DOES MY CHILD NEED A THERAPIST? You may be wondering how to know if your child would be helped by seeing a child specialist.
Do you see your child in any of the following?
- My child is more withdrawn lately. She sulks all the time.
She wants to isolate, stay in her room, not be with the family.
He questions everything I ask him to do. Then he argues.
She cries more easily now. She even talks about wanting to die.
He doesn’t do homework. It is such a struggle every night. His grades have gone down lately. He just doesn’t care.
She is so angry lately. He yells. She argues. I want to scream!
He tries to kick, bite, or hit me or his siblings.
She just won’t listen to me. He shows no respect.
Does this sound like your child? Have you been there? Or, are you there now? I know that it hurts to see your child so sad or angry.
Underneath all those behaviors, and the feelings they bring up in your child, and in you, is an underlying desire for a safe, loving relationship.
Yes, all of our children experience occasional stress and conflicts as they grow up. There are normal developmental stressors and tasks they must experience. Disruptions may happen. Parents may divorce. Families may experience a lot of conflict, or have grief and loss in the family. When your child’s behavior interferes with his friendships, her schooling, the family, or his health, it may mean that she or he needs professional help to feel balanced again.
Some children and teens turn inward.
They get depressed, take their anger out on themselves, withdraw, and become extremely self-critical. They may shut down. When under stress, many kids regress to earlier developmental coping skills they used as a child, but that are no longer age appropriate or effective now.
Other children act out. These kids act out their anger, often on others. They rebel, argue, fight. They are the first to blame others. They do this to avoid more vulnerable feelings. They may lash out at their friends, siblings, and you, their parents. They may even rage, hit, break rules, threaten reckless behaviors.
Most children in therapy have lost a sense of self. When our children don’t feel good about themselves, they feel anxious and vulnerable to challenging situations.
Let me help you and your child find each other again in child therapy. In my 28 years of private practice, I have seen how childhood depression, anger problems, school problems and separation anxieties, and behavior issues are treatable.
Call me, Claudia Trevithick at 720-242-9241 for a free initial 20 minute phone consult or call me to set up an appointment.
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