5 Signs Your Child Could Benefit From Therapy
Written by Cassandra Curado
Often when you think about childhood you think of how simple life was, before all of the work, bills, and stress. In comparison to the rustle and bustle of adult life this may feel true; however, childhood and adolescence can be a very stressful time to navigate. Youth can experience problems at school and home, with their friends or family, and struggle with academics all while just trying to learn about the world around them. As a parent it’s not always easy to recognize when your child is struggling mentally. This blog post shares 5 signs that your child could benefit from seeing a therapist and how therapy can help support your child’s growth.
Youth Mental Health in Canada
Generally speaking your mental health affects how you behave, think and regulate your emotions. As a child or teen that’s struggling with their mental health, these effects can intensify as they’re still learning the basics of what emotions are, how to build relationships and simply navigate their world. This alone makes it beyond important that children are given the space to work through their concerns.
Kids Help Phone offers different forms of crisis line services to youth across Canada, and have supported youth 21.44 million times since January 2020. Through the Kids Help Phone texting crisis line the most common concerns raised by youth included anxiety, stress, relationships, depression, suicide and isolation. Public Health Ontario also reported that the likelihood of youth having a mental health disorder increases as they get older. Youth across Canada experience mental health struggles just as adults do; however, oftentimes these struggles are dismissed or unnoticed.
5 Signs Your Child Could Benefit From Therapy
Behavioural Changes
Behavioural changes could include anything from outbursts and aggressive behaviour to different sleeping and eating habits. So, try taking note of any ‘out of the ordinary’ and consistent behavioural patterns. For example, if your child says they’re sick and wants to stay home from school every Monday, this could be a sign that they’re trying to avoid something or someone that’s causing them overwhelming feelings.
Are they getting in fights at school?
Are they getting in trouble more often?
Have they lost all interest in activities they used to love?
Are they sleeping too much or not enough?
Have they lost their appetite?
2. Emotional Difficulties
With the strong emotions that come with puberty, it may be hard to tell the difference between emotional difficulties and hormone-fuelled mood swings. However, if these emotional changes are drastic and persistent then your child may benefit from speaking with a therapist. Oftentimes you might notice emotional difficulties in combination with another sign, like behavioural changes and stressful events.
It’s important to remember that your emotions are signals sent by your body and give you feedback on how you’re interpreting your environment. For example, if your child is experiencing a lot of frustration and anger, this may be a sign that they’ve interpreted something in their environment as being unfair or controlling. One of the best ways to work through emotional difficulties is to speak to someone. Whether your child speaks to you or a therapist, having that space to be heard and explore what their emotions mean can help them better label and regulate their feelings.
3. Academic Decline
When children are overwhelmed, it’s very common for their academic success to take a toll. Something as simple as struggling with their peer relationships can bring distractions and added stress, which takes them away from their learning experience. Another thing to consider is the possibility of ADHD. If your child is experiencing ADHD they may be easily distracted in class, making it harder for them to focus and learn. It’s normal for children to be challenged in school; however, if you notice there’s a consistent struggle or decline in their school work, or they have a sudden disinterest with school you may want to consider getting them some support.
4. Experienced Stressful Event or Loss
Stressful events often include more extreme scenarios of abuse and domestic violence. With that said, we all process events differently. For example, coping with a loss of any kind including a family member, friend, or even a pet can be processed very differently for different people. As a child, experiencing death and loss can be extremely confusing and upsetting to process. In any of these scenarios, check in with your child, ask them how they’re feeling, and take note of any clear changes in their behaviour.
A more common stressful event experienced by children is bullying. Even though being bullied is a devastating experience, your child might not share this with you due to fear or embarrassment. Here are some signs your child is being bullied and would benefit from speaking with a therapist:
Coming home with unexplainable injuries
Lost and destroyed personal items
Avoiding school - frequently sick or experiencing headaches
Loss of appetite
Difficulty sleeping
Begin struggling in school and with homework
Become defensive and don’t want to talk about what’s wrong
5. Struggling with Peer Relationships
As a child your peer relationships are an important part of your development and how you form your identity. Having those peer relationships can help build social skills and act as a form of support for your child. Yet, it isn’t always easy to make friends and form those healthy peer relationships. Children are still learning what they like and how to interact with people, and part of this learning process can affect how they build their peer relationships. If you ask your child about their friends from school, this alone can give you some insight on how they interact with others. If you notice that they begin to withdraw from their friends and avoid social activities, this can also be a sign that your child is struggling in their social life and could benefit from therapy.
How Can Therapy Help Your Child?
When you’re sick or have a broken bone, your first instinct is to help your body by going to the doctor. When you’re sad, frustrated or worried it’s not often that you give your mind that same courtesy. Just as doctors help heal your physical body, therapists are here to support your mental and emotional health.
Taking the step to contact a therapist for your child can feel upsetting as a parent; however, doing so can help your child towards reaching their greatest potential. Working alongside a therapist can help your child learn to work through their problems, cope with their emotions, and communicate what they need. Through child therapy your child may simply talk to their therapist, or try different exercises that will teach them crucial development and social skills to support their growth. Depending on what’s being worked on and how old your child is, you as their parent might be asked to join a session. In these scenarios you can learn how to support your child at home, based on what they’ve learned in therapy.
If you’ve noticed any of these 5 signs in your child, get in touch with our child therapist in Oshawa or virtually to discuss how we can help. At The Relationship Agency we also offer a free consultation to help you get started. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’d be happy to support you.
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