Play therapy. Behavior Therapy. Somatic therapy. If your child needs help, you’ve got options. But you may wonder: Does my child need therapy at all?
How unsettled, sad, or angry does your child have to seem before therapy is warranted? Should you wait? You may have concerns about labeling your child. Should you just go ahead and make an appointment? You don’t want your child to suffer. How can you know?
Take a close look at your child’s behavior, listen to what he or she says about him/herself and others, notice his/her responses and what goes unsaid. From there, you might ask a few questions like these:
1. Does my child need therapy if he/she is sad?
Your child likely needs therapy if his or her sadness is persistent and marked by hopelessness or withdrawal. Children express a whole hosts of moods, especially during adolescence, but be aware of significant emotional shifts.
If your child’s blues are general and without let up, look for the markers of depression. Loss of interest in the activities he or she once loved, a tendency to isolate, or a sudden change in friendships or academic stability are cause for concern. Definitely seek assistance if self harm, talk or writing about suicide, or substance abuse is present.
2. Does my child need therapy if he/she is anxious or afraid?
Your child needs therapy if his/her fear interferes with everyday life routines, choices, or reason and reactions. Childhood fears are normal, as is the right of passage that comes with conquering them. However, some children find they are ruled by fear, held back by insecurity, or experience a need to be constantly assured and in control.
Counseling could be a valuable tool in helping you and your child get to the root of his or her fears. A therapist can help determine if there is trauma, family conflict, or some other factor at play.
3 Does my child need therapy if he/she exhibits anger?
Your child may require therapy if anger is your child’s foremost emotional response or motivation for relating to others. Bullying, unrelenting tantrums, harm to pets or younger family members, or consistent angry overreactions to normal challenges signal a need for a closer look at what’s going on.
Counseling can get beyond reactive emotion to the real pain or circumstances that may be feeding the anger.
4 Does my child need therapy if he/she has experienced a trauma?
Children are resilient. But they also need a way to process life changing events, whether it be a natural disaster, the sudden death of a loved one, or sexual abuse. Sometimes young people require more help to navigate emotional consequences like PTSD, eating disorders, depression, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
If your child is dealing with trauma, notice disturbances to sleep, eating, or concentration and reach out to a professional. Feeling powerless or out of control is difficult for grown-ups, children may feel doubly so following trauma.
5.Does my child need therapy if I notice sudden behavioral changes?
Most kids go through physical, emotional, and cognitive phases. Again, your child’s needs are determined by looking at the degree to which he or she experiences those changes. Sudden shifts in behavior, emotional response, and interaction raise red flags.
You’re wondering about children’s therapy. You may see that something somewhere needs to be addressed. Maybe your efforts are enough. Maybe you need help. A good way to know if a therapist could be helpful is to consider how your child’s struggles are affecting you and the rest of your family.
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