Therapy for Children & Teenagers

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Sometimes children and teenagers have difficulty coping with emotions, such as worry, sadness, disappointment, anger, or frustration.  This may result in behavioral patterns that impact other areas of life, including home or school.  

For example, anxiety may manifest as irritability, restlessness, inattention, somatic symptoms (headaches or stomachaches), avoidance, tantrums, crying, meltdowns before school, or having exceedingly high expectations for their school or sports performance. 

We look to identify any underdeveloped social-emotional skills, to explicitly teach and practice those skills, and to teach healthy ways to cope with difficult emotions. Examples of social-emotional skills are impulse control, frustration tolerance, and understanding the perspective of others. 

We use a variety of methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to assist children and teens in processing their thoughts and feelings, while increasing coping skills.

Major life changes can be difficult to cope with. Even positive situations can be challenging if they disrupt the typical family dynamic or routine. Children may not fully understand situations that are occurring around them. The transition period can trigger irritability, anger, sadness, withdrawn behavior, and separation anxiety. 

Examples of life transitions that can be challenging:

-Feeling jealous of a new sibling

-Blended families

-Separation/divorce

-Moving to a new area

-Loss of loved one

-Family member coping with illness