Is Everyday a Struggle with Your Child?
- Is your child struggling academically or socially?
- Do you find it difficult to get your child out of bed in the morning and off to school, or to engage in social or family activities?
- Do you agonize about your child’s relationship with his or her peers and worry that your child has few or no friends?
- Do teachers call often, reporting that your child has outbursts, can’t get along with others, is being bullied or has trouble paying attention or sitting still?
- Do you worry that your child is struggling to cope with a traumatic event, such as a divorce or death in the family?
- Do you secretly worry you’re a bad parent, desperately wishing you could help your child succeed with friends, in school and in life in general?
- Does your child struggle with anxiety and/or a fear of a certain thing/place/event (phobia)?
In our modern era where so many people are focused on achievement, many children feel tremendous pressure to succeed. This kind of pressure is difficult for even an adult to handle—but for a child it can be overwhelming. If your child struggles to fit in or experiences bullying, he or she could be filled with feelings of self-doubt and constantly compare him or herself to others. This can explain why some children display attention-seeking behaviors or avoid social activities and school, instead preferring an environment where they feel most safe, such as in their room at home, perhaps playing video games or absorbing themselves in the Internet.
Your child’s behavior is not a reflection on you as a parent. All children are different. They have different learning styles, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. If your child struggles in school or isolates him or herself, symptoms such as a lack of organizational skills or difficulty concentrating may be the cause. But, it could also simply mean that your child has strengths that are going unrecognized in school, or that he or she is at a different stage of emotional, intellectual or physical development.
In our child counseling sessions, I can help your child improve self-esteem and talk about topics he or she may find embarrassing. I can help your child see that success comes in all shapes and forms. If ADHD-like symptoms are a problem—such as poor organizational skills or difficulty focusing in class—I have the experience and strategies needed to help your son or daughter begin to manage symptoms and learn new social and organizational tools. In my practice I often conference with teachers, visit classrooms, and even help children organize their desks and folders. Your child’s road to recovery can ultimately become a joint effort between parent, child, therapist, and teacher so that you never have to feel alone.
Anxiety is not just for adults! Children can develop anxiety disorders and create ways to cope with the anxiety that are not healthy (ritual behaviors, obsessive compulsive tendencies, perfectionism). If your child is struggling with feelings of anxiety or a fear of a specific nature (dogs, vomit, separation from family, spiders), I utilize desensitization therapy and imagery to slowly deescalate their anxiety when exposed to their fear. I will work with your child and your family to help alleviate the anxiousness from your child’s life and restore childhood pleasures.