Our counselors in West Palm Beach, FL offer child therapy

One of the most important aspects of working therapeutically with children and adolescents is giving them the space and security to know that what they tell me will be met with unconditional positive regard and be kept in confidence. Of course, there are exceptions to this pertaining to their safety, which are laid out in the first session. But building trust is vital to communicating with children in a way that maybe they don't feel they can with other adults. This doesn't mean that a therapist will let them off the hook, not express a need to have parents or guardians join a session, or deeply explore why a child is uncomfortable with having these discussions with their parents, because that is also important! Learning communication skills and the confidence to use them is almost always part of the plan, as those elements can have positive benefits throughout their lives.

Teaching kids how to identify their feelings is a vital step in therapy. After all, how can people process and heal from an experience if they can't name it? Without understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors combine, we lose our sense of connection with those around us. Language is the start of understanding, and being able to identify and name what they are experiencing is the start of giving children the tools to communicate about it.

Often, progress can be seen in how kids engage with aspects of the process of therapy, such as homework. The hard fact of therapy is that just talking to someone each week is only one part of the work-what you do outside of that session is often far more important. The homework after each session may be about reflecting on a topic, but might also be about creating a list of interests or times in the past when we made good choices or taking on a physical exercise designed to reduce anxiety several times a day. If the client completes these tasks outside of the session, they often come in next time with an interest in sharing what they learned, even if it’s to tell the therapist that it was too hard or didn’t work for them. That interest then spreads and positively impacts their engagement with therapy overall.

I always encourage my clients to use their creativity and engage with a hobby-whether that means playing an instrument, painting or drawing, playing sports, writing, or almost anything else! Research has shown that there is an effort-driven reward cycle that can improve many aspects of daily life, such as a sense of control, connectedness, contentment, and satisfaction, as well as a reduction in stress and anxiety and a greater resilience to depression. Additionally, there are frequently aspects of these enjoyed activities that can be harnessed to improve other areas of life. For example, if someone likes to doodle, it can help to harness that creative energy by having them create their own planner to better keep homework organized, therefore reducing stress!

Try to have a frank discussion about what your child's expectations, hopes, and concerns are for therapy. Most people have some anxiety for the first couple of sessions, especially if they have never spoken with a therapist before-this is perfectly normal. However, starting a dialog about why a therapist is being sought and what the desired outcome is can go a long way to easing those fears. Additionally, I would let them know that, if they don’t feel comfortable with the first therapist, or even the second or third, you will keep trying to find someone. One of the biggest predictors of a positive outcome from therapy is how comfortable the client is speaking to the clinician. We don’t want the therapist to just be another adult the child interacts with, but someone they trust to hold space for them and help them navigate the often overwhelming and confusing aspects of their social experiences.