Counseling Services for children look different than counseling for adults because children communicate their emotions through behaviors. There is a lot more psychoeducation involved in the therapy process to help children gain an awareness of what emotions are, how they are felt, and the appropriate ways to express and communicate them.

I believe that all children’s natural language for learning is through play and interactive engagement. I take a very nondirective approach to services in the beginning to help foster trust and confidence in counseling and the counseling process.

Children are not able to always independently make these changes on their own, so I strongly encourage parental involvement. Depending on the age of the child I like to have a couple of minutes before or after session where parents can come in and supportively engage in the progress and gains made by the child. This helps parents understand where their child is in relation to their goals and how they can support and foster change.

Common Concerns that occur during Childhood

• Persistent sadness — two or more weeks
• Withdrawing from or avoiding social interactions
• Hurting oneself or talking about hurting oneself
• Talking about death or suicide
• Outbursts or extreme irritability
• Out-of-control behavior that can be harmful
• Drastic changes in mood, behavior or personality
• Changes in eating habits
• Loss of weight
• Difficulty sleeping
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in academic performance
• Avoiding or missing school

Adolescents struggle with so many different challenges that it can seem very overwhelming. They are going through some pretty significant physical and emotional changes and then add on identity development, social pressure, and academic and performance stress and it’s not wonder they could be struggling. With the right support teens can improve their concept of self, confidence and develop tools to make them resilient in life.

As with children I value working with parents and encourage parental involvement, however, it is important that boundaries around parent and therapist communication are in place. The goal is for the client to feel safe and trust the therapist during their therapeutic process. 

If the client is open to inviting their parent to provide insight, I do try to have the parent join for a few minutes every 2-3 sessions. I just ask parents to work collaboratively to ensure that their child is getting the most they can out of therapy.

Common Concerns that occur during adolescence

• Irritability and Isolation
• Episodes of crying or shouting
• Bullying (in school or online)
• Over concern with body image or weight
• Changes in sleep and eating habits
• Pressure to Overachieve
• Cutting, burning or self-harm
• Talk of wanting to die or suicide
• Depression and Anxiety
• Adjustment concerns

There are a variety of different life stressors that cause adults to struggle with forward movement in life. The truth is that everyone can benefit from counseling because sometimes it helps to just feel heard. Whatever the issue that brings you in for counseling we will work together to explore the tools you already have and things that can be added to help you be successful and living a healthy lifestyle.

Signs that you may benefit from counseling

• Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
• Feeling anxious, restless, or “on the edge”
• Loss of interest in work, family, or once fun activities
• Problems related to sex and performance
• Feeling sad, numb, or hopeless
• Not being able to concentrate or remember details
• Issues with sleep or feeling tired all the time
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Thoughts of wanting to die or suicide attempts
• Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or stomach problems
• Drinking excessively or using drugs
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
• Withdrawing from family and friends or becoming isolated
• Heart palpitations, sensations of shortness of breath, or feeling “out of control”