Deciding to bring your child to a professional therapist is a big deal. You may wonder when is the appropriate time to bring a child for a counseling appointment, as it is not always easy to distinguish normal childhood behavior from abnormal childhood behavior. As a rule of thumb, if you are thinking about getting counseling for your child, then there is probably a need. Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center advises that you bring your child in at least for one appointment. During this initial consultation, a child therapist will be able to assess your child and advise you regarding whether what you’re seeing is normal and healthy or not.
Please note that behavioral and emotional problems tend not to solve themselves. Therefore, the earlier we address the problem, the more likely we can work to correct it before the problem becomes serious.
The good news is that most childhood disorders are just intensified versions of a normal childhood. For example, a five-year-old can easily be hyperactive and impulsive. An ADHD child may have the same symptoms but two to three times more often. If the problem becomes a consistent excessive issue, it may be time to seek help. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
What Should I Tell My Child About Counseling?
Coming to counseling is not the same as going in for a regular visit to the doctor’s office. Therefore, we recommend that you don’t tell this to your children. Instead, think of us more like coaches. People don’t come to Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center because something is wrong; people come to us because they want to get better at something. Like a sports coach who helps children get better in their fields, we help children get better in things in life, such as:
- Overcoming anxiety
- Learning how to identify and control anger
- Other emotional and behavioral concerns
What Will Happen at the child Therapist’s Office?
The first session includes everyone, including the guardians and the children. We meet together in a non-threatening, fun environment where we discuss what’s going on and work together to come up with a game plan to help make things better. If you have any questions or concerns, call Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center at any time.
Once a therapy regimen and program is established, your child will meet with a professional therapist regularly. Sometimes, these meetings can take place one-on-one between the therapist and the child, and other times, the parents/guardians may also be present. Our child therapists use a variety of tools and techniques to help children overcome their problems, whether they are emotional or behavioral or both.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact a child therapist in Arlington heights IL, Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center is here for you. Our therapists can make a difference, and you might notice the changes immediately. If you have a child in need of counseling, don’t hesitate to get them the help they need.