Do you have a young adult or a teenager who won’t talk to friends, family, or to you? Has your young adult or teenager been through a recent life event or major trauma? And, has this trauma caused them to stop talking? Teenagers often feel helpless and out of control when they don’t know how to cope with intense social situations. A parent’s divorce, losing a friend, or getting into a social conflict can lead to selective mutism. Also, loss of a grandparent, changing schools, pressure of fitting in, diet culture, being bullied, and even body changes can be overwhelming. Depression and anxiety can negatively affect teenagers and young adults. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we are a team of selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers. Our child and teen counselors offer holistic, creative options and alternatives to talking in therapy.
Children as well as teenagers can also suffer from selective mutism due to social anxiety.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers.
How do children and teenagers develop selective mutism?
Did your child or teen once freely speak, but now seems anxious and quiet? Has your child or teen stopped talking out of anxiety, trauma, or another major life event?
Not only do some teenagers and young adults experience depression and anxiety, but they develop a disorder called selective mutism.
Selective mutism is a complex condition influenced by a combination of factors. The exact causes can vary from person to person. Commonly, children and young adults develop selective mutism for a few reasons. Selective mutism can develop from anxiety, genetics, family changes, trauma, and more.
Anxiety Disorders:
First, anxiety is a central component of selective mutism. Children and teenagers with this condition often experience extreme anxiety, especially in social situations. The fear of being judged, criticized, or rejected can be paralyzing. Therefore, children and teenagers with selective mutism avoid speaking in certain contexts. General anxiety and social anxiety can play a role in selective mutism.
Selective mutism is often linked to social anxiety disorder. Additionally, social anxiety involves an intense fear of social situations where your child might be observed or evaluated by others. Their fear can contribute to the mutism and reduction in speech. At Wisdom Within Counseling, you can work with our selective mutism therapists who specialize in helping children and teenagers. We help youth with social anxiety gain anxiety coping tools.
Temperament:
Some children are naturally more cautious or shy. While shyness is a common trait, in selective mutism, this inherent shyness is amplified to an extreme degree. A shy child, who then experiences bullying, trauma, a parent’s divorce, or loss of a sibling, may develop selective mutism. Shyness evolves into selective mutism due to the overwhelming stress and lack of emotional coping strategies. As a result, selective mutism begins affecting their ability to speak in certain settings.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Environmental Factors:
Certain environments or experiences can contribute to the development of selective mutism. For example, a child or young adult who has experienced a negative or traumatic event can get social anxiety.
Furthermore, bullying can make a child prone to anxiety and selective mutism. Trauma experiences can look different for each child or teenager. For instance, trauma can include sexual abuse, molestation, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, or verbal abuse.
Having a parent with a mental health issue can be traumatic. As well, having a parent who has an alcohol problem and gets violent can be scary and traumatic. Bullying can be a form of trauma. Multiple moves within a few years can lead to feeling unstable, which can be traumatic. At Wisdom Within Counseling, the selective mutism therapists help children and teenagers who won’t speak.
We help adolescents process trauma through play therapies, meditation, art, yoga and music therapies.
On that note, traumatic experiences, such as physical or emotional abuse, can contribute to the development of selective mutism. To note, this can be especially true if these experiences occurred in social settings or involved interactions with others.
For instance, a teenager may develop selective mutism after being a victim of hazing. As well, physical abuse and bullying in a school environment can lead to social anxiety. This teen may no longer speak at school due to social anxiety from bullying. Selective mutism can then develop.
Genetic Predisposition:
There is evidence to suggest a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. If there is a family history of anxiety or related disorders, the risk of developing selective mutism might be higher.
Family Dynamics:
Furthermore, family dynamics can play a role in the development and maintenance of selective mutism. An overly protective family or excessive pressure to perform socially can contribute to a child’s anxiety and avoidance of communication. Children and teenagers may develop selective mutism from a high conflict divorce situation.
Or, they may develop it from overwhelming performance anxiety. A child with selective mutism may not be able to verbalize what they are feeling. So, art, yoga, music, and holistic therapies support a language beyond words. To add, these holistic, creative therapies are alternates to talking that foster emotional release.
Language and Speech Delays:
Some children with selective mutism may have experienced early language or speech delays. Early language or speech delays can lead to difficulties in initiating speech in unfamiliar social settings.
Cultural or Linguistic Factors:
For children who come from culturally diverse backgrounds, there can be pressure to communicate in different languages. This can increase anxiety and contribute to selective mutism.
When looking for a selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers, the team at Wisdom Within Counseling loves helping.
Our team of selective mutism counselors recognize that selective mutism is a complex interplay of psychological, environmental, and developmental factors.
In many cases, a combination of these factors contributes to the condition. Early intervention, such as holistic, creative, and play therapies, can significantly help children and individuals with selective mutism. Creative, holistic therapies aid in developing effective communication skills.
Selective mutism is a great reason to get your teenager started with creative therapies and holistic counseling.
Talk therapy in a traditional sense does not help teenagers with selective mutism. It creates more anxiety.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
About Selective Mutism
When your young child, adolescent, or teenager has selective mutism, they will often not speak in new social situations. Anxiety feels all consuming.
They may have one or two people that they say very few words to. However, when it comes to talking to a teacher or working on a group project, they refuse to speak.
Art, painting, music, yoga, and creative therapies at Wisdom Within Counseling help teenagers with speaking challenges.
Wisdom Within Counseling specializes with teenagers and gives young adults with selective mutism holistic, creative options for emotional expression beyond words. Talking is not required to have a positive counseling experience for your teen.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, a mixture of painting, music, therapy, art, clay, and going outside for walking sessions helps your teenager with selective mutism develop self-confidence.
Usually, selective mutism, social anxiety, and depression are all interwoven.
Your teenager may have been in a really close knit friend group during middle school.
But, during the transition from eighth grade high school, your teenager felt exiled, left out, and excluded from this friend group. Going for middle school to high school can be a scary experience.
And, losing their trusted group of friends that your teenager once confided in, can be really really upsetting.
Your teenager might feel alone in their high school experience, and as a result now have anxiety and depression.
Having to make new friends and feeling like an outcast can be very challenging.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Your teenager may feel low in self-esteem, anxious, self-conscious, and insecure and stop talking.
As a result, your teenager has chosen to stop speaking, and only speaks to a few people.
Selective mutism is a sign that your young adult could benefit from a variety of creative, holistic therapies to help them rebuild, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team of therapists help teenagers be a part of their own therapeutic process. Wisdom Within Counseling helps teens feel like a leader, and we help teens believe in themselves again.
In counseling for selective mutism, anxiety, and depression, your teenager can develop a sense of resilience. Holistic therapies foster playfulness, and help adolescents feel excited about life again.
Musical instruments provide a language beyond words. Also, teens can go walking by the ocean and beach.
Wisdom Within Counseling offers adolescents yoga and meditation. Teenagers can take part in painting in therapy to gain support rebuilding confidence in teen counseling.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Does your child or teenager feel apprehensive to do the social activities that they once enjoyed?
The hobbies that they used to find fun, they no longer have motivation to do. It seems like your teenager is exhausted and emotionally drained all the time.
Perhaps, you overhear your teenager criticizing their body image in the mirror. Self critical thoughts can be a part of depression and anxiety for teenagers. Building self-confidence and repairing self-esteem skills can help your teenager feel comfortable speaking again. To note, we never force your teenager to speak.
Overtime, from them feeling more comfortable and building a therapeutic relationship, they will naturally regain their voice.
This might be the first time in your life that your teenager or young adult is not speaking. To note, selective mutism can develop at any age.
Children who are four, five, or six years old may also develop selective mutism. Selective mutism is one way that children try to cope with overwhelming, scary, and sad life experiences.
However, it takes the help of a play therapist and specialist in selective mutism to help your child feel safe. Art, painting, yoga, and music foster communicating in ways beyond words.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Why meet with selective mutism therapists and child and teen specialists, and why doesn’t traditional talk therapy work?
A child with selective mutism should never be forced or pressure to speak. Pressuring a child, or a teenager with selective mutism, who is refusing to speak, will only make the disorder worse. Pressure increases anxiety, creating more severity in the selective mutism behaviors.
Children and teenagers can use a variety of different techniques in counseling to talk without having to use words.
Toys, musical instruments, art materials, puppets, and even mindfulness meditation and breathing skills can help lower anxiety.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team of therapists also help parents, siblings, and family members better understand ways to communicate beyond words.
Holistic, creative play therapies help lower family member’s anxiety.
Notably, selective mutism can look different for each child who develops this disorder. For some children, selective mutism goes hand-in-hand with panic attacks. Essentially, tearfulness, crying, and being unable to speak all go together.
Your child may hyperventilate, breathe rapidly, or even curl up in a ball when having a panic attack.
Some children on the other hand, with selective mutism, develop a freeze response. This is when your child becomes like a raccoon in headlights, seems paralyzed, won’t talk, and won’t physically move.
They may look blank or seem frozen.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Selective mutism may occur alongside self-harm, eating disorders, anger, and other mental health issues.
As well, some children and young adults with selective mutism also develop eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal feelings, cutting, and anger issues. All of these are signs that your child or teenager is an emotional distress and needs the help of a professional, specialized therapist.
Children and teenagers with selective mutism, anxiety, and depression, will avoid activities that make them feel like everyone is looking at them and they are the center of attention.
For instance, a child with selective mutism may decline having a birthday party where they have to blow out candles in front of everyone.
Thinking back, the year before, your child or a teenager it was incredibly excited about planning, and having all of their friends over to celebrate their birthday.
When your child or teenager is suffering from anxiety, depression, and selective mutism, they are not the most authentic or happy version of themselves.
Through a mixture of play therapy, art, yoga, music, and creative and holistic therapies, your child or teenager can start to feel confident in themselves again.
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder characterized by an individual’s consistent inability to speak in specific social situations, despite being able to speak in other environments.
Coming out as gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQIA+) can be a significant life event related to selective mutism.
While it might not seem directly related to selective mutism, there are some potential connections to consider:
Anxiety and Emotional Impact:
Coming out can be an emotionally charged experience. Often, coming out is accompanied by anxiety about how others will react, fear of rejection, and concerns about negative consequences. This intense emotional response could trigger or exacerbate symptoms of selective mutism.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Social Pressure and Communication Anxiety Related To Selective Mutism:
Selective mutism often involves situations where an individual feels pressured to communicate, especially in social settings.
Coming out discussions can involve conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and others where verbal communication is crucial. For someone with selective mutism, the pressure to speak about their identity can contribute to heightened anxiety and difficulty speaking.
Identity Expression and Self-Confidence:
Additionally, coming out is an act of self-expression and requires a certain level of self-confidence.
Selective mutism can impact an individual’s self-esteem and self-assurance, making it harder for them to express their identity confidently. This can be particularly challenging when discussing personal and sensitive topics like LGBTQIA+ identity.
Negative Past Experiences Are Related To Selective Mutism Evolving:
Plus, children and teenagers with selective mutism might have experienced negative reactions or consequences in the past when attempting to talk.
These negative experiences can lead to avoidance behaviors. Selective mutism can be due to the fear of potential negative reactions.
Nonverbal Communication Related To Selective Mutism:
Individuals with selective mutism often develop coping strategies, such as nonverbal communication.
Nonverbal communication can include avoiding eye contact, or using alternative means of expression. These nonverbal strategies might be utilized during the process of coming out. Selective mutism can lead to difficulty conveying thoughts and feelings.
For LGBTQ+ individuals who belong to other marginalized groups, such as people of color or those with disabilities are more likely to develop selective mutism. Selective mutism can compound the challenges they face when coming out.
Selective mutism could interact with these challenges in complex ways, making the coming out process even more intricate.
To add, the impact of selective mutism on the coming out process can vary widely. If your child is is facing challenges related to selective mutism and coming out, support from our mental health professionals who offer LGBTQIA+ support.
Selective mutism can be a result of feeling unsafe talking about gender identity, gender expression, and coming out.
Wisdom Within Counseling is a team of LGBTQIA+ transgender affirming allies who can provide understanding and guidance.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Family rejection can be a deeply distressing experience for LGBTQ+ children and teenagers who are coming out.
To note, family rejection and selective mutism can be connected. Overall, the intense emotional and psychological impact of such rejection can contribute to the development of selective mutism.
Traumatic Experience:
Family rejection can be traumatic for LGBTQIA+ children and teenagers. Selective mutism can develop when the people they rely on for love and support respond negatively. Traumatic experiences can trigger anxiety and stress responses that are associated with selective mutism.
Emotional Distress:
The emotional distress resulting from family rejection can lead to selective mutism. Also, this includes feelings of shame, guilt, sadness, anger, and fear, can contribute to heightened anxiety levels. Selective mutism often involves anxiety-related difficulties in speaking. To note, the emotional turmoil from family rejection can amplify this anxiety.
Social Isolation:
Family rejection might lead to social isolation. Individuals might distance themselves from their families or face being ostracized. Social isolation can exacerbate anxiety and make it even more challenging to engage in verbal communication. Lack of speech is a hallmark of selective mutism.
Low Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence:
Family rejection can significantly impact an individual’s self-esteem and self-confidence. When someone doesn’t receive acceptance from their family, they might internalize negative beliefs about themselves. This rejection leads to further anxiety in social situations, contributing to selective mutism.
Avoidance Behaviors:
Plus, people who experience family rejection might develop avoidance behaviors as a coping mechanism. This can include avoiding conversations about their identity or avoiding situations where they might need to communicate.
The intersection of LGBTQ+ identity with other aspects of an individual’s identity. To note, these include culture, religion, and ethnicity, which can amplify the distress caused by family rejection. These complexities can contribute to increased anxiety and difficulties with communication.
Fear of Additional Rejection:
The fear of further rejection, from family and friends, peers, and society at large, can lead to heightened anxiety. And, it can cause a reluctance to speak openly about one’s LGBTQIA+ identity. This fear can contribute to selective mutism.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help transgender, gay, lesbian, queer, gender questioning teens with selective mutism.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Our selective mutism therapists connect in playful, creative ways with children and teenagers who don’t want to talk.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our child and teen specialists understand selective mutism.
As well, our selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers help teens who self-harm, and help children and teens who suffer from panic attacks.
Additionally, children and teenagers, who suffer from selective mutism, anxiety, and depression, often have somatic symptoms. What are somatic symptoms you might ask? Well, many children, and teenagers with anxiety, and selective mutism may have body pain and have digestive issues.
You might be taking your child to a G.I. specialist and they may not be able to find out what is wrong. Everything seems to be healthy, but your child still complains of pain.
Commonly, children with selective mutism and anxiety have body pain, headaches, and belly pain.
Somatic symptoms are symptoms that occur within their body, but are emotionally related.
For instance, gas, digestive pain, and stomach aches are very common when children and adults suffer from anxiety and depression. Your child or your teenager, who has selective mutism, may complain that food makes their belly hurt.
They may get a bellyache before a social event, like going to soccer practice. As well, your child, or a teenager with selective mutism may complain of headaches. Though you may have taken them to the pediatrician, and everything seems to be fine, they still complain of head pain.
Headaches can be a sign that they feel overwhelmed and need help sorting through the anxious thoughts running through their mind.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Somatic symptoms are some thing that child therapy and teen therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can help with.
The manifestation of somatic symptoms are physical ailments with psychological origins. Children and teenagers with selective mutism and anxiety are particularly susceptible to experiencing somatic symptom.
In general, these include body pain, headaches, and belly pain. Essentially, emotional distress can manifest as physical discomfort in children and young adults.
The Mind and Body
To add, somatic symptoms exemplify the link between emotional and physical well-being. For children with selective mutism, an anxiety disorder where they consistently choose not to speak in certain social situations, their struggles extend beyond mere speechlessness.
Children and teenagers with selective mutism deal with persistent anxiety that accompanies a cascade of physiological responses within their bodies.
These responses, often referred to as the “fight or flight” response, trigger the release of stress hormones like cortisol.
Cortisol can manifest as somatic symptoms. Consequently, children may experience body pain, headaches, and belly pain as their bodies react to the stress they are unable to verbalize.
The Role of Anxiety in Somatic Symptoms in Children and Teenagers With Selective Mutism
Also, anxiety, a powerful emotional state, can exert a profound influence on the body.
In children with selective mutism, anxiety-induced somatic symptoms become a tangible expression of their internal struggles.
Body pain, such as muscle tension and aches, arises from the physical tension created by their anxious thoughts and feelings.
Persistent headaches can emerge as a result of heightened stress levels and the subsequent release of stress-related neurotransmitters. Similarly, belly pain can be attributed to the intricate connection between the brain and the gut, known as the “brain-gut axis.”
When anxiety is left unaddressed, it can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome, leading to gastrointestinal discomfort and pain.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, the Selective Mutism Therapists for Children and Teenagers Offer Holistic Therapy
Recognizing the presence of somatic symptoms in children with selective mutism and anxiety is pivotal in providing comprehensive support.
These symptoms are not merely a coincidence; they are a clear indicator of the child’s emotional state. Holistic approaches that address both the psychological and physical aspects of their well-being are essential.
Therapeutic interventions should encompass not only traditional talk therapy but also techniques that help alleviate physical discomfort.
Mind-body practices such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can play a pivotal role in reducing anxiety levels and subsequently diminishing somatic symptoms.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Holistic therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling encourages relaxation, self-awareness, and a sense of control over emotions and bodily sensations.
The intricate interplay between the mind and the body is undeniable, especially in the context of children and teenagers with selective mutism and anxiety.
Furthermore, the manifestation of somatic symptoms, such as body pain, headaches, and belly pain, serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact emotional distress can have on physical well-being.
Recognizing and addressing these symptoms within a holistic framework is crucial for providing effective support to children and teenagers with selective mutism in therapy.
By acknowledging the connection between their emotional struggles and physical discomfort, we can guide them toward a path of healing that encompasses both mind and body.
Holistic therapies support their overall well-being and helping them find their voice in a world where verbal communication is key.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
When having somatic symptoms, your child is suffering from emotional stress that is manifesting itself in their body.
Their pain is very real, but even though it is not traced back to a physical issue. Essentially, emotional pain and painful life events can lead to pain in their physical body.
Going to the pediatrician and ruling out anything physical is always helpful. However, receiving child and teen counseling can aid in developing emotional expression skills. And, positive coping strategies at Wisdom Within Counseling can help your child or teenager feel more connected to their body.
Mind-body therapies like mindfulness meditation, music therapy, and yoga can help your child or teenager release stress in healthy ways.
Stress management skills and positive coping strategies can help your child or teenager let go of the things that may be weighing on their mind. Your teenager may have a lot of different thoughts during the day. For instance, these include fears of not fitting in, fears of being a failure, fears of disappointing family members, and even fears of change.
Plus, a parent’s divorce, especially high conflict one, can make a teenager feel torn between their two parents. When a child or teenager, feels like they have to pick between two parents, this creates a lot of mental stress and pressure. As a result, your child or teenager may develop body pain, that seems to have no physical diagnosis.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Unfamiliar, overwhelming, and traumatic life experiences can cause your child or teenager to develop selective mutism, somatic body, pain, anxiety, and depression.
By working with a creative, holistic child and play therapist, your child can start to feel more relaxed and relieved. Instead of feeling anxious and worried all the time, your child can start to feel like the stress they are facing is manageable.
As well, a Wisdom Within Counseling creative, holistic child therapist can help your child better understand that a divorce was not their fault. Or, a sudden, unexpected death like the loss of a sibling, or parent, is not their fault.
Children and teenagers often internalize blame. When parents get divorced, children often take on blame and feel like they could’ve done something differently. With all types of loss, children often blame themselves to make sense of it all.
And many times, when a parent gets a diagnosis, that is really scary, like a cancer diagnosis. Children don’t understand what this means and feel like they caused it.
A child therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling can help your child or a teenager better understand loss. Children need help understanding what it means when a parent has cancer. Selective mutism can be a result of grief, loss, and scary life events.
Loss around a new diagnosis can be upsetting. Play therapy can help children feel and express all of the scary emotions that go along with loss. Divorce can also be a major family loss that contributes to selective mutism. As well, child therapy can help children process, without harboring guilt.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Our child and teen therapists can give you positive ways to help your child with selective mutism rebuild confidence.
Additionally, Your child may have tough experiences that cause them to shut down, be unable to speak and feel anxious.
Parents have an important and special role when a child develops selective selective mutism. Our creative, holistic child and adolescent therapists can give you a variety of different techniques and activities to help your child feel calmer and safer in those intense moments.
As well, your child or teenager can learn ways to try to communicate with family and friends about what they are experiencing a needing those intense moments through therapy.
At times, selective mutism goes hand-in-hand with sensory processing disorder and autism.
As well, autism spectrum disorder is exactly as it relates. Autism is a spectrum. This means that many people are on the autism spectrum just a little bit.
Commonly, people who are on the autism spectrum may be more overwhelmed with loud sounds, bright lights, and even certain textures. Some children and teenagers with sensory processing disorder and selective mutism may also be considered highly sensitive people.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Our selective mutism therapists who specialize with youth and teenagers commonly work with highly sensitive children.
Highly sensitive people are genuinely caring, more empathetic, but are more sensitive to bullying, social ostracization, enter more sensitive to feeling left out or excluded. As well, highly sensitive, people are more sensitive to fabrics, certain textures, and even materials of clothing.
Something that is itchy and uncomfortable on one child’s skin may be extremely and intensely itchy and uncomfortable on a child who is a highly sensitive person.
Generally speaking, highly sensitive people tend to be more affected and feel the emotions of everyone in the room.
For children who are considered highly sensitive, learning how to release and let go of all of the things they are feeling is a part of therapy. It can be a great relief, when a child who is highly sensitive, for them to learn positive coping strategies, and positive ways to release emotions.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Can children and teens with selective mutism also have autism?
They can. Sensory processing disorders, autism, and selective mutism can go hand in hand. For instance, a child, with selective mutism may be on the autism spectrum, and unable to communicate that they are overwhelmed with the noise in a loud, large cafeteria at school. Or, a child, who is on the autism spectrum, and who has selective mutism, may not know how to verbally say that they need quiet time after a social event to feel centered.
To add, teenagers who are on the autism spectrum may have difficulties navigating social situations.
With autism, a child may misread facial expressions, not understand what is occurring socially.
When your child has autism, they need help from a specialized holistic, creative teen therapist to better understand social dilemmas. Friendship issues are more common when your child has autism.
Selective mutism, sensory processing disorder, and autism may be occurring all together, which you your teenager’s therapist can help figure out.
The team of selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers can diagnose your child and create treatment plan for their success.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, in East Lyme, Connecticut, our family therapy offices have low lights. Many children and teenagers are sensitive to bright, overhead, fluorescent lights. We strive to create an environment that is comfortable, relaxing, and soothing for children and teenagers who suffer from sensory processing disorder and autism.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Does your child or teenager with selective mutism struggle to order food in public?
Additionally, children and teenagers with selective mutism may have anxiety and challenges when eating in public. Ordering food at a restaurant can lead to anxiety, panic, speechlessness, and tearfulness.
Picking out what they want to eat on a menu in a crowded restaurant can make your child or teenager unable to speak.
Through holistic child and teen counseling, and different self-esteem and confidence activities, over time, your child can learn to confidently, speak up in a crowded restaurant.
Your child‘s therapist can work with them, using holistic therapies, to support them in developing self-assurance.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Why work with the team at Wisdom Within Counseling who specialize in selective mutism in children and teens?
Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that allows children and teenagers to express themselves. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team of counselors help youth express their emotions. Using play as a medium, children and teenagers can build emotional awareness. For selective mutism, holistic therapy and play therapy offer several benefits:
Play and holistic therapy can be valuable approaches for treating selective mutism in children and young adults.
Furthermore, play therapy provides a safe and non-threatening environment for children to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. This can be especially important for children and teenagers with selective mutism.
Children and teenagers have difficulty expressing themselves verbally in more traditional therapy settings.
Expression and Communication Tools Develop From Holistic, Play Therapy
Play therapy allows children and teenagers to communicate and express themselves through play. As well, creative painting and play therapies can be less intimidating than speaking directly. Through creative play, children can express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences in ways beyond words. With selective mutism, it is too difficult for them to do using words alone.
Plus, play therapy can incorporate gradual exposure techniques. Children are gently encouraged to role play specific situations that trigger selective mutism.
This gradual exposure helps children and teenagers build confidence and reduce anxiety over time.
Art, yoga, holistic therapies foster greater openness and willingness of children to engage in therapeutic activities.
Play therapy for selective mutism can teach children coping skills, emotion regulation, and problem-solving techniques.
These skills can be applied to situations that provoke anxiety related to selective mutism. Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in helping children manage their anxiety and improve their communication abilities.
Engaging in play therapy empowers children by giving them a sense of control over their environment and their feelings.
This creates empowerment, which can extend to their experiences outside of therapy. Children and teenagers can start to use similar strategies to manage their anxiety in social situations.
While play therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling doesn’t necessarily focus directly on verbal communication, it builds verbal confidence. As children become more comfortable and confident in the therapy setting, they may naturally begin to use more words.
Children and young adults benefit from creative, holistic therapy to increase their verbal expressions.
Our therapists tailor the play activities and interventions to address the specific challenges and strengths of your child with selective mutism.
The skills and insights gained through play therapy can have long-lasting effects. Children develop greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and communication skills. These improvements can extend beyond the therapy sessions into various aspects of their lives.
If your child is struggling with selective mutism, anxiety, and depression, after a major life event, our team of Wisdom Within Counseling child and adolescent therapists can help.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our selective mutism therapists specialize with anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed children and teenagers.
When a child or teenager experiences selective mutism, they have a condition where they consistently choose not to speak in specific social situations.
As a parent, you know your child or teen is capable of speech in other contexts. Your child or teen may be unable to speak about feeling overwhelmed, excluded, sad, insecure, worried, and frustrated.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Wisdom Within Counseling offers a holistic, creative approach to selective mutism therapy for children, adolescents, and teenagers.
Overall, play therapies and holistic, creative therapies have shown to be incredibly effective in helping children and teenagers with selective mutism find their voices. Through holistic therapies, children and teens can learn to thrive socially and emotionally.
To add, these holistic, creative therapies can play a transformative role in the lives of children and teens, empowering them to communicate and interact confidently. Talk therapy doesn’t work for helping selective mutism.
The Wisdom Within Counseling therapists specialize in selective mutism
Furthermore, selective mutism is a complex psychological condition that requires the help of selective mutism therapists trained to help children.
As a recap, children with this condition may speak fluently and naturally in familiar environments, such as at home. However, become virtually nonverbal in social situations like school, public places, or around unfamiliar people.
Selective mutism is not due to defiance. In reality, selective mutism is rooted in anxiety, overwhelm, and a deep fear of being judged, criticized, or rejected. At Wisdom Within Counseling, you get to work with holistic, creative selective mutism therapists specializing with children and teenagers.
The Power of Play Therapies For Selective Mutism In Children and Teenagers
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Wisdom Within Counseling Creates a Safe Environment For Children and Teens with Selective Mutism:
Play therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling provides a safe and non-threatening space for children with selective mutism to express themselves.
Furthermore, play therapy for children and teenagers approach focuses on the child’s natural medium of communication—play. Play is the language of children. Art and painting help teenagers “talk” out emotions beyond words.
Through various creative activities like drawing, painting, building, and imaginative play, therapists encourage your child to communicate without the pressure of verbal language. Though adults may like to talk verbally, children and teenagers with selective mutism need art, yoga, music, and play therapies.
Building Trust:
Establishing a strong rapport with a therapist is crucial for progress. Play therapy fosters this trust gradually, allowing your child or teenager to open up at their own pace.
This nurturing environment helps your child or teenager with selective mutism feel understood and accepted, reducing anxiety and facilitating communication.
Gradual Exposure:
With time, our Wisdom Within Counseling selective mutism therapists may introduce situations that mimic real-life scenarios where the child would usually feel anxious.
Through role-playing and guided interactions, your child or adolescent can practice using their voice in a controlled setting, boosting their confidence and breaking down barriers.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Holistic, Creative Therapies: A Path to Expression For Children and Teenagers with Selective Mutism
Art In Therapy Helps Children with Selective Mutism:
Creative expression through art provides an outlet for emotions that might be difficult to verbalize.
Children can use colors, shapes, and forms to communicate feelings, helping them process their anxieties and emotions in a non-confrontational manner.
When meeting with the Wisdom Within Counseling selective mutism therapists, children and teenagers can use clay, paint, watercolor, chalk, and tie dye. Art is a healthy and non-verbal form of emotional release.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Music and Drama Therapy For Children and Adolescents with Selective Mutism:
Engaging in music and drama allows children and teenagers to explore different personas and emotions through characters and melodies.
To add, these holistic therapies tap into their innate creativity, helping them discover new ways of communicating and self-expression.
Music therapy emerges as a transformative tool for children and teenagers grappling with selective mutism and sensory challenges.
The intrinsic nature of music as a universal language transcends traditional forms of communication. As well, it is wonderful for fostering self-expression and social engagement.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
For children and adolescents with selective mutism, music therapy provides a unique avenue to bypass verbal barriers.
Music therapy and holistic therapies help children and adolescents with selective mutism to convey emotions, thoughts, and desires that might otherwise remain locked within.
By creating a non-judgmental environment where rhythm, melody, and harmony replace words, music therapy empowers these young individuals to communicate on their terms, bolstering their self-esteem and emotional well-being.
Moreover, music’s multi-sensory nature can be particularly beneficial for children with sensory challenges. Music therapy engages a child’s senses simultaneously, promoting sensory integration. Also, music therapy helps children and teenagers navigate their surroundings with greater comfort and confidence.
In the realm of sensory challenges, music therapy presents an array of advantages. Tongue drums, shakers, marimbas, guitars, and more are available when working with the Wisdom Within Counseling selective mutism therapists, who specialize with children and teenagers.
Many children and teenagers with selective mutism and sensory issues often experience difficulties in processing and responding to external stimuli.
Music therapy capitalizes on the structured and predictable nature of rhythm and sound, offering a comforting and organized sensory experience.
Through carefully tailored musical activities, therapists can gradually introduce sensory stimuli in a controlled manner, aiding individuals in desensitization and sensory modulation.
Furthermore, music therapy taps into the brain’s intricate connection between auditory processing and emotional regulation.
This connection can be harnessed to help children and teenagers regulate their responses to sensory stimuli. As well, music therapy helps children and adolescents manage overwhelming sensations more effectively.
As children and teenagers engage in music-making, they not only embark on a journey of self-discovery and develop a more harmonious relationship with their surroundings.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
The Holistic Approach In Selective Mutism Therapy For Children and Teenagers: Mind and Body Connection
Mindfulness and Yoga:
More so, mindfulness techniques and yoga promote relaxation and self-awareness. Holistic, mindfulness practices help children manage anxiety, allowing them to engage more comfortably in social situations.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, the selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers offer yoga, mindfulness, and lifelong relaxation tools.
Breathing Exercises:
Likewise, learning proper breathing techniques can alleviate stress and anxiety. Holistic techniques can be incorporated into daily routines, empowering children to manage their emotions and communication apprehensions.
Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness breathing skills can offer remarkable benefits for teenagers dealing with selective mutism. These practices, which are rooted in ancient traditions, foster mental and emotional well-being.
When tailored to the specific needs of teens with selective mutism, these tools address anxiety, enhance self-awareness, and facilitate communication in a gradual and supportive manner.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Reducing Anxiety:
Additionally, selective mutism often stems from social anxiety, where the fear of speaking in certain situations becomes paralyzing.
Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices equip teens with techniques to manage and mitigate anxiety. Holistic practices encourage teens to be present in the moment, fostering an environment where their anxieties are acknowledged without judgment.
The controlled and intentional nature of yoga poses, combined with guided meditation and deep breathing, triggers the relaxation response.
Overall, teens with selective mutism can learn to self-regulate and lower anxiety.
Mindfulness, breathing, and yoga help children and teens with selective mutism to lower stress hormones and alleviate anxiety symptoms over time. Children and teens with selective mutism can learn to calm themselves when feeling panic.
From working with the specialized selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers at Wisdom Within Counseling, your child can overcome anxiety and rebuild confidence.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Enhancing Self-Awareness:
Teens with selective mutism may experience heightened self-consciousness, further exacerbating their communication challenges.
Mindfulness practices cultivate self-awareness by encouraging children and adolescents with selective mutism to observe their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without attachment.
This heightened self-awareness enables teens to recognize the physical manifestations of their anxiety and address them proactively.
As children and adolescents with selective mutism become more attuned to their feelings and reactions, they can learn to manage their emotions.
From there, children and adolescents with selective mutism can make conscious choices about when and how they communicate.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, children and adolescents with selective mutism can learn mindfulness tools right in therapy.
One of the keys to overcoming selective mutism is gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations.
Yoga and mindfulness practices facilitate this process by allowing children and adolescents with selective mutism to set their own pace.
Breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, provide a tool to regulate the body’s stress response.
As children and adolescents with selective mutism practice these techniques, they can better manage their anxiety in challenging situations, making it possible to gradually expose themselves to social interactions without becoming overwhelmed.
Improved Confidence:
Yoga and mindfulness practices emphasize self-acceptance and self-compassion. By cultivating a positive and non-judgmental attitude toward themselves, teens with selective mutism can develop a greater sense of self-worth and confidence.
This newfound confidence can extend to their communication efforts, enabling them to take small steps toward speaking in situations where they feel safe and supported.
Developing Communication Skills:
More so, mindfulness practices can enhance teens’ communication skills by teaching them to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully.
Active listening is a core component of mindfulness, and practicing this skill can help teens engage more effectively in conversations when they feel comfortable to do so.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
In summary, art, music, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness breathing skills offer a holistic approach to addressing the challenges of selective mutism in teens.
By focusing on anxiety reduction, self-awareness, gradual exposure, improved confidence, and communication skills, these practices provide children and adolescents with selective mutism a versatile toolkit.
In general, children and adolescents with selective mutism can use holistic coping tools to better navigate their social interactions with greater ease and self-assuredness.
As they become more in tune with themselves and their emotions, children and adolescents with selective mutism can gradually work towards finding their voice in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Wisdom Within Counseling Specializes with Selective Mutism In Children and Teenagers
Overall, play therapies and holistic, creative therapies offer a beacon of hope, providing effective avenues for children and teenagers with selective mutism to overcome their anxieties and embrace their voices.
By creating a nurturing and accepting environment, holistic, creative, play therapies enable children to build trust. As well, holistic therapies help children and teenagers with selective mutism express themselves creatively, and develop the confidence to engage with the world around them.
Also, as parents embrace these approaches, they empower their children to communicate, connect, and thrive emotionally.
Wisdom Within Counseling is a team of selective mutism therapists for children and teenagers.
Family therapy as well as child and teen therapy sessions put children and teenagers with selective mutism on a path toward a brighter and more expressive future.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help children and teenagers with selective mutism, anxiety, perfectionism, sensory issues, and social issues build confidence and self-esteem.
Your child might be struggling with emotional exhaustion, sadness, tearfulness, anger, low motivation, low self-esteem, body image issues, eating disorders, self-harm and cutting, and sensory processing issues.
Untreated, selective mutism, can lead to poor, social interactions, self-blame, disconnected friendships, loneliness, and even suicidal, thinking, in severe cases. Social isolation and social withdrawal are major concerns for children and teenagers who suffer from selective mutism, anxiety, and depression.
How can leaving selective mutism untreated in children and teenagers lead to much larger problems down the road?
Selective mutism can have a significant impact on the daily lives of children and teenagers, affecting various aspects of their social, emotional, and academic experiences.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our selective mutism therapists offer art, yoga, music therapy, and creative, holistic therapies for children and teenagers.
Children with selective mutism may struggle to participate in class discussions, answer questions, or give presentations. They might avoid raising their hand or actively engaging in group activities, leading to academic challenges and missed learning opportunities.
In social settings, children and teens with selective mutism may find it difficult to initiate conversations, join group conversations, or interact with peers. This can lead to feelings of isolation and hinder the development of friendships.
To add, the constant anxiety associated with selective mutism can lead to emotional distress. Children may feel frustrated, embarrassed, and anxious about their inability to communicate in certain situations, impacting their self-esteem and overall emotional well-being.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Our selective mutism therapists help children and teenagers express themselves using art, yoga, music, and creative, holistic therapies.
Selective mutism can prevent children and teens from expressing themselves fully.
They may have a rich inner world but struggle to convey their thoughts, feelings, and opinions to others.
Academic performance might be affected due to limited participation and interactions in the classroom. Their potential to demonstrate their knowledge and skills might be hindered by their mutism.
Plus, public speaking situations, such as giving presentations or speaking in front of a group, can be especially challenging for individuals with selective mutism. These situations can provoke extreme anxiety and lead to avoidance behaviors.
Simple everyday tasks like ordering food at a restaurant, asking for help in a store, or interacting with unfamiliar adults can become overwhelming situations for children with selective mutism.
Even family gatherings or events can be stressful for children with selective mutism, as they may struggle to communicate with extended family members they see less frequently.
Seeking professional help, such as medical appointments or therapy sessions, can be complicated due to their reluctance to speak with unfamiliar adults. This is where the play therapies, music, art, yoga, and creative counseling options come in. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your child or teenager doesn’t have to speak to get benefits from therapy.
Children and teens with selective mutism might develop a perception of themselves as being “different” or “strange” due to their communication challenges, which can impact their self-concept.
The lack of practice in verbal interactions can hinder the development of communication skills, making it difficult to catch up in terms of language development and social competence.
Left unaddressed, selective mutism can impact long-term opportunities in adulthood related to communication skills.
To add, effective communication is essential for success in various fields, including education, career, friendships, and romantic relationships.
The avoidance of social interactions can limit their exposure to new experiences, inhibiting their personal growth and preventing them from fully participating in social activities.
In summary, selective mutism can permeate multiple facets of a child’s daily life. Selective mutism and speechlessness influences social relationships, emotional well-being, academic performance, and overall sense of self.
Recognizing and addressing selective mutism early on can significantly mitigate its impact, allowing children and teens to develop effective communication skills and navigate the challenges they face with greater confidence and resilience.
If your child seems extremely nervous, worried, or anxious, and only speaks to a few select people, or stopped speaking all together, the Wisdom Within Counseling therapists specialize with selective mutism in youth.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our therapists who specialize in selective mutism in children and teenagers using creative, holistic therapies.
Music therapies, musical instruments, outdoor nature therapies by the beach, art, painting, and yoga, and mindfulness meditation all support your child or a teenager
With holistic, creative therapies, children and teenagers with selective mutism, depression, and anxiety can develop confidence.
Your teenager can develop confidence through therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling to better cope with challenging, family conflict, friendship and social issues, bullying, loss and grief, and any other traumas that may be triggering selective mutism.
When you are looking for a selective mutism therapist for children and teenagers, the team at Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in this area.
