Mental HealthParenting

How Kids Therapy Can Work Wonders for Your Child

By June 7, 2022 No Comments

 

HOW KIDS THERAPY CAN WORK WONDERS FOR YOUR CHILD

Therapy is one of the most effective-yet-feared avenues for the welfare of a child. Discovering that your kid needs professional help can be an uncomfortable spot to be in. However, mental health issues are part and parcel of life and should be dealt with the same tact as other health conditions.

Let’s understand how kids’ therapy can work wonders for your child in the long run.

Need for Kids Therapy

It is essential to understand that untreated emotional and behavioral anomalies will affect your child’s future health and well-being detrimentally. Fixing these mental health issues will provide them with the liberty to lead an everyday life at school and on the playground amongst friends.

Moreover, the techniques involved in therapy also help inculcate a healthy foundation of skills that your child can build upon for the rest of their life. It makes the child well-equipped with the right mindset to manage, overcome, and get rid of the symptoms. Eventually, they will become rounded individuals and functional members of society.

Types of Therapies for Children and Teens

The type of therapy offered to individuals is decided upon after consideration of a lot of aspects, including their age. Here is a list of the most commonly prescribed therapies for children and teens.

  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Children suffering from anxiety and depression usually find CBT very helpful and effective. As part of the healing process, kids learn how to perceive their thought processes and how they lead to dreary mental spirals. They then use this ability to turn these patterns for the better and create wholesome and healthy cognitive behavior.

  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

PCIT aims to coach parents on how to interact with children positively. This real-time guidance towards supportive conversations helps children struggling with behavior problems or having communication issues with their parents. This exchange nurtures a bond between the adults and the kids, making them feel secure.

  • Play Therapy

Therapists use a kid’s playtime to make observations and gain insights into the struggles they might be facing. Play therapy comes in handy when the child cannot articulate his concerns to the elders about unresolved trauma and related symptoms. Children play out their tiny world in all rawness when they are playing, and an experienced therapist will be able to decode the crux and work in the right direction.

  • Relaxation Therapy

It is usually deployed as a supplementary procedure to another more dedicated form of therapy. Relaxation techniques include muscle relaxation, deep breathing, mindfulness, and meditation. These help kids handle intense emotions and are highly effective for anxiety, sleeplessness, PTSD, ADHD, anger issues, etc.

  • Psychodynamic Therapy:

The primary aim of this mode of therapy is to comprehend the issues underlying the child’s behavior and feelings. By making the kids face their inner conflicts, therapists are able to understand their defense mechanisms and work on them. The ultimate aim is to encourage the kid to process their past experiences and avoid unhealthy behaviors arising from unconscious thoughts.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is used to treat older teens suffering from self-sabotage or suicidal thoughts. Generally used on people with personality disorders, DBT holds the child accountable for their problems while teaching them to deal with stressful situations and negative emotions.

Some other prominent variants include family therapy, supportive therapy, art therapy, and applied behavior analysis.

Conclusion

Childhood is where the foundation for future personality is laid down. Therefore, nipping behavioral issues in the bud positively affects a child’s ability to feel, act and learn in the long term when they mature into an adult.

For more awareness on professional counseling and life coaching, head over to Lifeworks Counseling Center.

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