Have you noticed significant changes in your child’s behavior over the last few weeks or months? Has he or she been displaying major mood swings, constant anxiety, dramatic weight loss, and stomach aches? Well, these are some indicators that your child’s mental health may be off balance. At this point, you have most likely sought the advice of a family member or friend who may have reassured you that this a normal phase that many kids go through. And while that is sometimes correct, there’s also the possibility that this isn’t a short-term phase that all children go through. We don’t discourage talking to people you trust, doing your own research, or even taking a free “Does my child need counseling?” quiz online, but we do see the benefit in trusting your mommy and daddy instincts.
That being said, if you have asked yourself, ‘Should my child see a therapist or psychologist?’, it may be time to seek out a child psychologist near you. It is definitely better to have peace of mind and know whether the behavior your child has been demonstrating to others is indeed a phase or actually something of concern, which is what our professional child therapists at Mountain Vista Psychology are trained to find out.
Centennial, Colorado Family Counseling Psychologist
Specializing in child counseling, we have child therapists and adolescent therapy providers on our staff that work with patients who suffer from, but not limited to:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Eating disorders
Anxiety disorders
Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder
Disruptive behaviors
School and social issues
Rest assured that we will work with your child to determine any underlying causes of what is going on and determine the best steps moving forward. We may also investigate other possible causes for your child’s behavior, such as a history of medical conditions, trauma, family history of mental illness, and will need to know how long your child has been behaving this way, and possibly receive feedback from teachers’. We will work with your child and family to figure out what is going on so we can also determine the path forward so your child can move through this and thrive.
Centennial, Colorado Child and Teen Counseling
Types of Child Therapy
Common treatment options for children who have mental health conditions include, but are not limited to:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps improve a child’s moods, anxiety, and behavior by examining unhelpful patterns of thinking. During CBT, a child learns to recognize harmful thought patterns and the therapist then helps the child replace this thinking with thoughts that give way to more appropriate feelings and behaviors. In addition to addressing changes in thoughts, your therapist may help your child learn how to modify his behaviors to improve his mood. Research shows that CBT can be effective in treating depression and anxiety as well as children coping with traumatic experiences.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): This is used to treat older adolescents with chronic suicidal thoughts or who self-harm. DBT can be helpful in teaching emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. This therapy focuses on taking responsibility for one’s problems and helps the teen examine the way they deal with conflict and intense negative feelings.
Family Therapy: This type of therapy focuses on helping the family function as a unit in more constructive ways by exploring patterns of communication and offering support.
Play Therapy: For younger children, play is their best form of communication, which is why play therapy involves the use of blocks, dolls, puppets, and drawings to help the child identify and verbalize his or her feelings. The psychotherapist observes how the child uses the toys and identifies themes or patterns to better understand the child’s underlying issues. Through a combination of talk and play the child has an opportunity to more effectively understand and manage their feelings and behavior including anger management.
About Mountain Vista Psychology
At Mountain Vista Psychology in Englewood, CO, the therapy we provide to your child is as invaluable as your support. Our amazing team of family therapists pride themselves on always being accessible to offer parenting support by helping you adjust how you interact with your child and teaching you how to effectively handle difficult behavior. We believe you should also continue discovering new ways to bond with your child and offering positive reinforcements. Just know that we are with you through the entire process as we are determined to help your child makes boundless strides. If you are worried about your child’s mental health, be sure to call us at 720-583-9332 for a free consultation to find out more about what we can do for your child. Your child’s mental health is of major importance to us.
