Sara doesn’t want to go to school for the third day in a row—she refuses to get dressed and brush her teeth. She refuses to get out of bed completely, begging her dad, “Please let me stay home again today.” When he asks why Sara is so reluctant to go to school even though she seems to be feeling better, Sara just groans. She’s out of excuses and knows her dad won’t let her play “hooky” as he calls it. If he knew the real reason Sara didn’t want to go to school—which is that she’s getting bullied—she knows that he would let her stay home. But she doesn’t want to talk to him about it. She knows it will hurt him too much.
“Instead of raising children who turn out okay despite their childhood, let’s raise children who turn out extraordinary because of their childhood.” –L.R. Knost
Kids encounter challenges, like bullying, that they don’t always feel comfortable talking to their parents or other loved ones about. That’s where child therapy comes in. Child therapy is designed to support kids and teens during difficult times and help them work through their problems properly. If you notice that your kid seems to be struggling with something, child therapy might prove beneficial.
Thriveworks Counseling in Winston-Salem, NC has child therapists and teen counselors on staff. These professionals are ready to use their skills, experience, and training to understand your child, walk them through their struggles, and ultimately help them live better. If you think that your child could find value in working with a child therapist, give our office a call at (336)-231-3071. We’re here to help.
How Does Child Therapy Work?
As we touched on above, child therapy is a specific approach to counseling designed to meet the needs of kids as well as teenagers. Its main mission is to help kids and teens better understand and work through the challenges they face, including bullying (like Sara in our example), family problems, socialization issues, learning disabilities, mental illness, trauma, and more.
All ages can benefit from child therapy, from toddlers who are still in preschool or kindergarten to kids in grade school. That said, your child’s therapist will consider their age when they design the best treatment plan for them. For example, if your child is a toddler, they will likely better benefit from play therapy, whereas a teenager would probably better benefit from talk therapy. In any case, the mission remains the same: to help the individual better cope or manage the problems at hand and to live better.
Who Should Receive Child Therapy?
Even as adults, we struggle to cope with stress and manage difficult emotions. Now imagine or remember what it’s like to work through stress and difficult emotions as a child or teen. Sometimes, these young individuals need a little extra help and support (just like us) and that’s okay. Here are a few common mental health struggles that are discussed in child therapy:
- Symptoms of a mental illness
- Learning disabilities
- Traumatic events
- Bullying
- Addiction in the individual’s family
- Divorcing or separating parents
- Abuse (physical or mental)
If it’s apparent that your child or teen is suffering due to one of the above challenges, child therapy at Thriveworks in Winston-Salem might just prove valuable. In addition, if you can tell that your child is suffering, but you don’t know why, this is an appropriate time to get a mental health professional involved. For example, if your child refuses to eat, doesn’t want to go to school, isolates him or herself from others, or their grades start to drop, this might be cause for concern.
Work with a Child Therapist at Thriveworks Counseling in Winston-Salem, NC
Child therapy has proven beneficial for many kids and teenagers. If your child or teen is struggling, consider setting them up with a skilled, experienced child therapist or teen counselor at Thriveworks in Winston-Salem, NC. We have appointments available, and our providers are eager to help.
To schedule your child’s therapy appointment, simply call our office at (336)-231-3071. Our therapists are here and ready to help your child now. We have flexible appointment options including both in-person child therapy and online child therapy!
Domestic Abuse, Narcissism, Anger, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, +11 more 
