If you have children, you want what’s best for them.
All kids are going to have their struggles. They may not fit in, they may have growing pains, they may have moodiness, and they’re going to have their periods where they don’t do as well in school.
In some cases, you may need to take them to therapy.
Children or Adolescent Therapy
While everyone is different, treating children and teens are a little different from adults.
For a child, they may not understand the feelings they have, and they need someone who knows how to see the world through the eyes of a kid.
Teenagers understand emotions, but may not want to talk about it, or they may be wary about talking about it with adults.
A therapist who specializes in kids and teens may be able to help your child with their problems and reach success.
Not Every Kid Needs Therapy
With that said, every child is going to have an issue. From learning to control their mood to having issues at school, there are many problems that can go away through the help of the parents, teachers, or from the child themselves.
If your kid is having trouble with school, they may not need therapy, but a discussion with your teacher may be warranted. In addition, you may want to help your child with any learning issues they have.
Quite often, you may end up finding that if you listen to your child’s problems and try to find solutions, you can solve them without needing to speak to a therapist.
However, Don’t Let Chronic Problems Go Ignored
With that said, many people believe that therapy is not a good investment, and they think the kid will “grow out of” any problems they have.
If your child has been struggling for a while, do not try this. The child’s issues may worsen as a result, and they may develop other mental health problems as well.
How to Know if Your Child Needs Therapy
With that all said, how do you know when your child may need some therapy? Here are some reasons.
A Big Change or Loss
You should take your child to therapy whenever there’s a big change. For example, moving. Or if they’ve lost someone recently who was very close to them. Even if they do not show any signs of struggling, this can still create big problems down the road.
Problems Are not Changing
Again, all kids are going to have their low points and issues. However, if your child has been depressed for weeks, or if their performance at school hasn’t improved at all, taking them to therapy may be one such example.
They Can’t Sleep or Eat
Every child is going to have their occasional night of bad sleep, or not feel hungry. However, if your kid is having night after night of poor sleep, or there have been changes in their appetite, you may want to seek help from a therapist in order to see what the problem is.
They Are Bullies
If your child is bullying someone, it may be a sign of bigger issues. Disciplining your child is important, but so is going to therapy in order to rule out any deeper-rooted problems. A therapist may also help to teach your kid some better ways for them to reduce their anger instead of taking it out on another child.
Also, if your child is the victim of bullying, that may be another reason for you to seek help as well.
They Feel Withdrawn
If your child always seems withdrawn from their family (there’s a difference between that and a broody teen) and they don’t seem to enjoy the things they used to enjoy, then you may want to speak to a therapist about it.
They Are Harming Themselves
Another reason why you may want to speak to a therapist is if your child is engaging in any self-harm, or are threatening to. This is common around the teen years but can happen at any age. It’s a reason why you want to seek therapy as soon as possible.
In addition, talking about suicide or saying they wish they weren’t here are big reasons you may want to speak to a therapist or a counselor about any of their problems.
They Seem to Show Another Mental Health Problem
If your child has chronic depression, anxiety, or another mental health problem that seems to not be going away, then you may want to speak to a therapist about it. Tackling the problem early on can help your child out quite a bit. Untreated mental health problems can lead to further problems down the road, and this is not something you want.
Other Parenting Issues
Another reason you may want to seek help is if you are having any problems you can’t solve. Many child therapists not just work with kids, but work with parents as well. Family therapists work to get the entire family moving again.
Issues The School Can’t Help
Most schools have a therapist or counselor that your child can visit. However, for any problems outside of the school, you may want to take them to a therapist in order to get the best results.
Online Therapy Can Help
The problem with traditional, face-to-face therapy is that it has a strict schedule. Your child, or you, may be so busy with school that it may be difficult for you to speak to a therapist face-to-face.
Online therapy is one way you can get help.
It involves speaking to a therapist through the phone or computer. You can speak to them through text, video, or voice chat.
Online therapy is much cheaper as well, and there are online therapy services for every part of the family.
If you want to learn more about children’s therapy and also learn what you can do in order to have the best experience, you can click here for more information.
About the Author: Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
