What Does A Child Therapist Do?

A child therapist specializes in helping children overcome their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, Mental health problems amongst children can be overlooked by adults as just a child acting out. Parents can sometimes just assume that their child ‘will grow out of it’.  However, the sad truth is that children can suffer with psychological, emotional, cognitive and stress issues, just like adults.

These issues can stem from many things such as developmental delays, mental illness, trauma, physical illness/disability, and social problems. Sometimes, the only way to help a child through these problems is for them to seek therapy. 

Nevertheless, therapy for a child cannot be approached in the same way as it is for an adult. Children should not feel like they are in therapy as they need to feel comfortable enough to share their problems. Furthermore, children do not have the same understanding of the world like adults, which is why they typically need a playful environment to have therapy in. 

What Methods Does A Child Therapist Use?

Therapists assess presenting problems, design interventions to manage them, and carry out and assess those interventions. A child therapist will enjoy the presence of children have a deep understanding of the developmental stages of children.  Using methods such as play therapy, the therapist can help children reveal their feelings and assist the children in developing coping mechanisms and overcome obstacles. 

A child therapist will approach the situation by consulting with parents, carers and other professionals to evaluate the child’s needs. A child therapist will run individual or group therapy sessions on a regular basis. During sessions, they will use a creative environment where children can express themselves through arts such as drawing, music, and therapeutic storytelling. The child’s progress will be monitored and documented by the child therapist. 

Parenting is tough and sometimes you need additional support to understand what your child is going through. A child therapist can provide the vocabulary for the behaviors that your child is displaying and is trained to handle the emotional difficulties and changes that children experience in different developmental stages.

If you are looking for a child therapist or would like to learn more about this service, follow this link or call the office to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.