Children and Teen Individual/Family Therapy:

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At times it can feel hard to know how to support your child when they are struggling. Some of the clinician’s at West End Therapy Clinic (WETC) specialize in working with children and teens that are struggling with various issues.  We frequently work closely with parents to assist them in increasing their confidence in supporting their child/teen in managing their depression, anxiety, or other challenges they may be encountering.

Here are some additional areas the therapists at WETC specialize in:

• Anxiety

• Behavior/Oppositional Issues

• Depression

• Divorce/Separation in the family

• Family Conflict

• Grief & Loss

• School refusal/avoidance

• Suicidal ideation

• Parent Psychoeducation

• Substance use

• Video Game Addiction

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Play Therapy

 

Like adults, children struggle with emotions and behaviors that can make life challenging for themselves and for those around them. It is not uncommon for children to begin acting out, shutting down or withdrawing when they have experienced something unfamiliar, scary, unexpected or traumatic. 

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Sometimes parents are able to identify triggers to certain behavior change and sometimes they have no idea. Therapists are trained to help identify the root cause of dysregulation and work with the child’s entire family system to help the child return to an appropriate level of functioning.

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Unlike adults, children’s brains are not fully developed, which is a necessary component for traditional talk therapy. Play is the language of children and how they communicate what is happening internally. Play therapy offers a unique and effective way to address these issues in a safe and honoring environment that is child-friendly. 

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Through the use of toys, art, storytelling, and unconditional acceptance, children instinctively begin to address various forms of adjustment and trauma through interaction with a trained therapist.