Counseling for Kids Orlando
Kids also deal with similar stressors that the adults face: divorce, alcohol and drug abuse, death of a loved one, local crime, toxic home environment, bullying at school and much more. We cannot shield our kids from these events. They respond accordingly with fear, anxiety, stress, depression and withdraw when they perceive their needs not getting met. When the degree to which these behaviors influence their ability to function it is an indicator they need help.
Counseling For Kids Orlando
The problems that often bring the family to therapy are related to emotional issues. Many of which can be treated with talk therapy and CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Often times parents need help to understand the developmental process and issues. Other times the issues are more complex and the family needs some intense work to become untangled.
Counseling For Kids Orlando
The Parents Role
I can speak for myself and other therapists when we say that it is very important to have at least one parent that is closely involved in the therapy sessions with a child. Two is optimal but one is still good. As far as I am concerned it is totally ineffective if the parents are not involved in implementing and educating themselves along side their children. As they learn to cope with life stress you must learn to respond to their needs. You may need couples therapy, family or individual counseling to clear away your own fears, anxiety and depression. Bringing the family in for family therapy is essential.
By not having the parents attend it limits the ability for the child to grow. Parents will learn to effectively listen and hear what their child’s concerns are. As the parent you have much more influence over your child. You spend the most time with them. Many children have been conditioned to take care of or protect their parents feelings.They may hesitate at first to express their anger, fears, etc. My role as the therapist is to convey this information to the parents.
Counseling For Kids Orlando
Asking The Right Questions
My role as a therapist is to ask the right questions. Asking open ended questions are far better than closed ended questions.
Open ended questions do not allow the child to say yes or no. It requires and encourages them to give a more detailed answer. For example:
- “What are the feelings you have about this?”
- “What do you see as the advantage of doing the things we have talked about today in session?”
- “Can you tell me what some disadvantages might be?”
You want to try and avoid asking closed ended questions such as:
- “Are you feeling sad?”
- “Are you happy about school ending and the summer coming?”
Affirm the Child
It is important to always keep encouraging the child to flow with the conversation. I want to show the child that I respect their input and listen to them. The message I am trying to get across is that “their voice is important and they are safe to open up and express their feelings.”
By showing the child that what they have to say is important, I am able to gain their trust and they feel validated. They want to share because they feel heard and appreciated.
There are endless advantages of counseling for kids. It is extremely important to be able to get them to talk and to not implode and stuff their feelings. If you think your child could benefit from counseling than give them the support they need now. Call today and let’s get started.
