Child Therapy

Do you worry that you aren’t enough for your child’s mental health needs?

• Do you feel overwhelmed by your child’s changing emotions?

• Has your child withdrawn from the family?

• Is your child having trouble adjusting to a new school environment?

• Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells with your teen or tween?

It is normal and healthy for your child to go through periods of sadness, alienation, or distress.  Sometimes children need these difficult experiences in order to grow and mature.  Just enough childhood stress can serve to enhance their grit later in life.  

However, you as a parent can feel it in your gut: it is time for some professional mental health support.  

Knowing your limitations to help your own child is a gift.  Even as a child counselor myself, I have over the years reached out to other therapists to support my own childrens’ emerging needs.  

Sometimes kids just don’t want to handle a mental health situation with their parents.  And that’s ok.  

Kids might say that parents are too close, too emotionally involved, too opinionated.  This is the perfect moment to introduce a child therapist into your child’s life.  Kairos Wellness Collective offers comprehensive and skilled child therapy for children 8-17.  (For younger children, I train parents to lead play therapy sessions at home.)  

Having another trusted and attentive adult can foster connection, communication, and self-awareness.  

In kids therapy, your child gets to express themselves fully -- through art, talk, and even games. Children learn about what triggers them and what soothes them.  We build upon the mental health skills that your child has already developed.  

What is the appropriate age to begin therapy for your child?

It is generally recommended to consider therapy for children when they have reached a developmental stage where they can effectively engage in therapeutic processes and benefit from therapy.

Here are some considerations regarding the age at which therapy can be initiated:

1. Early Childhood: In some cases, therapy can be beneficial for children as young as preschool age (around 3-5 years old). However, at this age, the therapeutic approach typically involves play therapy or other age-appropriate techniques that allow children to express themselves and work through challenges using play as a medium.

2. Middle Childhood: Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are generally more capable of engaging in talk therapy and cognitive processes. They can understand and communicate their thoughts, emotions, and experiences more effectively. Therapy during this stage may involve a combination of talk therapy, play therapy, and other techniques tailored to their developmental level.

3. Adolescence: Adolescents, typically from around 13 to 18 years old, can benefit from individual therapy that focuses on their unique challenges, identity development, and emotional well-being. They are capable of more abstract thinking and self-reflection, which makes talk therapy a primary approach. Family therapy or group therapy may also be useful to address relational and social dynamics.

It's important to note that children and adolescents may also benefit from therapy at an earlier age if they are experiencing significant distress, trauma, or developmental challenges. In such cases, early intervention can be crucial for their well-being and healthy development. The decision to seek therapy for a child or adolescent should be made in collaboration with the child, as they must have agency in this process.  

Remember, therapy is not limited to addressing mental health disorders alone. It can also be helpful for building coping skills, enhancing emotional intelligence, promoting healthy relationships, and fostering overall well-being.

If you are interested in pursuing therapy for your child, please contact Kairos Wellness Collective and request an introduction call with our wonderful therapist Elena Woughter.

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