Bringing your child or teen for therapy can be a stressful situation for many parents. I am often asked, "When is the right time to come in?" The best for that question usually is, “Right now!” If you think that your child might benefit from talking to someone, I encourage parents to trust their parental instincts and set up a session. Below is some useful information to help guide you in understanding the benefits of therapy.
In therapy, your child will learn the following:
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New strategies to cope with feelings and stressful situations
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Improved ways to communicate their feelings to you
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Increased listening skills so that your child better understands what you are expecting of them
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Reduced anxiety and stress thanks to the use of new coping skills
How does talking to a therapist help?
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Talking with a neutral 3rd party individual changes the dynamic
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There are no preconceived agendas
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There is no bias or emotions tied to a therapist’s feedback
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Therapists empower individuals to make their own decisions
Often times as adults we are able to reach out to our support system to help guide us in the decision making process. Many adults have learned problem-solving skills through various life experiences. Currently, many of our children and teens live in a society where there are no questions, as most things they want to know about can be searched on the internet. Despite this reality, some issues like coping with anxiety, depression, improving our self-esteem, managing out social interactions, and navigating an ever-growing social media landscape can not be found on the internet.
Talking with a therapist fills in the gaps. Children and teens do not have to feel alone when trying to solve these problems when they can bounce their questions, concerns, and ideas off of a therapist.
For more information on the benefits of counseling for children, please review this article below from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/raising-resilient-children/201209/the-benefits-psychotherapy
Is therapy for me?
Vasto Counseling, LLC
