How Do I Know If My Child Would Benefit from Therapy?

We all tend to have good and bad days. But how do I tell if my child is having more than just a few bad days in a row? What’s a sign that they may need more than what I can offer them? These questions can be heavy and overwhelming for any parent, even the most attuned and well-prepared. When it comes to knowing when the right time is to seek professional help, there are some signals you can keep in mind.

Behavioral Changes

It’s somewhat normal for a teenager to want to spend more time in their room and especially more time with their friends than their family. However, if you’re noticing that they tend to be seeking out more isolation from the world than anything else, it may be a cause for concern. Teens aren’t alone in their possible behavior changes. We also see this with kids in various ways, such as: physical complaints (like headaches or stomachaches), changes in sleeping or eating patterns, short-fused tempers or increased irritability, and of course any safety issues like self-harm statements or actions. These changes may be persistent, last over time, and impact several areas of their life. 

Sudden Loss of Interest or Changes in Emotional Expression

Kids often shift through their interests quickly, but if your child has something they adore and care deeply about and then suddenly loses interest in it, this can be a sign they may need some extra care. This is a common sign in depression, which can affect anyone at any age. Furthermore, if you see sudden changes in how your child expresses their emotions, this is something to watch. For example, a child may frequently show anger by talking back a little and being pretty grumpy for twenty minutes or so. If you see this change into showing anger by yelling, screaming, throwing things, and running into their room, this may mean something is bothering them more than what’s obvious on the surface.

How Can Therapy Help?

Therapy is beneficial for anyone at any age. It can be particularly useful for teens and kids because they should feel like they have a “safe person” to show all of their feelings, share their experiences with, and have a sounding board for concerns they want to work through. While they can certainly get all these things through a caregiver, it’s often shown that an outside party proves beneficial in helping them open up. Therapists can also be helpful in working with parents by giving them concrete parenting tips, help them gain insight into the reasons behind their child’s behaviors, and navigate setting boundaries.

What About Teen and Child Therapy at Become You Therapy?

We love working with kids and teens at Become You Therapy! We have specialized training in working with kids of all ages. Between our providers, we have a wide range of types of therapy to help you and your child feel confident to take on any challenges that may come your way. Some of the ways (but not all!) that we can help include using play therapy, sand tray therapy, expressive arts therapy, and even clinical yoga to move your child toward their goals.

How Does Your Office Work?

We take a very specialized approach in working with you and your child. We ask that you attend the first session without your child, so that we can better understand the issues your child is facing without it affecting our relationship with them. It also helps us get a good understanding of what you want out of therapy for you and your child. After this first session, most of the sessions will include your child. We encourage you to check-in with us as frequently as you would like at each session for a few minutes (but not more than 15 minutes) so we can make sure we’re on the same page in making progress. We can also help by setting up parent-only sessions, so you can focus on any parenting dynamics that you want to make more successful in your relationships with your kids.

When you notice any concerns with your child, we hope that you’ll consider Become You Therapy to help meet your needs. We approach each child, parent, and family with openness, genuineness, and compassion. We have a commitment to our community to help impact kids in a meaningful way that helps them create lasting change in their lives.