Why Your Child Will Benefit From Counselling

As much as you will try to protect them, your child will suffer from issues like the rest of us. When you are an adult you have family and friends you can turn to, but as a child, it can be hard to ask for help when they are experiencing something they don’t understand.

They have the option of talking to an adult in their life like a teacher, coach or even you as a parent, but it can be daunting. They often won’t want to open up about their problems and this can be frustrating for everyone.

The first thing you can do is talk to them to see if they are happy to open up about their problems. Divorce, bullying, moving house or school are all real issues in a child’s life and if you can pinpoint them then you can start to help.

Talk Freely

Despite your best efforts, you might find your child is still unwilling to talk. Instead of taking this personally, it’s time to seek some additional help.

When your child has a safe person to talk to that is not related to their home or school life, you might find they are more willing. Without the fear of repercussions, they can get everything off their chest.

A counselor provides a safe environment where they can express themselves and also start to understand why they are feeling this way. Sometimes just recognizing their feelings is the first step to processing them.

Discover Opening Up Isn’t A Punishment

A lot of children will view counseling as a negative thing. They will be fearful and anxious, which will interfere with their first session.

They might associate the doctor with scary needles and unpleasant medicine. You must take the time to explain the process before they go in.

This way they will understand what will be asked of them in their session. By eliminating the fear, your child will learn that talking through their problems can be greatly beneficial.

In a school environment, you might find they will be criticized for ‘snitching’ or telling tales, so this is a great way to undo those unhelpful beliefs. Once they understand they can tell a counselor anything, it will be the start of their journey to openness.

A lot of counselors will include the parents where appropriate so they are also considered a safe space.

Appropriate Methods

Once you have found an expert counselor for your child, you can be assured they will know the appropriate methods to treat them. Most children express their feelings through doing, but this will depend on their age and situation.

Common methods are playing and creating art, but they might also use tools like reading stories with a character that is facing the same problems they are. A character will help them understand their emotions while creating art encourages expression.

If your child is older, they may prefer to talk as well. The counselor will assess them on their first session and also ask what is preferred.

Like with adults, the aim is to help the child process their emotions and feel better. So if they have an idea of how they would like the session to go then they will enjoy it more.

Process Difficult Issues

As a parent, you will want to be able to help your child through every situation. However, some things are either out of your experience or they won’t want you to be involved in.

A trained counselor will be able to tackle issues that range from everyday school pressures to relationship issues to larger more concerning ones like self-harm, depression, and anxiety. It doesn’t matter how big or small, just knowing help is available can make a difference.

Prescribe Medication

If your child is feeling very down or is suffering from a psychological disorder, then they might need medication. This is where a trained professional can come in with some expert advice.