Crosswinds, Author at Indy's Child Magazine

Part of showing our children we love and care for them is working to provide them with the tools and resources they need to do well in life. Counseling is great way for your children and teens to build and develop skills that will help them throughout their entire life. For most children, especially those 10 and under, many therapists will try to incorporate some sort of play therapy into their counseling sessions. Many children are experiencing feelings and emotions that relate to some sort of stressor in life, but they don’t yet have the words to express those feelings. Most children are not able to articulate “I am feeling this because of…”, so through play therapy, a counselor or therapist is able to connect with them and talk to them in their own language. This helps provide a distraction and ease apprehensive children and teens into building trust and comfort until they want to talk. Understanding how to express feelings and emotions, and putting those feelings into words, will help your children as they grow and experience everything life has to offer. Life is full of unknowns. Life is full of unknowns, and while we cannot control those unknowns, we can control our reaction to them. Counseling can help your child learn how to verbalize the way they feel and learn how to process those feelings, encouraging safer and healthier ways to cope. Building a safe network of people Another benefit to counseling at a young age is the ability to identify and seek out safe spaces and people. Even as a child, it is important to have a safe space to talk about feelings, daily experiences, and possible stressors in life. This could be a friend, family member, or counselor. Many children tend to not want to talk to their parents about things. It doesn’t mean that you’re doing a bad job as a parent, or even that your child is hiding something. Sometimes, we just need someone who is not immersed in our everyday life to open up to. Being able to identify safe spaces and people will carry your child through life and allow them the comfortably express and explore feelings with others. While counseling may help your child grow and develop through life, it cannot “fix” them. It is important to note that therapy is not designed to “fix” flaws society may see in someone. Every child is unique and has their own set of strengths. If you’re trying to decide if counseling can benefit your child, just know that children experience a lot of the same stressors as adults – maybe even some that you are unaware of – yet they don’t have the words and knowledge to express their emotions. You can’t be with your child 24/7, there are things they experience at school and outside of the home that you can’t control. Counseling can help your children understand and communicate these situations so they can be better supported through life. Where to turn for help So, if you think counseling can help your child or teen progress and develop through life, contact Crosswinds online or by phone at 877-594-9204 to get matched with a counselor today. Our counselors have helped thousands of families gain confidence and overcome difficulty. We can help you too. Words by: Siearah Ellenberger

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