Counselors for Children in Wheaton

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Utilizing the counselors for children in Wheaton helps kids understand and manage the challenges that affect mental health. The challenges they face vary from mental illness, behavioral issues, traumatic events (such as the loss of a relative or divorce), and bullying.

Child counselors and child psychologists are equipped to work with kids and teens. The Cherry Hill counselors for children have gone through extensive training and acquired the crucial experience necessary to understand how young minds work and process feelings. Dealing with children is entirely different than adults, so it’s always important to choose a counselor that specializes in working with children. Child counselors break down the challenges or problems in ways that are easier for young minds to understand, discuss, and tackle together.

What is Child Counseling?

 Counselors for children in Wheaton work with kids to help them become mentally and emotionally stable. Child counselors may specialize in certain areas, such as childhood depression or abuse. Other counselors are trained to treat an array of mental and emotional problems in children.

Mental illness in children is something that’s often overlooked. People assume it’s something adults only struggle with due to the stress of juggling a career and family obligations, etc. Children often deal with stress and psychological disorders too. According to the Surgeon General, about 20% of children in the United States suffer from some sort of mental illness. Child counseling in Wheaton can address mental illness and help the child effectively cope. The goal is for children to live happy and healthy lives.

Who is Child Counseling For?

Counseling can help kids in many different ways, just like adults benefit from counseling. Child counselors help children cope with and work through past and present problems, trauma, or challenges. They help children face things that make them feel scared, angry, or uneasy. Counselors help them to learn to cope and react.

Child counselors can help with problems like mental illness as well as those that may not be considered quite as serious, like difficult feelings surrounding a move out of town. Many children and adolescents benefit from talking to a counselor. Here are some common issues addressed in child counseling:

• Mental illness
• Death of a loved one
• Abuse
• Addiction in the family
• Divorce
• Behavioral issues
• Developmental delays
• Learning disorders
• Stress
• Bullying

Child counselors help with feelings children experience such as:

• Sadness
• Depression
• Anger
• Stress and worry
• Low self-esteem
• Grief
• Anxiety

Children often bottle up emotions and don’t know how to communicate their feelings well. There aren’t always clear warning signs your child needs counseling. Some signs that your child could benefit from seeing a counselor are noticeable changes in appetite, significant weight loss or weight gain, difficulty sleeping, unwarranted aggression, persistent anxiety and nerves, failing or worsening grades, social isolation, alcohol or drug use, self-harm, and expression of suicidal thoughts.

How Does Counseling Work?

Depending on the child’s age, the parent may need to be present for counseling sessions. With younger kids, counseling can sometimes include working with the whole family. They draw, play, and talk. For older kids and teens, counselors share activities and ideas that focus on learning to cope and solve problems. They’ll discuss feelings and emotions. Counselors give praise and support. Counseling builds helpful thinking patterns and healthy habits. In some cases, a counselor gives parents tips and ideas for helping their child at home.

What Can I Expect?

At your child’s first counseling session, the counselor will typically meet with you and your child together to talk. They will ask questions and listen in order to get a better understanding of the issues or problems you want them to address with your child. They’ll explain how they can help and what you can expect your child to experience in counseling.

Children counselors have different approaches and techniques they use. Usually, a counselor will evaluate the child first to determine the best plan of action. For instance, play therapy is a type of therapy in which children are encouraged to play with games or toys. The counselor observes the play, which can reveal information about the child’s emotions. This could help with screening for some types of emotional disorders or illnesses. There are group therapy options as well as individual, but for children, individual therapy is most common.

We have capable counselors for children in Wheaton, IL. Contact us today at 847-438-4222 to schedule a conversation without our Client Care Coordinator. You can also read about counselors and therapists on our site. Each counselor has a brief bio, photo, and qualifications listed so you can see who your child could potentially be working with before their counseling session.