If your child is struggling with behavioral issues or has experienced a recent trauma or loss, early therapeutic intervention is one of the best ways to help them cope.
Countless studies show how incredibly devastating unresolved childhood trauma can be, and how it plays a huge part in holding people back and creating a myriad of problems in adulthood.
Unaddressed behavior issues in children can lead to devastating consequences later in life, and the sooner a child learns better ways of getting their needs met or processing something difficult, the better.
If you’re wondering if child therapy is effective and worth seeking out, here’s everything you need to know.
The Earlier the Treatment, The Quicker the Result
Kids are primed for learning. Their brains are constantly taking in the world and trying to make sense of it.
If your child learns that behaving in a certain way gets them what they want, they are likely to repeat that behavior in the future, and it can quickly become a pattern that becomes challenging to break.
Early intervention is an excellent way to address negative behavior, and teach the child a better way of expressing themselves to get their needs met.
Many parents use therapy as a last resort for addressing behavior issues, not realizing how much easier it would be to remedy if they’d brought their child in at the onset of the behavior.
Therapy Teaches Children to Express Themselves
Many people struggle with connecting with how they feel, and then expressing it in a healthy way. Perhaps it’s because it’s something most of us never learned how to do as a kid.
Therapy introduces children to this incredibly powerful skill.
It teaches them the complexity of feelings, the fleeting nature of emotions, and how feelings are inherently neutral—neither good nor bad—just a means of processing experiences and not something to be feared.
Therapy Helps Children Overcome Challenges
Therapy is an excellent way to instill resilience into children, teaching them that just because something bad happened, it’s not the end of the world.
The skills that they’re taught in session are skills they can use for the rest of their life. Since their brain is still developing, the tools they use are more likely to become “hard wired,” something they may reach for again and again.
Therapy Teaches Children It’s Not Their Fault
Most adults—maybe even you—grew up with a deep feeling of shame thinking that something was your fault. Perhaps it was because you believed you weren’t good enough in some way, you were flawed, and spent a good portion of your early adult life working tirelessly to prove you were worthy of love and acceptance.
Therapy saves children from having to experience this. It’s an excellent way of teaching them that just because something bad happened, it’s not their fault. They are in no way to blame.
Therapy also teaches children the importance of separating self from accomplishments. It’s great to achieve goals and do well, but whether they win or lose has nothing to do with their inherent worth.
Therapists Know How to Reach Children
Therapists are trained in childhood development and have a host of age-appropriate therapeutic techniques they can use to connect with the child, build rapport and trust, and allow the child to better express themselves.
Therapists are able to teach neurodivergent children different ways to manage and mitigate their personal challenges. They’re able to work with parents as well, helping them understand their child better, and create an environment that helps the child thrive.
The Benefits are Long Lasting
Studies show the benefits of therapy during childhood are long lasting. They learn life isn’t as scary as they thought, and discover that the big scary feelings are only big and scary because they’re made to feel that way—not because they actually are.
There are so many things learned later in life that many of us wish we could have learned when we were younger, and therapy equips children with much of this knowledge.
If you’re worried about your child, don’t wait until their behavior is out of control. If they’re beginning to exhibit symptoms of anxiety, or are finding it difficult to get through school, whatever it is, therapy can help. Give us a call, we’d love to hear from you and share more about how we can help.
Begin Play Therapy or Child Counseling in Roseville or Fair Oaks, CA Today!
If your child is struggling one of the best things you can do is be proactive in getting your child help from a trained play therapist. With help and support your child can overcome the things that are troubling them and move forward in their life with more confidence and peace. Our counseling practice offers specialized play therapy and child counseling services by certified play therapists at both of our locations. Your child, and your family, can get to a better place. Our child therapists are here to help.
To begin counseling in Fair Oaks, CA, Roseville, CA or online, follow these steps
- Contact the Relationship Therapy Center and schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn more about in-person or online child therapy.
- Make an appointment for your teen to meet with one of our compassionate child therapists.
- Get the support your teen needs to navigate adolescent challenges with confidence!
Other Services Offered at The Relationship Therapy Center in California:
In addition to child therapy, Our Sacramento area counseling clinics located in Roseville and Fair Oaks, CA are pleased to offer a variety of mental health services. Our couples services include: Counseling after infidelity, sex therapy, co-parent counseling, family therapy, divorce counseling, intensive couples retreats, and premarital counseling. Individual therapy services include, therapy for children, teen therapy, depression treatment, and individual relationship counseling. Our therapists offer online counseling in California to treat a variety of mental health concerns. Please reach out to our Sacramento area therapy office to learn more about the many ways we can help you or your loved ones heal and grow.