If your child has been exhibiting extreme mood swings, severe anxiety, difficulty focusing, drastic weight loss, and persistent headaches or tummy aches, these are just a few red flags that your child may be experiencing a mental health condition. 
Upon noticing these sudden changes in your child’s behavior, it is not uncommon for you to confide in a close friend or relative who has most likely assured you that your son or daughter is just going through a phase. And although sometimes that is the case, it can be difficult to discern a typical phase with something more serious and more long-term. While you can continue to talk to people you trust and do your own research, or even take the free “Does my child need counseling?” quiz you’re sure to find online, trusting your instincts as a parent is not something you should discredit.
So, if you have ever uttered the words, ‘Should my child see a therapist or psychologist?’ even if just to yourself, perhaps you should seek out a child psychologist near you. It certainly is better to know if the behavior your child has been displaying to those around him or her is evolving into something that should be of more concern or not, which is what our professional child therapists at Mountain Vista Psychology are trained to determine.
Lone Tree, Colorado Family Counselor
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.
Lone Tree, 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
As overwhelming as this new territory may be, your child will benefit from your support just as much if not more than the support therapy will provide him or her. At Mountain Vista Psychology, which is based in Englewood, CO, our family therapists are always available to offer parenting support for you. We can help you alter the way you interact with your child and help you learn how to better handle difficult behavior. We encourage you to continue to explore ways to have fun and bond with your child as well as praising his or her strengths and abilities. No matter what, we will be there every step of the way as we are committed to helping your child thrive. If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, don’t hesitate to call us at 720-583-9332 for a free consultation and to find out more about what we can do for your child. You can trust us to make your child’s mental health of highest priority.