Child and Adolescent Therapy

Child and adolescent therapy is specifically designed to help children and teenagers understand, express, and manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in healthy ways. It's tailored to their developmental stage and emotional needs.

It’s therapy for young people — usually from around age 5 to 18. The goal is to help them:

• Cope with emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, grief)

• Understand and manage behavior

• Build social and communication skills

• Heal from trauma or difficult life events

• Strengthen self-esteem and resilience

Therapy can also support parents and families in understanding and responding to their child’s needs more effectively.

Who Is It For?

This therapy can be helpful when a child or teen is:

• Struggling with emotions (sadness, anger, worry, fear)

• Experiencing behavioral issues (defiance, outbursts, withdrawal)

• Going through a major life change (divorce, loss, moving)

• Facing social challenges (bullying, isolation, peer pressure)

• Dealing with mental health conditions (ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma)

• Engaging in risky behaviors (substance use, self-harm, etc.)

Role of Parents and Families

• In younger children’s therapy, parents are often actively involved in learning strategies and understanding their child’s needs.

• In teen therapy, there’s usually more privacy for the teen, but therapists will still work with parents when helpful.

• Family therapy might also be recommended if the issues involve family dynamics or communication problems.

Why It Matters

Child and adolescent therapy can:

• Prevent small issues from becoming long-term problems

• Help kids build healthy emotional habits early

• Support academic, social, and family functioning

• Strengthen coping, communication, and emotional regulation skills