Child and Youth Therapy
Children are not exempt from the effects of stressful experiences and traumas. They often have difficulty adjusting to changes in their environment and may display symptoms and stress in a variety of ways that can be troublesome and confusing to adults. Therapy may be beneficial in aiding children in processing their thoughts, feelings and experiences to gain better understanding of them and learn more effective ways to manage problems and express themselves. Therapy provides children the opportunity for mastery of different skills and a sense of control in the chaos of the world around them. Multiple mediums are used and techniques are tailored to the needs of each youth. Child and youth therapy may include play, art, music, sand, games and other activities. It may be non-directive, allowing children to explore, process and problem solve with minimal limitations and interruptions. It may also include directives and specific instructions or activities in order to guide learning and conversations. Care-giver and family involvement is highly encouraged and may be required for success in treatment of children and youths. A systemic approach provides better understanding of problems in order to gain a more clear viewpoint of concerns and patterns and may lead to more long term improvements and positive change for all members rather than just the child presenting for therapy. In child and youth therapy, your therapist may provide coaching in order to learn more effective ways to approach concerns, improve ability to connect with your child, and decrease problematic behaviors and symptoms.