The children who need love the most will ask for it in the most unloving ways. – Russell Barkley
As parents and caregivers, it is difficult at times to understand why our children and teens behave the way they do. What we know as professionals is that there is always a need behind the behavior. Sometimes the need is for changes in the home or school environment. Sometimes the need may be changes in the way they manage their feelings. Other times that need is simply to be understood and cared for.
Helping our child or teen learn how to navigate home, school, and the outside world are necessary to their growth and development. Young people who lack structure, guidance, and support are at an increased risk to engage in unsafe behaviors and make unhealthy choices. It may impact their familial and peer relationships as well as their academic and career success.
Challenges with home or school behaviors may include:
- Difficulty following rules, expectations, or instructions
- Argumentative with adults and peers
- Truancy at school
- Aggressive behaviors with others
- Academic or work concerns
- Risky behaviors
- Struggles with managing emotions; may express them through outbursts
- Withdrawing from family and social supports
- Dishonesty or lack of transparency
If any of the above describes what your child or teen is experiencing, counseling may be beneficial. In counseling, your child or teen is afforded a confidential space to speak freely and process their feelings. Children and young people are often looking for someone to just listen and validate them, which is what our professional counselors can do. Through a safe and non-judgmental approach, underlying causes for their home or school behaviors are discovered and can be addressed. We can also help your child or adolescent develop coping skills and self-soothing strategies to better manage their heavy feelings.
If you believe your child or teen is struggling with home/school behaviors and needs support, our affiliated professional counselors are here to help. They practice child-friendly evidence-based techniques such as play, art, and sandtray in their therapy. They may also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused.