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Child Counseling

Are you noticing changes in your child’s behavior – easily upset, worries, crying or throwing temper tantrums instead of expressing his or her feelings?
Have you been getting concerns from your child’s teacher or school staff about disruptive behavior in classroom, distraction, not focusing in classroom or not finishing tasks in a timely manner?
Are you worried about your child’s social skills?
Is your child easily frustrated or angered instead of solving a problem on his own?
Are you tired of constant arguments, fighting or defiance from your child?
Do you want parenting strategies without judgment so you’re able to help your child?
Do you want to best prepare your child(ren) to cope with a difficult life event such as separation or divorce, death in the family, loss of a pet, or an upcoming move that might disrupt their life?
Are you stressed and nervous about your child’s defiance, risk-taking behaviors and failing grades?

Childhood is supposed to be best time, why my child is acting out?

Childhood can be the best, stress-free & fun-filled time in one’s life, but it can also be the scariest time as children often feel lack of control, inability to understand events or cope with unexpected events as developmentally they do not have the coping or comprehension abilities to deal with the sudden changes or tragedies, or even to deal with healthy development changes such as going from adolescent to puberty. Therefore, parents or guardians often observe risk-taking, defiant and acting out or negative attention seeking behaviors from children because your child may not know how to express their thoughts, feelings or fears in a healthy way. On the other hand, some children may try to cope with a situation by isolation, withdrawal and may appear depressed. Children are also prone to experiencing anxiety due to lack of control and fear of unknown or unpredictable future. Children may display separation anxiety from the caregiver, may display social anxiety, or panic attacks. Children are also vulnerable of becoming victims of emotional/sexual abuse, bullying victim or cyber-bullying victim due to increased exposure of social media, and video-gaming. These situations can also elicit dramatic personality changes that can be very concerning.

What are some common reason parents seeking counseling for children?

Parents or guardians often bring their children for individual and family therapy. In family therapy, it could be for the child, child & the siblings, or child & the parents, or the whole family to address relationship issues, setting rules & expectations, creating structure & boundaries to eliminate constant bickering, arguments and assist parents gain authority in a nurturing manner when children test boundaries.

Children also receive therapy for anxiety issues, mood related problems, attention-deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), adjustment issues, behavioral problems (oppositional defiance disorder), legal issues, substance use/abuse, gender dysphoria, trauma therapy (physical/emotional/sexual abuse) and PTSD symptoms. Therapist often utilize psychotherapy, art therapy, or play therapy to engage children who are struggling to express verbally to teach them healthy community and coping skills. Adolescents & Teens often respond really well to talk therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as they are able to learn skills to retrain their thought process and learn to resolve problem in a healthy manner.

I never thought my child would need counseling, what would my family think or my child’s friends think if he or she’s in counseling?

We encourage parents or caregivers to be careful of your own judgements and avoid shaming yourself or your child for seeking counseling. Your child needs your support - with counseling, your support & encouragement they can bounce back to their base functioning. This could turn into a very positive experience for you & your child, and provide your child with basic life skills and tools to overcome future challenges. Also, your & your child’s counseling journey is strictly confidential. Your child counselor or therapist will not share any information with anyone without parent’s permission.

I’m worried about being treated or seen like a bad parent, will a therapist understand or support me as a parent

Raising a child would be so much easier if every child came with an operating manual! Most parents do constantly worry about making mistakes and unintentionally hurting their children. Your child’s therapist probably can relate to your feelings of being judged or criticized for your parenting style because most likely they have children too. Also, often, some of the childhood disorders can be stemming from genetic or hereditary factors (such as anxiety, depression, OCD, ADD/ADHD are linked to genetic or environmental factors) so it may not have anything to do with your parenting.

We want you, as a parent, to feel like an important part of the therapy process. Your child cannot succeed without your love & support, therefore, child counselor or therapist often involve parent in the therapy process so we are all working on same goals as a team. Your child’s counselor can provide coaching to tackle future challenges.

Remember, children are resilient, they are constantly changing, evolving & adapting to the world around them. Give them the best support they need to become productive member of the community as adults.

At Wake Counseling, we can provide that support & opportunity for your child to overcome life challenges.

New clients call or text at 919-647-4600 or email at Info@Wakecounseling.com to schedule an appointment.