Child Therapy

Let’s be honest: parenting is hard work, mainly because children’s personalities differ from ours (and their siblings’), making it feel like you are starting from scratch with each one. Knowing how to help your child best manage their behaviors and emotions can leave you feeling like you don’t know where to turn. Child therapy provides a safe and supportive environment where your child can learn to understand and express their emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and build self-esteem. reTHINK Therapy has child therapists who work with children as young as 4 and older.

When Child Therapy is Needed

Childhood is a time of wonder and growth, but it can also be filled with challenges. As children navigate friendships, family dynamics, school, and their own developing emotions, they may sometimes struggle to cope.

We believe that it is time to consider child therapy when:

Your child’s emotions consistently feel overwhelming or out of control
They’re having continuous difficulty expressing themselves or communicating their needs.
Their behavior has changed significantly or is causing problems at home or school.
They’ve experienced a traumatic event or significant life change.
You’re feeling concerned about their overall well-being.

Now remember – we said the word “consistently” when considering how your child manages their behaviors and emotions. We aren’t telling you that if your 6-year-old is having tantrums once or twice a month, you need to jump right into child therapy. This sort of behavior can absolutely be a normal part of getting older and realizing how BIG their feelings can be! However, if your child is unable to control their emotions and de-escalate with your help multiple times a week – or even one time a week, depending on their age – then we suggest that you consider child therapy. It is helpful to keep in mind your child’s behaviors, emotions, and outburst frequency while considering child therapy. In general, the younger a child is, the more normal it is for them to be unable to control their emotions. However, as they get older and more mature, it is less appropriate to be unable to control their emotions and behaviors consistently.

Remember, it’s never too early to seek help for your child. Early intervention can make a world of difference.

How Child Therapy Can Help

Child therapy provides a safe and supportive space for children to:

Explore and understand the three basic emotions: Children 15 and younger only have the emotional capacity to fully understand three emotions: happy, sad, and angry. Our therapists focus on helping them expand their emotional vocabulary and understanding
Develop healthy coping skills: Your child will learn strategies to manage anxiety, anger, sadness, and other challenging emotions.
Improve communication and social skills: Therapy can help build confidence and learn how to interact effectively with others.
Build self-esteem and resilience: Our therapists focus on empowering your child and helping them develop a positive sense of self.
Navigate life transitions and challenges: Therapy provides support and guidance during difficult times, such as divorce, grief, or bullying.

Our experienced staff specializes in child therapy, and we have held hundreds of successful sessions. This not only will help to equip you and your child with tools and interventions to help them better regulate emotions, but we also have the knowledge to help you to understand what falls inside our outside of your child’s normal developmental range.

How Child Therapy Can Help Parents

Parents can often find child therapy to be a more significant help to them than their children, as they receive tools to better manage their child’s negative behavior and emotions. As well as validation that this parenting thing is hard work! Here at reTHINK, we believe that child therapy should involve both the child and the parents equally. You should be involved in the therapy process, and sometimes, parents are encouraged to have individual sessions in addition to their child’s therapy to explore outside life stressors that could be influencing parent support or your child. Research indicates that when a parent and child undergo therapy together, there is a higher likelihood of symptom reduction in the long term.

Child Therapy at Rethink

reTHINK Therapy offers therapy for children as young as 4 years old, which can be hard to find in Henderson and Las Vegas. Our therapists are not only experienced in working with children as young as 4, but many of them specialize in child therapy, enabling us to provide comprehensive interventions for various age groups. We also offer evening and weekend sessions to accommodate families with school or work commitments during typical office hours.

Now, what do you do if your child is younger than 4 or is a less verbal elementary-age child? We recommend parents come in for individual therapy to give you an unbiased ear to listen to presenting issues. You will also have the time and space to brainstorm solutions with someone who has heard similar circumstances from other parents. Sometimes, it is simply learning and hearing that your child’s behaviors are typical for your child’s age range. Knowing what is reasonable based on a developmental age range can be validating and helpful.

What to Expect in Your First Child Therapy Sessions

Child therapy initial intake sessions involve collecting information from both the parents and the child. Therapists typically desire to speak with the parent without the child present for a short time during the first few sessions. If your child is older and can be trusted to wait alone in the waiting room, that is an option. However, we recommend bringing a chaperone so that both parents can speak candidly with your therapist about the presenting issues. It is always ideal for both parents to be available during sessions as this allows you both to learn and understand the coping skills being taught to your child.

By the end of the second session, your therapist will be able to recommend session frequency, and potential individual therapy for parents may be discussed. While we encourage and love large support systems for your child, we generally limit family involvement to the parents as we initially navigate how to best support your child.

Key Considerations for Child Therapy at Rethink

We welcome all children 4 and older: Our therapists are experienced in working with children from preschool to adolescence.
We offer a variety of therapy formats: We provide individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy to best meet the needs of your family.
We believe in early intervention: The earlier your child receives support and learns proper coping skills, the better the outcomes are likely to be.

Remember:

You know your child best. If you’re concerned about their well-being, don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
Child therapy is an investment in your child’s future. It can provide them with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and resilience.
We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Ready to take the next step?