Counselling for Children

Some of our therapists work with children through play therapy. Play therapy is a therapeutic intervention where a qualified counsellor uses different kinds of techniques and activities to engage children in therapy through play and creative activities as a means of helping them express their thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Play therapy has been found to be much more effective when working with children than traditional ‘talk therapy’ for various reasons. When children are struggling with emotional problems, they usually don’t have the language and cognitive ability to express their thoughts and feelings in a verbal way. However art and play is what children know best! Play therapy is beneficial for children struggling with things such as trauma, anxiety, family breakdown or behavioural problems and can be an effective way to help children process difficult experiences and develop coping skills.

Play Therapy & Art Therapy

Our child counsellors work with children through play therapy. Play therapy is a therapeutic intervention where a qualified counsellor uses different kinds of techniques and activities to engage children in therapy through role playing and games.

Play therapy has found to be much more effective when working with children than traditional ‘talk therapy’ for various reasons. When children are struggling with emotional problems, they usually don’t have the language and cognitive ability to express their thoughts and feelings in a verbal way. However art and play is what children know best! Play therapy is beneficial for children struggling with all kinds of things whether it is at home, at their school or in the community.

PARENT & CHILD ANGER MANAGEMENT

All kids get angry, like most adults. When we feel threatened, we move into fight, flight or freeze. Anger is the body’s “fight” response. At The Family Enhancement Centre we offer a collaborative parent and child counselling program to help children with managing their angry emotions. Our child counsellors work with the parents to help kids learn how to express their emotions in a healthy and safe way. To learn more, call our office or send us an email at info@tfec.ca.

When they may need help

Children who are going through or have gone through a change in their family dynamic like separation or divorce of their parents, or an introduction to new step parents.

Children who have experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Regardless of how ‘ok’ your child looks they need to see a professional to help them sort out all their confusing feelings

Children who have experienced the death or loss of a loved one. This can span all situations from being brought into foster care to having an older sibling move away to college to the death of a grandparent – or even a family pet!

Children who have a physical illness and require hospitalization and their siblings. Often parents are so worried about their child’s’ physical health they forget about their mental

Children who have been involved in a motor vehicle accident or who have had a loved one involved in a motor vehicle accident. Such traumatic events can leave lasting damage if not dealt with

Children who have other diagnosis such as a Learning Disability or ADD / ADHD often feel alone and like an outsider. Play therapy is a great way to really know how your child is feeling and how best you can help them

Any child who has come from a home with violence in it, has witnessed violence or has even had a family member who has been assaulted needs to see a professional. It is amazing how much fear and guilt children can carry with them after these situations

Additional Signs they need help

Do they seem overly angry or have aggressive behavior?
Does your child seem sad or fearful for no reason?
Is your child overly anxious when you are separated?
Is your child’s shyness causing problem?
Is your child displaying behaviors that they had grown out of? Such as sucking their thumb or talking in ‘baby talk’?
Does your child seem to have low self-esteem?
Does your child have problems sleeping, eating or eliminating waste?
Do you see a preoccupation with sexual behavior?
Does your child complain of physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches that don’t seem to have any connection to their physical health?

Our play therapists work with children individually as well as with their families. Counselling is done with the objective of identifying the root cause of problems and work towards getting your healthy and happy child back.

Benefits of play Therapy

An increase in self-confidence
A reduction in anxiety
An increased ability to express their feelings
An ability to develop healthy boundaries
An ability to trust themselves and others and feel safe
A reconnection of healthy relationships
An increase of more appropriate behavior