Children + Youth Counseling
Throughout a child’s life, they look for support in many different ways. This can sometimes include working with a therapist for individual therapy, family therapy, trauma or abuse counseling, skills training and medication management. An early start for children in need can make a huge difference for their future. At CCMH we offer a variety of ways to work with children to best suits their needs, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Play Therapy, Child Parent Psychotherapy and Group Therapy.
Child Centered Play Therapy
Play therapy provides a way for children to express their experiences through a natural, self-determined process. As children’s experiences are communicated through play, it becomes an important way for them to feel empowered, and accept themselves and others.
Play therapy skills are often taught to parents through a process called Filial Therapy. Play therapy is often a child-directed process but can also be structured to fit the child’s social and emotional needs.
The family therapy treatment approach teaches families healthy ways to interact with each other and emphasizes family relationships as an important factor in psychological health. Family therapy assists with learning how to talk to each other and respect each other.
Parents learn positive parenting skills such as giving effective praise while ignoring behaviors they find annoying or loud.
Parents also learn to give effective commands and consistent consequences in
response to disruptive or aggressive behaviors.
Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is for children ages 0-6 years old who have experienced at least one traumatic event and are now experiencing attachment, behavior and/or mental health problems. Treatment uses the parent-child relationship to help reestablish a sense of safety and security.
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is for children ages 2-6 1/2 years old aimed at reducing disruptive behaviors while preserving the quality of the parent-child relationship.
Why Start Early?
Responsive relationships with consistent caregivers help support the child’s ability to form healthy social and emotional skills including tolerating difficult emotions, sharing, empathy, respect, and curiosity. These skills also impact the child’s ability to learn and achieve academic success.
When children have experienced disruptions to their social and emotional development, it requires an attuned adult to reestablish a sense of safety and empowerment so the child can return to healthy functioning.