As a parent, you are your child’s protector. You do everything you can to keep them safe, happy, and healthy. But deep down, you know that you cannot protect your child from every bad thing out there. The hard truth is that we all encounter challenges in childhood. As we grow up, we struggle to build and maintain friendships; we get bullied; we suffer as a result of our parents’ divorce; we fight with our siblings; we experience heartbreak; and we get knocked down a time or two, physical or mentally.
Play is basic to all normal and healthy children. It provides pleasure
and learning and a minimum of risks and penalties for mistakes.”
–Frank Caplan
The good news is that though we can’t protect our children from ever experiencing heartbreak or hardship, we can help them confront the challenges they face and come out on the other side stronger than ever. You can accomplish this by setting your child up with a child therapist. If you are in the Palm Beach area, consider setting your child or teen up with a child therapist at Thriveworks Counseling in West Palm Beach, FL. Just call (561) 536-5293 to schedule your appointment.
What Is Child Therapy?
Child therapy is form of psychotherapy that is designed to help kids, adolescents, and teens successfully work through challenges, including mental illnesses and responding to bullying. The child therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in West Palm Beach, FL are well-equipped to work with children and teens as they know how these young brains work. Their knowledge and skills inform their work in therapy, as they break down issues in a way that their young clients will understand better.
There is no age limit in child counseling. All ages are welcome, from toddlers who haven’t yet entered grade school to teenagers going into high school. Regardless of the child’s age, their therapist will do their best to help them understand their emotions and get back on a healthy path. Child therapy serves as an intervention that prevents children from experiencing negative developmental and mental effects, as a result of the problems they endure.
What Kids Can Benefit from Child Therapy?
It can be difficult for us, as parents, to accept that our kids might be struggling—especially when they’re at a young age. But don’t worry: Therapy can serve as that guiding light. As we mentioned above, child therapists have specific knowledge, skills, and tools related to helping kids grow well. Now, many different children, adolescents, and teens can benefit from child therapy. That said, there are common issues that bring children into child therapy, including:
- Mental health symptoms and diagnosis
- Learning disabilities
- Death of a loved one
- Traumatic experiences
- Addiction in the family
- Major life transitions
- Bullying
- Divorce
It isn’t always easy to tell when your child needs or could benefit from child therapy. However, the above issues can inform your decision to find a child therapist for your child or teen. If they are presenting these problems, it might be best to set them up with a professional, especially if they appear to be suffering as a result.
How Does Child Therapy Work?
While the primary goal of child therapy stays the same—that is to help kids manage the challenges they encounter in life—individual goals can change. For example, depending your child’s specific needs, your Thriveworks child therapist might have the following goals for your child’s treatment:
- Help them cope with their parents’ divorce
- Assist them in adapting to a new environment
- Help them cope with trauma, like bullying
- Guide them in building self-confidence
- Help them understand and manage mental illnesses
Again, these goals will depend on your child’s experiences and needs. The child therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in West Palm Beach, FL will use various skills and tools to accomplish the goals they set, including but not limited to play therapy and art therapy.
Work with a Child Therapist at Thriveworks Counseling in West Palm Beach, FL
You have not failed your child. You are showing just how much you love, care for, and support them, by setting them up with a skilled child therapist. Thriveworks child therapy will help your child or teen work through their present issues, preserve their mental and emotional health, and overall live better.
To schedule a child therapy appointment at Thriveworks Counseling in West Palm Beach, FL call (561) 536-5293. We’ll be here.
ADHD, Life Transition, Relationships, Anxiety 
