This is a common question I hear. Parents are unsure about the need for counseling due to many reasons. A few of these reasons can be opinions from social media, schools, churches or acquaintances. Or simply they may be due to personal experience, or someone else’s experience. Times have changed to where seeking mental health counseling for all ages is accepted and encouraged. Even with this progress there are negatives that prevent people from seeking counseling.
Your child’s mental health is a priority due to its impact on daily life. Many times parents will tell me, “my child will not tell me what is wrong”. Parents are not alone in this struggle with their children. To put it simply, many children have no idea what is going on or how to even figure a way out. This is why their response is “I don’t know”. Counseling can help to sift through all the feelings and emotions to get to the root of the issue.
Signs That Counseling Is Needed
What are some signs that my child may need counseling? Mental Health issues may impact communication, academics, physical health, social interactions, and close personal relationships. Specific examples are: changes in behavior at school and/or home that are out of context, inability to cope with daily stressors, all of a sudden poor academic performance and relationship issues with family, friends or close acquaintances. These examples are not exhaustive.
Benefits Of Counseling
Many children have the desire to seek counseling and ask their parents to find someone that they can speak to. Other times, parents reach out with concern due to unusual behavior. No matter the motive behind seeking mental health services, the result is the same. Developing coping skills, improving communication, and normalizing emotions are a few ways that counseling can benefit the child and the family.
Parents often feel that they have a grip and are in the know of what their child is experiencing and may be shocked to discover underlying issues or traumas their child has been through. This is another positive effect of counseling for your child in that many things can be brought to light. Many times parents are unaware of the symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, disruptive behavior or anger issues. Seeking professional counseling help can give you peace of mind to confirm or deny any issues that your child may be having.
Seek Professional Help
It is critical to seek consultation from a licensed professional who has the credentials to assess, diagnose and treat based on evidence based research and best practices. The internet and social media are flooded with mental health ideas, myths, and falsehoods. In a day where you are not sure of the validity of the information you and your child are consuming, professional consultation is a must. The benefit to seeking mental health services that are interventional or preventative is that you are able to recognize and prevent more serious mental health issues that may arise in the future.
Get Help Now
At Cypress Roots Counseling, we understand the struggle that parents face today and want to come alongside them to help them on this marathon of parenthood. By scheduling a consultation you can meet with a therapist to discuss your child’s needs and goals for counseling. It is never too late to seek counseling. Parents, trust your instincts and the feeling that something is not right with my child. Our team would be honored to offer support from our Palestine, TX-based practice. Get started today by giving us a call at (903) 300-2705 or by clicking the Request Appointment to book directly.
Services Offered at Cypress Roots Counseling
Ethical, professional and confidential services are what you will experience at Cypress Roots Counseling. At Cypress Roots you will encounter CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Solution-Focused Therapy and Gottman Method (Couples). Appointments are face to face and tele-health, by request.
