Child and Adolescent Counseling

 

We are committed to helping children, teens, and families through transitions, difficult life events, and emotional, behavioral, academic or social struggles.

Individual therapy has proven effective in promoting growth and addressing many challenging issues including:

  • Trauma

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • ADHD

  • Learning Disabilities

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • Grief

  • Family discord

  • Social skill development

  • Academic stress

 

PARENTS

Many parents ask, “How do I know when my child needs mental health services?” Often it is when a significant change in the child’s functioning is apparent. Are they withdrawing from family or friends? Has there been a significant decline in grades? If you, as a parent, determine that a problem is affecting your child’s daily success in his or her social or academic world, our counselors can help identify the source of distress and make a plan for intervention and growth.

FIRST APPOINTMENT

During the first appointment, your child’s counselor will likely meet with the parents alone. At this meeting, you will have an opportunity to express concerns, ask questions about the counselor’s approach, and collaborate in determining a treatment plan.  You may also choose to sign a release for your child’s counselor to talk to a physician, teacher, or guidance counselor for more information. Ideally, both parents will be involved in a child’s treatment.

Specialty Areas

 

Learning Disability Support

We offer instruction and support with parenting strategies that have been proven to increase success in parenting children with learning disabilities and ADHD.

Play Therapy

For centuries, individuals have observed that play is important in reducing stress, building self-esteem, learning skills, and promoting creative problem-solving. Play therapy is a theoretical approach that uses play for the treatment of emotional problems. Play therapy is especially indicated for children and others who may not have the language capacity to process feelings and experiences verbally. Play therapy has been clinically indicated to teach adaptive behaviors, model a corrective emotional experience, and provide insight into dysfunctional thinking or traumatic experiences. At the Christian Psychological Center, we use toys, art, books, and other imaginative activities in a structured way to further therapeutic goals for children, adolescents, and some adults. For more information about play therapy and its benefits, please visit the Association for Play Therapy website at www.a4pt.org.

Early Childhood Clinic

The ECC is a very specific consultation appointment designed to address the needs of young children ages 2-6 who have not completed kindergarten. This particular appointment is separate from a traditional counseling appointment.

The ECC is a one-day visit involving parents and the child. Prior to this appointment input from teachers is included. The goal of this clinic is to provide an assessment in just one day, for young children experiencing social, emotional or behavioral distress. Find out more about the Early Childhood Clinic here.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as, helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is especially effective for people who have difficulty managing their emotions. DBT has proven to be effective for treating and managing a wide range of mental health conditions. This skills-based approach has 4 main areas of focus: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.