Child Therapy - Birmingham, MI

Specialized Therapy for Children of All Ages

Child therapy can provide a safe environment for a child to address emotional and/or behavioral problems.  Therapy can provide emotional support to children and focuses on the emotional and social well being of the child.  Some children mainly talk in therapy where others may play, depending on the presenting problems, level of insight and age of the child.  There are many reasons why child therapy or counseling may be applicable. 

Some reasons include but are not limited to:

• Family changes, like separation, divorce, remarriage, blended families, or loss
• Social or relational problems with peers
• Emotional issues like anxiety or sadness
• Self-esteem problems or low confidence
• Behavioral problems
• Difficulty transitioning to school
• Learning or academic difficulty
• Problems with inattention and concentration
• Eating issues
• Child abuse

Although mental health and physical health are still not fully considered counterparts, child therapy or counseling is much more recognized today than it once was.  This is likely because of the known ways mental health issues can impact one’s daily living, including academic, cognitive, and social functioning.  For example, academic success is likely to be impacted by a child with depression or anxiety, especially if not treated.  Or children with attention problems find peers getting upset with them in the classroom.  A child could also be having school problems because of an undetected learning disability that causes worry about going to school and school performance.  Undetected and untreated psychological problems can also affect physical health and have been associated with medical problems. 

Getting help from a psychologist for emotional issues is truly like seeing a physician for medical problems, and hopefully this will be the majority future viewpoint.  Addressing child distress is preventive, as it helps target symptoms early to prevent more serious and longstanding pathology from developing.  A lot can be learned in child therapy, such as coping skills and how to resolve problems, how to identify and process feelings and thoughts, ways to increase their self worth, identify any academic or learning problems if indicated, improve relationships with peers, ways to modify behavior, and learn at an early age how to lead healthier lives.  If you think your child is experiencing emotional distress or school problems, you can schedule an intake appointment with a psychologist to discuss presenting problems and determine if therapy (or psychological testing to assess emotional, academic or cognitive functioning) is indicated.  Addressing emotional distress (and/or academic or cognitive problems) is likely to help benefit your child.