Are you noticing more frequent emotional outbursts in your little one? Do they exhibit random crying spells and have difficulty calming down? Maybe your child’s teacher called and informed you that they are experiencing difficulty concentrating during school. Maybe your child is fidgeting and needs to be constantly doing something with their hands. Or, maybe your child appears angry or hostile towards you or their siblings. They may yell, physically harm, or say hurtful things directed towards others. Child behavioral counseling can help.
If you recognize something similar to the signs listed above, these are common behavioral traits in children that struggle to express their inner feelings and emotions.
Why Children Need Additional Support
According to Irinel Fishlock, child and family therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling, “Children do not instinctively know how to cope with big emotions. They may feel frustrated, sad, or anxious and not know how to communicate this. As a result, they may display outward behavioral patterns that are often a call for help.”
As a result, it is imperative that children are taught how to feel and channel their emotions in healthy, safe, and positive ways. Child behavioral counseling can support your little one and your family.
Click the button below to speak to a therapist and begin receiving support for your child today.
Child Behavioral Counseling for ADHD
Does your little one struggle to focus on a task for an extended period of time? Maybe they like to fidget and need to occupy their hands. School may be distressing for them because their attention prohibits them from learning a lesson and completing an assignment.
ADHD in children is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and in some cases hyperactivity. These symptoms can arise as early as preschool, however in those cases it is too early to diagnose. Oftentimes, a diagnosis may be apparent when a child enters elementary school and faces the new challenges and expectations associated with this transition.
Resorting right to medication is not always the best answer for a young child struggling with ADHD symptoms. Medication works to suppress symptoms, not heal them.
Child behavioral counseling is a better suited option to help with ADHD. Counseling works to directly resolve the root issue at which these symptoms are arising. Working with a therapist can also help your child learn effective, lifelong coping skills to apply outside of sessions.
Your child can play with a fidget toy or sensory object during a session to keep their hands occupied. They can create artwork with the therapist, or write with chalk outside. If your child prefers to be active, they can listen to music and do a dance, stretch and do yoga, or kick a ball with their therapist during sessions. These activities teach children how to release their energy while remaining productive.
Anger and Aggressive Behaviors in Children
Oftentimes, children who are not feeling well internally may present as angry. They may hit, kick, or physically harm their siblings without reason. Or, they may express hurtful statements such as saying that they hate you. A child who is angry may yell a lot and have difficulty controlling their frustrations.
Anger and aggressive behaviors in children may be due to difficult life changes and experiences such as a recent move, a divorce, a new baby, or bullying at school.
When children are angry at the world, they need to be taught how to release their big emotions in a healthy way. Child behavioral counseling provides children with outlets to express their inner frustrations. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in child behavioral counseling. We support children through the use of creative art, music, and play therapies. We may use puppets with children to help them work through and resolve a conflict in their life. Or, we may read books with your child with stories and characters that relate to what they are going through.
Child Behavioral Counseling for Emotional Outbursts
Maybe you are here because you noticed that your child is a little more emotional lately. They may cry more than their peers while at school, or hold it in all day and cry when they get home. Your child may be bothered by small things and may be largely impacted by other people’s feelings and moods.
Emotional outbursts are common behaviors seen in young children. Oftentimes, these outbursts demonstrate a lack of adequate sleep, proper nutrition, fatigue, or general feelings of unwellness.
Outbursts can occur at the same time every day and also at different times throughout the day. Emotional outbursts vary in length and intensity and are often difficult to settle.
A child who experiences emotional outbursts often needs soothing. Oftentimes, their heart rates increase to a high rate during crying spells and outbursts. You can encourage your child to sit on our lap while you rub their back, or you can sing them a song or play a melody until they feel okay.
During child behavioral counseling, a therapist can teach your child self-soothing techniques that help to regulate their nervous system and calm them down during an episode. Your therapist can also teach you, the parents, tips to prevent and manage emotional outbursts in your little one.
Highly Sensitive Children
In addition, some children are naturally highly sensitive. Highly sensitive children are not only emotionally reactive, but also extremely empathic. They can tune into other’s emotions on a deep level and can resonate with what others go through. These children can often appear depleted in energy, reserved, emotional, or upset because they are used to taking in the energy and emotions of those around them.
Highly sensitive children often require a quiet environment to unwind and rejuvenate themselves. They may prefer to read, nap, do a puzzle, cuddle with a pet, or color in peace. These types of activities promote relaxation and reduce compassion fatigue.
Play Therapy in Child Behavioral Counseling
Play therapy is an approach used during sessions to help children process difficult emotions, work through big life events, and learn positive coping skills. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in offering play therapy to children of all ages.
During play therapy, your child can use puppets to reenact life events and work with the therapist to process the emotions they feel as a result. Or, your child can create a vision board to set goals for themself at school and at home. Maybe your child wants to be creative during session. They can paint or do a drawing exercise with the therapist as a healthy outlet. For a child with ADHD, they can listen to music and move their body during session. They may want to walk around the room, stretch, dance, or play on the floor. Our therapists welcome these inclinations and encourage children to find ways that work for them to release their frustrations.
Irinel Fishlock adds that, “Depending on the child, I allow for them to come into the room at the start of session and decompress for a few breaths. Then, I ask them to pick out what activity they want to do that day. Sometimes they choose to make slime, play a board game, or use the puppets. This opportunity to decide what we will do during session provides the child with a sense of independence, autonomy, and confidence. Children are often deprived of any opportunity to make decisions for themself.”
Wisdom Within Counseling would love to support you. Click the button below to get started.
Wisdom Within Counseling is located in Niantic, Connecticut. We offer in-person, highly-rated, child-centered play therapy to the state of Connecticut. You can work with Irinel Fishlock to help your child grow their confidence and understand and communicate their emotional needs. We would love to work with you and help support your child.
