Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents and Families
Sometimes a parent needs some extra help connecting and bonding with their child. At times the parent’s own experience of being parented may contribute to this difficulty. Therapy can be very helpful. Understanding where your child is developmentally and having appropriate expectations is a great start. Each child comes into the world with his or her own unique biology, temperament, strengths and challenges. A therapist can help you understand your child’s experience of the world while enhancing and strengthening your bond with your child. Some problems require therapy for one parent and child while others may benefit from the whole family being involved. Some children may need their own space in individual therapy to work on issues that may be getting in the way of their development.
Young children don’t usually sit down and tell you what’s going on with them directly, but they do let you know how they are feeling, what they are experiencing, their beliefs, fears and worries through their play. A trained therapist can enter the child’s world through their play and help them to work on their problems, to heal and to grow.
Many therapeutic techniques were designed specifically for children while other therapeutic interventions can be creatively adapted to meet their special needs. For example, a child who is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder may benefit from EMDR therapy. To learn more about this treatment please visit the EMDR link of this website. EMDR can be adapted for children by using finger puppets for the bilateral stimulation and a visual game to determine whether or not the distress level has decreased and the when the positive cognition is in place.