Child Counseling

When a child comes to our center, he or she is assessed to identify the best therapeutic approach to meet his or her needs. Often a combination of Individual Counseling and Family Counseling is used to address issues and concerns. When Individual Counseling is used, therapists often use Play Therapy with children age two through twelve years old. Therapists at Tender Hearts use Prescriptive Play Therapy, which includes Child-Centered Play Therapy, Directive Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Art Therapy, Bibliotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and other types of therapy that the individual therapist is familiar with and deems to be clinically appropriate. 

Issues We Frequently Address in Child Counseling:

• Physical Aggression (biting, hitting, kicking, property destruction, cruelty to animals)
• Defiance and Anger Issues (temper tantrums, refusing to follow rules, cursing, anger management, Oppositional Defiant Disorder) 
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Adjustment Issues (divorce, birth of sibling, starting a new school or daycare, blended families, parent getting remarried)
• School Problems (behavioral problems, poor grades, attention problems, social skills, bullies)
• Physical & Sexual Abuse
• Grief (death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, pet, or other close family member or friend)
• Loss (loss of parent due to military deployment, divorce, or incarceration)
• Anxiety (separation anxiety, social anxiety, shyness)
• Sleep Issues (nightmares, night terrors, bedtime routines, poor sleep habits) 
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)