Children, adolescents, and teenagers struggle with anxiety. We want to recognize what’s happening with children, adolescents, and teenagers before negative behaviors set in. As a parent, you may feel overwhelmed with the anxiety your adolescent is showing. Your child, teen or young adult might be having a panic attack or start crying before school. Maybe, your child, adolescent, or teenager do not even not want to go to school. It can be really overwhelming to manage that as a parent when you know your child needs an education and to learn. Holistic, creative child, adolescent, and teen counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut is available at Wisdom Within.
What are signs of anxiety in children, adolescents, and teenagers and that counseling would be helpful?
Sometimes, children, adolescents, and teenagers can exhibit difficulty sleeping, feel irritable, or having changes in appetite when anxious. As well, children, adolescents, and teenagers may try to cope with anxiety by avoiding school or refusing to goto school. Acting out can also be a sign of anxiety in children, adolescents, and teenagers.
The team at Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic, Connecticut help children, adolescents, and teenagers develop self-esteem, self-confidence, and a strong sense of self. We incorporate alternatives to traditional talking such as walk and talk, painting, art, yoga, creative therapies, and music to support positive coping skills.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for creative, holistic child, adolescent, and teen counseling at Wisdom Within.
How can creative therapies in East Lyme, Connecticut help children, teens, and young adults?
Art, yoga, music, walking therapies, play therapies, and creative therapies give children and teens a language beyond words. These offer options outside of regularly talking. Play therapy, puppets, songwriting, singing, and playing an instrument in counseling can lower anxiety. As well, creative therapies can help children and adolescents build up strength and like self-confidence.
For instance, playing a singing bowl, playing the guitar, or a drum like in the counseling session can give a child or teen that present moment experience.
Holistic therapies promote lifelong mind-body connection for children and teenagers in counseling.
Children and teens in counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut might be going through some tough stuff. In counseling at Wisdom Within, children and teenagers can really feel playful and connect their body.
Children, adolescents, and teenagers who have anxiety and depression may show school avoidance behaviors.
If your child or teen is like crying before going to school in the morning, they may really benefit from counseling. Children, adolescents, and teenagers with anxiety may have panic attacks in the morning hours before school. As well, anxiety can cause physical symptoms as well. Children, adolescents, and teenagers can have nausea, throw up, vomit, headaches, and digestive issues. Anxiety and depression can effect eating, appetite, food choices, and eating patterns.
Also, these are signs that your team could definitely benefit from a therapist, to help build their confidence, and help them get through any emotion.
What do children, adolescents, and teenagers say when they need therapy?
Children, adolescents, and teenagers with anxiety and depression might say, “I don’t want to talk about it,” or “I’m fine.” To note, these phrases that let parents and caregivers know they’re not actually okay. Additionally, adolescents and young adults don’t know how to communicate what they’re feeling or ask for help. Unfortunately, teenagers may take part in self-harm, cutting, or self-injury when anxious or depressed.
Other signs of child, adolescent and teen anxiety
There’s so much pressure for teenagers within school, within the school setting, with peers and on social media. Also, children and teenagers have a lot of struggles with self-confidence and self-esteem. Creative therapy can help children and teenagers build a healthy sense of self. Adolescent and teen depression may occur if your teen is self-isolating in their room, not wanting to come out. Adolescents are very self-conscious of their appearance and may change their appearance to fit in. Your teenager may be sad or hopeless if they have acne and start picking at the acne. Also, children and adolescents may start dieting, have issues with eating disorders or experience changes in like their eating. Teens with anxiety and depression may have sleeping patterns.
Holistic, creative child, adolescent, and teen counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut is a unique speciality available at Wisdom Within Counseling.
What is one tip if you are parenting a children, adolescent, or teenager with anxiety?
A great tip for helping your child, adolescent or teenager deal with anxiety is understanding deeper needs. Often, the term, “Attention seeking,” is not helpful or empowering. Rather, try using, “Connection seeking,” and see how that changes things. When your child, adolescent or teenager is anxious, they are trying to accomplish something. They may be afraid of the future and want their parent to know that. Or, a child, teen, or young adult with anxiety may want to gain connection with a caregiver or parent.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for creative, holistic child, adolescent, and teen counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut.
How can holistic, positive coping outlets help children, adolescents, and teens manage anxiety?
First, having lifestyle outlets and doing things together can help your child, teen, or young adult release anxiety in a healthy way. Being active with your adolescent can be really helpful. Go for a family hike on the weekend or to a trampoline park. You could dye their hair together, play games, and throw the football around.
Try to think of fun ways to distract from fears of the future.
If they like to play sports, you can do that together. Or, if your child or teenager is into cooking, you can cook together. If your child’s or teen’s favorite food is mac and cheese, make mac and cheese together. If they want to create something, make a recipe together like gooey butter cake or fruit salad. By doing something together, you are helping your child or adolescent feel empowered, while also nourishing their body. Throwing the frisbee outdoors in the fresh air can really be a great source of bonding, and also a great anxiety relief.
Whatever your child or adolescent really likes doing, try doing it together.
Recognize what the holistic outlets are ones that your child, teen or young adult can take with them into their future. Focus on your child’s favorite activities as coping mechanisms and anxiety outlets. Also, getting your child or teenager a new pair of pants can help them feel really good about themselves. At Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic, Connecticut, we specialize with children, teens and young adult.
Life events can really impact anxiety and depression in children, adolescents, and teenagers
Sadness, anxiety, depression can arise when a friend breaks up with your teenager. There can be a variety of social challenges your child, teenager, or young adult. If a friend moves away, or the person they like doesn’t like them back, that can definitely lead to anxiety. Children, adolescents, and teenagers are always wanting to belong and wanting to fit in.
LGBTQIA+ gender diversity, lesbian, gay, transgender and gender expression in children and teenagers
Whether your teen is non-binary or questioning their gender, therapy can help them gain self-confidence. Children, adolescents, and teenagers may be struggling with anxiety about school or depression of any kind. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team believe that teens need positive coping tools. As well, at Wisdom Within Counseling, our team of creative child and teen therapists help your child or teen build up their self-care strategies, and cope with anxiety through holistic expressive art.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for creative, holistic child, adolescent, and teen counseling in Southeastern Connecticut.
Another great thing for anxiety in children and teenagers is accepting their emotions and naming them for them.
Just allow your adolescent to feel the emotions that they’re feeling. Make sure to let them know that crying is okay. Whatever feeling they’re feeling, try and validate their feelings and hear them. Name the emotions as you see them and meet them where they’re at. Don’t ask, “Why are you feeling like this?” or “What’s wrong?”
What can you say to help a child, adolescent, or teenager overcome anxiety?
Try and say something more along the lines of, “I see you’re feeling frustrated right now,” or “I hear that you’re feeling hurt right now.” You could say, “I see you’re sad or scared.” Help them label whatever emotion they’re feeling, and then validate that. To add, try and validate that and be there for them while they’re trying to work through these anxious feelings. Sometimes, an adolescent may not be able to say the word of what they’re feeling. So, naming it for them can be helpful for your child or teenager. You could say, “Would you like a hug?” Another supportive statement includes, “I want to be here to support you.” Take a minute and to help slow them down, which can help with their anxiety.
At Wisdom Within Counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut, we help children, adolescents and teenagers with anxiety, fitting in, improve self-esteem, and gain better relationships with friends and family.
Children, adolescents, and teenagers can learn from counseling to accept their differences. We help children, adolescents, and teenagers learning to cope with anxiety in healthy ways. Wisdom Within Counseling helps teenagers who pick their skin and acne from anxiety. Creative arts can help children and teenagers cope with anxiety in healthy ways. From art, yoga, music, and creative expressive arts, children, adolescents, and teenagers can start connecting with themselves and others.
Holistic, creative child, adolescent, and teen counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut is LGBTQIA+ affirming.
