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CHILD THERAPY
Using creative and playful therapy interventions to regulate and build self-confidence!
If your child is struggling with any (or multiple) of the following:
making friends
sleeping at night
feeling confident
trying new things
frequent bed-wetting
concentrating in class
calming down after being upset
not being "perfect the first time"
processing past or current events
expressing themselves in safe ways
communicating how they're feeling
leaving your side in social situations
feeling comfortable in their body or clothing
harming themselves (hitting their heads, cutting, pinching, etc.)
then Play Therapy sessions with me at Spectrum Counseling may benefit them!
When you feel like you've tried all of the options you know and aren't seeing changes, it can be so exhausting and scary. Especially if they have already received a diagnosis earlier in their life, it can be confusing when new stressors appear and affect them. You want what's best for your child and you don't want them to struggle through life. Let me support you and bring a fresh perspective and new ideas!
Instead of sitting with your child and regurgitating literature from a book or forcing them to practice skills that don't make sense to them, we get to go on a self-guided journey and learn through experience! My main technique is Play Therapy. Oftentimes, folks hear "play" and assume that if a kid is playing, they aren't doing any work. The beauty of Play Therapy is that work is being done while the child explores their world and identity through play. Play is a child's first language. In the play room, they are in charge. They get to practice decision making skills, trouble-shooting challenges, and develop leadership traits while processing the events that are impacting their daily lives. For more information, please check out the Association for Play Therapy's website.
The best part is that you, as the caregiver, can learn how to provide this space for self-expression and growth at home for them! You are an integral part of their healing and will be involved in treatment every step of the way. We will meet every few weeks to discuss updates, progress, and to go over skills that you can practice at home with your child.
If you’re ready to dig in and work hard, I want to meet you!
My ultimate goal is to teach you what I know and work myself out of my role so that you can provide a sustainable therapeutic space at home for your child. You deserve a home that is calm, comfortable, and safe for your kid, yourself, and your family as a whole.
For established clients, I also offer other services. For more details, please click here.
DOES MY CHILD NEED THERAPY?
This is a great question - and one that comes up often! Sometimes a kid may have a diagnosis already and caregivers may wonder if they need counseling. Other times, life circumstance can shift and cause new behaviors that seem worrying.
Without hearing about you, your child's unique situation and needs, and learning about your family and culture, it's hard to definitively say if your child needs counseling.
If you're curious about whether your kid may benefit from working with me and they already have a diagnosis, try taking this quick quiz.
If your child has some of the symptoms mentioned in the list above and you're not sure if it's at a level where counseling could be helpful, please read this post: Is My Kid Worrying "Too Much"?
WHAT TECHNIQUES WILL WE USE?
Some caregivers do a lot of research and decide they want a therapist that uses specific modalities, theories, perspectives or techniques.
I like to blend different ones together so that we can do what makes the most sense for your child and their specific needs.
The basis of all of my interventions (for children) is Play Therapy.
Your child will have access to a dedicated and fully stocked play room with me.
For children, I generally draw from the following:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Adlerian,
Child-Centered Play Therapy, Child Parent Relationship Therapy,
and other modes of Play Therapy (which includes Sand Tray, Art, Music, and Theraplay techniques!)
There are other styles that I’ve learned but do not often use with children -
if a specific modality is important to you, please let me know during our consult call.