What is one tool child therapists use to help children teens and couples at Wisdom Within Counseling? We are going to talk about child therapy and emotional expression and how to teach outlets for feelings. The team of child therapists in Old Lyme, Connecticut teach children positive coping tools.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for emotional confidence in holistic child therapy in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
What are concerning behaviors that cause a need for creative play therapies and child counseling?
First, you may have a little one who’s maybe not as bubbly as they once were. Or, you’ve noticed a shift in their mood. It’s a great thing that you’re in tune with them and you’re aware of what they’re going through. The video with Katie Ziskind, below, can teach you little bit about what you can do to help your child. Letting go is about feeling emotionally expressive. A lot of times, children with anxiety come into counseling and they don’t have the words to put what they’re feeling into.
Children needing counseling in Southeastern Connecticut will be feeling anxiety, anger, frustration, jealousy, sadness, loss and more.
Little ones do not know how to process all these things. To note, children don’t have the vocabulary words to say what they need or feel. Children can not say, “I’m really feeling scared because my parents are divorcing. I am afraid because now I’m going to have to move homes.” Due to their developmental level, children show us they need child therapy through problematic behaviors. Therefore, if you child is showing distress or fears, working with a holistic child therapist in Old Lyme, Connecticut at Wisdom Within Counseling can support them.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for emotional strategies in holistic child therapy in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
How does child therapist in Old Lyme, Connecticut at Wisdom Within Counseling work?
You child might have nausea, not wanting go to school, or social anxiety. They seem more shy and timid than six months ago. From a few weeks of child counseling sessions, your child’s therapist may determine that your child is dealign with bigger themes. From child centered play therapy, you child may share they are scared because mom just had a new baby, the attention’s divided and they are afraid they are no longer important anymore. Children can’t cognitively verbalize that. But, your child’s therapist will use art, yoga, music, and play therapies to help your child free their story.
Talk about emotions can help liberate your child and let them know it’s okay to feel all these things.
Child therapists in Old Lyme, Connecticut normalize emotions for children. Working with a holistic child therapist can help your child step away from their fears and anxiety. Instead, they can get playful and adventurous with puppets, toys, and play dough around them. Here is an an exercise you can use (see video).
Kimochi’s stuffed feelings as a tool in child centered play therapy
So, these are called Kimochi, K-i-m-o-c-h-i-‘s. Each one has a different face, one is hurt, one is scared, and so on. To note, we can feel hurt and scared in the same moment. As well, we can feel curious and shy in the same moment. As humans, we can feel all of these things all at the same time and it can feel complex. We might even feel a little friendly and sensitive and insecure all together.
How to begin at home?
Start by sitting on the floor or playing with some toys within a play space. Talk about an easy emotion that is pretty common like one thing that makes you feel loved. In more severe cases, children on the autism spectrum will struggle with being able to identify that. Then, a child might say like hugs from a parent before bed. Children also really love cuddle time, so kind of rituals around snuggles. A parent can share what they like to feel loved.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for play therapy and holistic child therapy in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
What’s one thing that makes you feel proud of yourself?
Talking about being proud of ourselves build self-worth, self-esteem, and helps build a positive self-image. A child might say, “that I’m doing baseball camp, an art project, or a good math test score.” Then, as a parent, share what things make you feel proud of your child. Parents may share about their child. “I’m really proud of you for showing creativity and patience when you were doing that really hard thing today.” Or, “I’m really proud of you for being so flexible when plans changed unexpectedly.”
Holistic child therapy Old Lyme, Connecticut can help children, adolescents, and parents talk about all parts of us.
How can having a new sibling be talked about in play therapy and child therapy, Old Lyme, Connecticut at Wisdom Within?
A child might feel scared that their new sibling is going to cry non-stop and ruin their life. They may have fears about the uncertainty if they never had a sibling before. An only child may feel scared and anticipate jealousy that they’re not going to get the attention that they’ve had maybe up until this point. Then, a child may feel curious about what it would be like to hold their baby sibling. They may feel excited about being a role model, an older sibling, and a leader. Some family members may be feeling pleasantly surprised that a baby is on the way. It can be really exciting to have a new baby and it’s a beautiful exciting part of life.
Saying sorry in child therapy Old Lyme, Connecticut
We can talk about like when we need to say sorry. Sharing stories of when we’ve hurt someone’s feelings lets go of guilt and shame. Child therapy Old Lyme, Connecticut helps children process what it’s like when someone’s hurts our feelings. We can talk about healthy relationship from clear communication.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for child therapy expertise Southeastern Connecticut.
Frustration and anger in child counseling
A big feeling for children is anger and frustration. When adults are frustrated, child do not understand what they are feeling. So, a big one frustrated when in child counseling. Sometimes, parents get frustrated and lose their cool. A child might want to talk about how their mom, dad, caregiver, grandparent, or guardian was frustrated with them. In child counseling, they can share how they didn’t like the look the adult gave them. In therapy, children can talk about facial expressions, eyes, and how they can tell how others are feeling. Children will often say,
“I can tell someone’s frustrated by their eyes.”
A lot of times, children can tell a parent is upset, sad or hurting. Even if a parent tries their very best to hide it. In a divorce or after the death of a loved one, children sense changes in their family. Therefore, children and parents can talk about feelings in counseling. Outdoor nature therapy, play therapy, puppets or painting are all available for emotional expression. Being able to talk about these emotions helps children start to realize the different parts of them. Self-acceptance and self-love are benefits from normalizing emotions. And, holistic child therapists in Old Lyme, Connecticut at Wisdom Within Counseling normalize all different feelings for children.
Crying and tearfulness
People might cry for a number of reasons from physical to emotional pain. Tearfulness and crying a sign there’s something deeper emotionally going on. Sadness or loss are related to changes, loss of a pet, being bullied, divorce, losing a friend, having a friend move away. It’s always okay to cry, but we don’t get told this enough. A lot of times, our youth of our nation receive messages from our culture that it’s shameful to cry. So, children grow into adults who are told to stuff away sadness. Unfortunately, or culture teaches us to neglect ourselves when we feel sad.
Society tells us to be strong, but that mindset is detrimental to healthy realtionships.
Losing a guinea pig, losing a pet, losing a grandparent, these are all huge losses that really affect children. There’s not much time for a child to process what they’ve been through. They’re just on to the next thing, school’s starting and moving forward, but able to make crying okay is key. Show your child it’s okay to express emotions.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for family togetherness and child therapy in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Child therapy Old Lyme supports healthy emotional expression tools and emotional confidence
A lot of times, boys five years old in my office will tell me that they’re a “baby” if they cry. So, expressing emotions is actually a great skill you are teaching and modeling to your children for adult relationships one day.
Holistic child therapy Old Lyme, Connecticut helps children cope with distress in times of high emotion, in a healthy, calm, peaceful way.
Sensitive feelings
What does it mean to be sensitive emotionally? Sometimes, we’re sensitive to temperature, textures in the mouth, light or even noise. At times, some children are sensitive to the sounds of other people at mealtimes chewing. Some children are considered a highly sensitive person. So, that means that they’re more empathetic, and more sensitive emotionally. A highly sensitive person is more affected by emotions of others.
Are some children more sensitive and other children less sensitive emotionally? How is a highly sensitive person different?
So, child one gets bullied, doesn’t even take it in. Child two gets told that they’re not good enough by a peer, and that goes right to their core. Some children are more sensitive. Holistic, creative child therapists in Old Lyme at Wisdom Within Counseling help children see sensitivity as a strength. Being sensitive is a gift, but we have to know how to use that gift. Adolescents may have to stop putting others first, over themselves. There may be school accommodations in place for a child with more emotional sensitivities.
Hopeful and grateful emotions
And then hopeful and grateful are key emotions too. What is one thing you are hopeful about? If you talk something that is scary, end a feelings conversation with something hopeful about the future. Emotional conversations can create a sense of connection. Child and family therapists them feel grateful, right? This is the element of building connection support emotional conversations to create emotional safety and vulnerability. These conversations are all about building connection as a family.
Emotions are really important, healthy components to family life.
These are like all parts of us, and all parts of us are okay and valid. So, sometimes we grow up feeling guilty for having a certain emotion. If people judged us for cry, we now begin judging ourselves, or being critical to ourselves. The whole purpose of talking about emotions is to be able to separate them and release them. Therapy helps children understand emotions are separate from the core of their being. Times of high emotion can come and go, and therapy teaches healthy coping tools.
The core of our being is calm, and grounded and centered and just kind of like at ease in a flow state.
But we go through things in life, maybe it’s a loss, maybe it’s being bullied, we get angry, Maybe, it’s having a really tough teacher or having parents who divorce, and that leads to depression. Or having to move, can lead to anxiety and panic attacks for a child. When one member of the family is challenged, the whole entire family is affected. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we strive to help families feel connection in times of change.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for emotional coping tools for your child’s confidence and self-esteem.
Oftentimes, it’s the easiest thing to show hurt or sadness is anger
When there’s conflict, it’s easy to just kind of want it all to stop and yell. Being able to talk about what’s going on helps your family understand you as a parent. For instance, say, “I’m feeling this today… and I am sorry.” We can have a range of emotions and a goal is to be less angry from counseling.
By expressing emotions and making them all normal and okay, this builds confidence.
Building emotions confidence sets a child up for success in adult years. Holistic child therapy in Old Lyme, Connecticut builds healthy outlets for stress. Child therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling builds self-acceptance and self-worth. As adults, we’re modeling to children that it’s okay to be gentle and patient.
If your child has concerning behaviors, get started at Wisdom Within Counseling in Southeastern Connecticut.
Is your child struggling with low self-esteem? There is hope! Our team of child and family therapists in Southeastern Connecticut can help. We believe children need ways beyond just sitting and talking to grow. Therefore, we offer watercolors, creative expressive arts, drama therapy, and going outdoors in the fresh air. If your child’s kind of having trouble sleeping or having changes in appetite, we offer art, yoga, music, and animal therapies for self-esteem. These therapies are a language beyond words that help children release stress and anxiety. As well, if your child is socially withdrawing and pulling away, these are good reasons to come into counseling.
LGBTQIA+ transgender, gender questioning feelings
Some kids are also like gender questioning or kind of wanting to try on different forms of gender expression. So, whatever’s going on, we can help them gain some clarity. And, holistic child therapy in Old Lyme can help you as parents feel supported. Wisdom Within Counseling specializes with gender questioning, LGBTQIA+, transgender, and non-binary children. Parent can feel reassured working with Wisdom Within Counseling with help navigating this emotional world that we’re in.
Katie Ziskind is a licensed marriage and family therapist, child therapist, and yoga therapist for trauma. She runs a holistic team of child, teen, and marriage therapists in Southeastern Connecticut.
Therapy is helpful for anyone of all ages. If you have a child in need or you’re looking to get a question answered, we would love to help you.
Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in child-centered play therapy, art, yoga, meditation, even outdoor walking and nature therapies, and overall, holistic positive coping strategies.
