Child Counseling in Missouri
Counseling for children: Learn how a child therapist can help kids find joy in life make the most of their adolescence.
Children deserve to be full of joy and to focus on the business of growing up. Sometimes, the heaviness of the world gets in the way. We, as adults, start looking for ways to support them. Child counseling can be one of those supports.
You've noticed a change in your child's behavior or attitude. And you’re worried. Whether they're grappling with trauma, depression, anxiety, behavior problems or the overwhelming stresses of life, it's difficult to witness them facing these challenges. Children, in particular, navigate these difficulties in their own unique ways, which can sometimes leave you feeling bewildered.
As a parent, you don’t want to think about them struggling. Perhaps you see your child or teenager stuck in the same painful patterns whether that’s negative self talk, “acting out,” self-harm, difficulty in school or any number of things.
You want to see them happy. You want to see your child enjoying life again. But you know, something needs to change to get to that place.
Understanding Your Child's Struggles
Children often have trouble expressing their emotions. Often, they don’t even fully understand what they’re feeling. Maybe they start acting out. Or, they say they’re feeling one thing but you know that’s not really the full story. Sometimes, they keep things from you (like that they feel sad) when they don’t even need to keep it from you. Things you wish they’d be more open about. Or, they are open with you. But they’re so open that you don’t even know how to respond. And, unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to observe negative self-talk, behavioral issues, self-doubt, or academic difficulties. You wish nothing more than to see your child embrace life's joys without the weight of these issues dragging them down.
In some ways, it feels like kids these days have it so easy. They have access to so much more information and support than we did growing up. But in other ways, it feels like they’re facing a whole new set of challenges that we never had to think about.
As parents, you want your child to thrive and succeed. You want them to feel confident, resilient and equipped with the skills necessary to navigate life’s ups and downs. And that’s where Aspire Counseling can help. We understand the unique challenges children and teenagers face in today's world, and we are here to support both you and your child on their journey toward healing and growth.
Evidence Based Child Counseling
At Aspire Counseling, we understand the importance of providing your child or teenager with the support they need. As a counseling practice, what sets us apart is our commitment to evidence-based counseling practices. All of our clinicians are trained in specific evidence based techniques. Depending on which child therapist your family works with and which issues your child is facing, some of the techniques your therapist might use include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is kind of the "original" evidence based therapy, meaning it has a lot of research behind it to support its effectiveness. CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all connected and can influence each other. By examining and changing negative or unhelpful thought patterns, your child can begin to feel better and behave in more positive ways. It been adapted to be used with children to treat a wide range of concerns such as anxiety, depression and helping them approach stressful situations in their life in a health way.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
For children who have experienced trauma, TF-CBT and CPP are evidence-based treatments specifically designed to help them process and cope with traumatic events. These therapies involve working closely with both the child and their caregiver(s) to address the impact of trauma on the child's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CPP is specifically for children and caregivers of children birth through age 5 and TF-CBT is evidence based for children and teenagers ages 3-17.
Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). It involves gradually exposing the child to their fears or triggers, while teaching them healthy coping skills to manage their anxiety. This can help them learn that they do not need to engage in compulsive behaviors to reduce their anxiety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on teaching individuals skills to manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and cope with distressing thoughts or experiences. It has been adapted for use with children and adolescents to address a variety of mental health concerns such as self-harm, depression, suicidal ideation, and emotion dysregulation. We have several DBT trained teen therapists at Aspire Counseling and our therapists can, when appropriate, use some of the basic DBT skills or concepts with younger children. However, younger children are generally not appropriate for more comprehensive DBT.
Family Therapy
We understand that a child's well-being is intertwined with the dynamics of their family. That's why we offer family therapy as part of our treatment approach. Our therapists work with families to identify and address any underlying issues that may be impacting the child's well-being, and help strengthen communication and relationships within the family unit. We don't currently have any therapists who offer family therapy exclusively, but all of our child therapists integrate family therapy and parent sessions throughout your child's therapy journey.
In-Person and Online Counseling
We offer in-person counseling for children in our Lee's Summit, MO and Columbia, MO offices. For older children, we can offer online counseling throughout Missouri. Our counselors are experienced in working with children of all ages and backgrounds, and we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for your child to heal and grow. Many parents wonder about the effectiveness of online counseling for children and teens. However, research consistently shows that online counseling can, in many cases, be just as effective as in person therapy. In fact, in some cases it can be even more effective. For example, when our therapists are using ERP to treat OCD, it can be incredibly effective to use online counseling, because we can have clients do exposure work where they set up a computer in the very environment where they feel more anxious and our therapists can be right there “with” your child while they sit with the things that make them most anxious.
Compassionate Counseling for Your Child
At Aspire Counseling, our child therapists are committed to providing your child with the compassionate care they need. Our child counselors are dedicated to helping your child heal and grow, and we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for them to do so. We understand the importance of providing your child with the support they need, and we are here to help.
You want your child to be “better” quickly. You just want them to remain as innocent as possible for as long as possible. To be joyful and have fun. However, you recognize that something must change to facilitate their journey toward happiness and well-being. At Aspire Counseling, our team is here to provide the support and guidance your child and family need. Whether they are dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, or stress, our compassionate child therapists are ready to help them navigate these challenges and empower them to lead a happier, healthier life.
Get Help for Your Child in Missouri
As a caregiver, you want to see your child feeling joyful, free and thriving. If you could wave a magic wand and make “better,” you absolutely would. But there is no magic wand. And this feels overwhelming. The good news is that our child therapists are here to offer support. If you are ready to get counseling for your child, we’re here to help. Here’s how to get started:
1.
Reach out to Aspire Counseling
First, you’ll speak to a member of our Client Care team who will ask you a few question about who you are looking for and take the time to match you with a child therapist we think will be a great fit.
2.
Meet with a Child Therapist
Because we know how important it is to find someone you feel comfortable with, all of our therapists offer a free 30 minute consultation where you can ask as many questions as you’d like.
3.
Get Your Child Back
You, your child & the therapist will come up with a treatment plan to help your child find healing. Nothing can erase what your child went through, but therapy can help them live a happy, fulfilling life!
Your child can heal. We can help.
Not sure if your child or family is ready to start working with one of our child therapists yet? Browse these blog posts related to child mental health:
Here are some of the blog posts our therapists have written about children & adolescent mental health topics:
Other Mental Health Services in Missouri
We know life is complicated and more than one member of your family may be struggling right now. Because each therapists at Aspire Counseling specializes in something slightly different, we are able to offer a wide range of mental health services at our counseling offices in Lee’s Summit & Columbia or online anywhere in Missouri. In fact, it’s very common for one of our therapists to see a pre-teen, another therapist to see the teenage sibling and yet another to see a parent. We want to help your entire family find healing and when we see more than one member of a family, our therapists (with your permission) can consult with one another and make sure everyone is getting the best possible care.. Some of our specialties include trauma therapy/PTSD treatment, support for sexual assault survivors, counseling for depression, counseling for caregiver stress, anxiety treatment, teen counseling, support during chronic illness and more! If you are ready for find healing, our therapists are here to help.