the help of a professional.
