What is dissociation

It can be tough to know when to consider therapy for your child, but some signs may indicate that professional help is needed. Here’s a closer look at child therapy, how it works, and when you might want to consider it.  

WHAT IS CHILD THERAPY, AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 

Child therapy is a type of therapy that specifically focuses on the emotional, physical, behavioral, and cognitive areas of your child’s healthy development. 

Child counselors can help kids with many different issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and social skill deficits. 

Child counselors use a variety of techniques to help kids, such as play therapy, art therapy, and talk therapy.  

Play therapy uses play to help kids better communicate their feelings; this technique can include directive play therapy and/or nondirective play therapy.  

Directive play therapy is structured with a specific goal in mind. The therapist plays an active role in selecting the play materials and activities. For example, they offer the child a puppet to engage them in conversations about their present life situations. 

In nondirective play therapy, the child to selects their own toys and materials. The therapist provides an encouraging, non-judgmental environment while the child leads the play session with minimal instruction. 

Art therapy uses art to help kids express the emotions and experiences they may not be able to express verbally. An art therapist may use a variety of art techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage building.  

Talk therapy involves talking with a therapist about emotions and experiences. There are various types of talk therapy, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) being some of the most popular.