People are often curious about what type of clients I see or what type of issues a child could have that would require therapy. However, the population of students I meet with don’t fit a mold. I see such a wide variety of amazingly unique students. I see the cheerleading captain, the band geek, the valedictorian and the homeschool student. Seriously, those are not just examples. I’ve met with members of each and every clique you can imagine.
Although each of those students can feel alone in their struggle at times, they all have a common thread. They’re unhappy or overwhelmed with some aspect of their life. Whether it’s experiences of anxiety or panic, difficulty coping with their parents’ divorce, friend problems or feelings of fatigue and exhaustion due to low mood. They each benefit from having a person outside their family and peer group to process and cope with these barriers to their happiness.
At times, the stigma of therapy can prevent an otherwise well-adjusted child from accessing the help they need. Your family doesn’t need to be dysfunctional, your kid doesn’t need to be a wreck and your life doesn’t need to be in crisis to seek therapy. I’ve been able to assist such great families and students with improving interpersonal skills, daily routines, and motivational factors which have led to much success.
So, I think it’s more helpful if we tweak the question; Does your child need therapy? And instead ask ourselves; Would my child benefit from a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental place to improve themselves?
