Does my child need therapy?

Some parents struggle to decide if a mental health professional is what their child really needs. During our initial consultations, I feel parents second-guessing if a therapist can really help: “I should be able to do this myself” or “He’s a kid, he’ll bounce back.” I empathize with that resistance, I’ve felt it myself as a parent. It is hard to let a therapist into your child’s life.

I believe that if you are considering child therapy seriously enough to research and call therapists then most likely, your child could benefit from therapy.

Sometimes, we parents just reach the limits of our patience and comfort zone. Sometimes, a child needs a neutral professional even when their parents are willing to help and listen. Sometimes parents are so wrapped up in their family dynamic, that they can’t quite see it clearly anymore. Occasionally, a diagnosis might explain why parenting that child has been particularly hard.

My goal as a child therapist is to facilitate familial healing.

I work to give the parents the tools to connect more deeply, in whatever way the child needs. I give the child the tools for a more sophisticated relationship to their emotions. After just a few sessions, I might ask the child to practice communicating their emotional needs in a short family meeting. I help parents to really hear their child and work through their own emotional distress at hearing their child’s requests.

These small moments of facilitated conversation between parent and child can be profound, and sometimes mean more than months of empathetic listening from me. I wish to unite the family around their common goals and write myself out of the script.

The good news is, in most cases, I am successfully out of the picture in just a few short months. I wholeheartedly believe in parents. I feel so much hope when I meet a family that really wants change but just needs a bit of guidance along the way.

After working in Chinese orphanages earlier in my career, I can never underestimate the power of familial love in all its diverse forms. Working in Boulder, I have seen such beautiful growth in the families that come to my practice. I know in my bones that therapy + love can heal even the deepest of emotional fissures.

Learn about how Child Therapy at South Boulder Counseling can help you here.