Your child is struggling at home and/or at school.

All of a sudden your sweet child is acting out and behaving in ways that are upsetting.

Your child has experienced trauma and needs support processing what they survived. 

You want the best for your child and you're looking for a therapist who understands how to work with children

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Children learn and process their emotions differently than adults do. Child therapy offers children a safe and secure place to talk about their thoughts and feelings. By using language a child understands, often the language of play, we are able to offer your child a chance to express themselves. This fosters open communication and a sense of support for them to learn the tools necessary to heal and cope with distress. 

 

At Golden Vibes Counseling we include the parents or caretakers in their child's therapy. We do this because we understand that any change in patterns, routines, and behaviors can be a lot for children to handle. And implementing these changes, as their caregiver, can be hard on you too. So, we believe it's imperative that parents and caregivers attend therapy with their children. This will help you be successful in helping them practice what they learned in therapy in their everyday life. 

 

Preparing for what to expect in child therapy 

 

Children can be uncertain about therapy because it's new to them and they don't know what to expect. So, as their parent, it's helpful if you can discuss what therapy is and how it will help them. Likewise, it's important to find a therapist who is comfortable and skilled at working with children and can speak to them in a language they understand. This will help them feel safe and give them reassurance that therapy is a safe place where they will find support and help. 

 

Therapy with younger children may include the use of toys, games, puppets, and other fun activities. Play is the natural language of children, therefore it's natural to incorporate it into therapy sessions. 

 

Older children, on the other hand, may be resistant to beginning therapy. As they approach teenagerhood, they are less likely to be compelled to talk about their problems, especially with adults. Also, they may be concerned about their peers finding out they are in counseling and the damage that could do to their reputation. So, we allow them to be involved in their healing and therapy sessions. This offers them a sense of empowerment and fosters vulnerability.

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What does online child therapy look like? 

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Online child therapy is possible, we just have to be creative. Our therapists will work hard to hold your child's attention. They may incorporate art activities, storytelling, therapeutic games, play-doh activities, and show in tell to get your child to open up. This is when the real work can begin. 

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Play Therapy for Children in Madison, WI

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​Play therapy is one of the best evidence-based form of child therapy. It allows children to express themselves in their natural language- play. Children sometimes need help coming up with the words to express what's wrong, but as they play this naturally comes out. Therapeutic play can find help your child express feelings, emotions, and bodily sensations. When your child can process these things, then they can move on to learning skills to help them regulate their emotions and cope with distress effectively.

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Using the sand tray for child therapy

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Sand tray is another therapy technique often used with children to help them process their thoughts and emotions. This alternative non-verbal therapy happens in a safe and structured setting. It's frequent;y used with children who have witnessed or experienced life-changing traumatic incidents at an early age. During this type of therapy, a child is given a tray of sand and items to create their own unique world and story. Often though the act of creation, they reveal what's wrong. It can also help them role-play techniques and situations to help them cope with distress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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