Child Therapy
How do I support my child?
Are you concerned about your child? Are they not acting like themselves? Is your child sad, worried, angry or having outbursts? Are they having trouble making friends or maintaining good grades?
As much as you want to help them, you may not know where to start.
Maybe you’ve noticed changes in your child’s behavior—perhaps they’re more closed off than usual, or they don’t want to go to school, engage in activities they previously enjoyed or hang out with their friends. Your child may be getting into trouble with their teachers, struggling to sit still and pay attention or adjust to transitions throughout their day. If this is the case, it might be a good time to consider finding a child therapist.
It takes a village to care for our children.
If your child is having a hard time, you might be wondering “What can I do to help?” Being a parent is a complex (and at times lonely) experience. You are not alone. We are here to support you.
At Mental Wellness Montclair, every child is given the space to feel seen, heard, and understood. Luckily, therapy offers support for the entire family.
There are a lot of demands on kids and parents these days.
Being a kid isn’t easy. It is common for children to experience sadness, anger, anxiety, grief, worry and more. Children can lack the brain development, life experience and tools to process and express their feelings. Thus, it is important for children to get support around their feelings.
Mental health issues are also more common in children than ever before. Kids have to deal with school, peer pressure, juggle extracurricular activities and so on. As we now know, social media can also play a role in creating unrealistic expectations for children. When children don’t measure up to the unrealistic standards, their self-esteem often suffers. Thankfully, in therapy, at Mental Wellness Montclair children can be their authentic selves and work through their challenges without external influences interfering with the process.
Common Questions About Child Therapy
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Can things really get better?
We provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can freely share your thoughts and emotions. Our therapists have lots of experience helping children—there’s very little that can surprise us. Our goal is to normalize your child’s experience and help them reach their clinical goals.
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Will my child like therapy?
Nearly all of the children that come to Mental Wellness Montclair stick around. Once they get here, they realize that this is a safe and supportive space where they can express themselves freely. We go out of our way to make therapy rewarding (and often fun!) for them. If there is something that your child enjoys (music, painting, board games, etc.), we will most likely incorporate it as a part of therapy.
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How long will therapy take?
The time varies from one child to another. That said, children typically adjust faster than adults. Children are generally more open to change and unfiltered in their thinking, thus we often see progress sooner.
Therapy Is A Nurturing Process For Children To Express Themselves And Learn New Skills
Childhood mental health problems are complicated and it can be helpful to have an experienced professional get to the core of the problem. At Mental Wellness Montclair we have therapists who specialize in helping children with anxiety, depression, anger, ADHD, and other concerns.
Our sessions provide a safe space for kids to explore themselves and work through their feelings. We often use Art Therapy and Play Therapy to further engage with children.
What to expect in counseling sessions.
Following an initial phone consultation, we will schedule an intake session with you and your child to discuss their needs and goals. If your child is older, he/she/they are welcome to meet with us alone for the majority of the session—it all depends on everyone’s comfort level. Once the intake is completed we meet with your child for weekly one-on-one sessions and check in with you as needed. Using a family-systems lens, our goal is to support families while respecting the confidentiality of your child, striking that balance is important.
Our approach to Child Therapy.
It is important to us that therapy to be engaging, safe and fun for children of all ages. Our office has toys, games, and art supplies that your child can use during therapy sessions. We draw from a wide range of therapeutic approaches, but we make each of them child-friendly. We utilize play therapy to help children express their feelings and learn new skills for navigating everyday challenges in a comfortable and organic way.
For kids who are anxious, we may use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Through mindfulness skills like deep breathing and the five senses exercise, we can help children learn to navigate their feelings.
For children who struggle to achieve their goals, we borrow a lot of techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Instead of trying to accomplish too much, CBT can teach your child to make small, realistic short-term goals. CBT is especially helpful for simplifying challenges your child is facing —completing homework, bedtime routines, approaching new people, etc. This technique helps create manageable steps.
The great news is that children are adaptive and can learn new skills easily. Between your help and our support, we’re confident that your child can improve their mental health (and deepen their relationship with you in the process).
Your child deserves a space where they can be themselves.
At Mental Wellness Montclair, it’s our mission to provide that space for them.
To learn more about our approach to therapy for children, you can email us or use the scheduling platform to book a free consultation.
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