 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Therapy is a partnership between an individual or family and a psychologist who is licensed and trained to help people understand their feelings and assist them with changing their behavior.
People often consider therapy for their children under the following circumstances:
- Anxiety
- Divorce
- Depression or prolonged sadness
- Behavioral problems
- Emotional problems
- Attention concerns
- School problems
- Social skills
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, research has demonstrated that both "behavioral therapy" and "cognitive therapy" can be highly effective in treating disorders. Behavioral therapy involves using techniques to reduce or stop the undesired behavior associated with these disorders. Through cognitive therapy, clients learn to understand how their thoughts contribute to the symptoms of anxiety disorders, and how to change those thought patterns to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and the intensity of reaction. The patient's increased cognitive awareness is often combined with behavioral techniques to help the individual gradually confront and tolerate fearful situations in a controlled, safe environment.
In addition to the above techniques, a specialized medium for children is play therapy. Basically speaking, play therapy is to children what counseling is to adults. Play therapy utilizes play—a child's natural medium of expression—to help them express their feelings more easily through toys instead of words. Play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties, better understand how they view themselves and others, and achieve optimal growth and development.
Play Therapy is the most appropriate method of treatment for children who are having difficulties coping with life situations. Though children lack the cognitive skills to express themselves with words, they are fluent in the language of play. Play therapy allows them to express themselves in the way in which they are most comfortable.
It is very important to understand that treatments for issues do not work instantly. And, no one plan works well for all patients. Treatment needs to be tailored to the needs of the patient and to the type of disorder, or disorders.
