Athens child counselors know that a child’s personality is multifaceted. We can’t view a child by the sum of their weaknesses, just as we can’t view them by the sum of their strengths. He or she is a whole person who uses both their strengths and weaknesses to govern how they act, behave, reason and react. Athens child counselors also know that when a child develops a mental health disorder sometimes the focus is erroneously narrowed down to those behaviors that are less favorable and the child can become defined by their disorder. This does a great disservice to the child, especially when it’s very common for children to experience symptoms of a mental health disorder.
The five most common mental health diagnoses for children are:
- Mood disorders (such as depression)
- Anxiety disorders (such as social anxiety)
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorders (AD/HD)
- Behavior disorders (such as conduct disorder)
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
Because the diagnosis of a mental health disorder can be quite prevalent in youth, changing the stigma and viewing it with a positive outlook is beneficial for everyone. If parents, siblings, teachers, and friends work together to encourage the strengths and work with the difficult behaviors, it will foster a positive development and greater sense of acceptance. Your child can focus on learning all the tools necessary to improve the behavior that causes them stress instead of worrying about the label that has been attached to them.
Athens child counseling is people focused, not diagnosis focused, and we recognize that your child is much more than a disorder definition. We remove the stigma surrounding mental health, and instead focus on the positives of taking charge of your child’s mental health from a young age. When a child is introduced to the idea of taking care of his or her mind just as well as they take care of the rest of their body, we take away the stigma and show your child just how important their mental well-being is.
Call today to find out how one of our trained child counselors can help you be an advocate for your child’s positive mental health.
