| Child/Teen Behavioral Problems ... |
Children and teens differ significantly from adults when it comes to traditional
talk therapy. One of the main distinctions is their limited vocabulary and
ability to identify feelings. Consequently when a young person is experiencing
a difficult situation (eg. rejection at school; academic trouble; parental
conflict or divorce) they will often only display outward signs of their
inner conflict. This is commonly called, "acting out" and can come in a variety
of forms such as:
- Explosive temper
- Withdrawal from normal activities
- Sexual preoccupation
- Defiant or "oppositional" behavior
- Academic decline
- Drug or alcohol use
- Lying, stealing, cheating
- Self destructive behavior or suicidal thoughts/actions
CHILDREN
Finding ways to identify the inner world and heart of the child is the purpose
of most child therapy. Once this inner world is discovered the therapist can help
them express it in healthy and non-destructive ways and teach positive ways of coping
with their difficulties. We also help them find healthy ways of meeting their legitimate
needs. Therapy with children frequently involves the use of indirect methods of
encouraging the child to talk about their inner world. Some of these methods
include:
- Play therapy: sand box, toys, board games, sports, puppets, etc.
- Art Therapy
These alternatives to talk therapy can help young people make the transition
to verbalizing their problems and finding solutions. Art, toys, games, puppets
and other mediums in therapy are simply tools to help the child relax and be
themselves. This usually speeds-up the counseling process encouraging communication
of difficult subject matter.
TEENAGERS
Counseling a teenager can differ greatly from counseling a child. Often parents
bring a teenager to therapy convinced that a therapist will "set the teen
straight" in a few hour's time. However, all too often, the teenager brings with
him/her some longterm underlying problems. Other factors compounding the
problem can include:
- Distrust of adults and authority figures
- Denial of the behavior problem
- Resistance to explore the problem
- Refusal to participate in the counseling process
Our counselors make every effort to break through defense mechanisms and
connect with teens. But even in cases when a teenager is resistant to counseling
we find that most parents can learn new skills to help themselves fairly quickly.
These new approaches to parenting often help the teen in the long run. At
Directions Counseling Group we believe helping a teenager means helping the whole family.
Offering education and support to parents can result in significant progress.
Therefore whenever possible and appropriate we involve family members in the
therapy.
If your teenager is exhibiting some of the problems listed above or you are concerned about
some other aspect of their life please call one of our client care coordinators for more information about our
services.
The information on this page is general in nature and not
intended as a substitute for a professional clinical evaluation.
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