The decision to seek help for your child or adolescent is not an easy one to make. Most parents know when to take their child to a medical doctor – a cough that persists or a sore throat, but how is a concerned parent to decide if their child needs counseling? Is it simply a phase or something more serious? After all, don’t most kids have temper tantrums from time to time and aren’t all teenagers hormonally despondent and angst-ridden. The answer is one of severity and frequency. If you begin to experience these and similar issues on a more regular basis, it may not be “simply a phase.” When your child’s emotional distress or troublesome behaviors disrupt his or her functioning at home or school, it may be time to seek help.
Our child and adolescent specialists have trained at some of the country’s leading programs including the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Denver, and Children’s Hospital. We have written books and articles on a vast array of subjects related to kids. Our office offers a range of services such as individual sessions, parent consultations, and family therapy. Children may benefit from individual sessions to improve coping, adjust behavior, learn emotion management, and receive support through difficult transitions. With very young children, it may be more appropriate to address concerns by working only with the parents. Teens often show distress through withdrawal, irritability, defiance, and poor school performance. Parents may wonder what happened to their happy child. We will work to foster a safe, trusting environment for your teen which will allow him or her to open up and begin to talk about what might be so troubling. At times, family therapy might be used to increase communication and decrease family conflict. Above all, we are committed to finding solutions for your child and family, not attributing blame for the problems.