Counseling for Children

Counseling for children in McKinney, Texas is a form of therapy that enables the child to explore and process his or her feelings in a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental space under the guidance of a trained mental health professional. The ultimate goal is to empower your child to successfully manage challenging situations that trigger harmful emotions in order to prevent them from negatively impacting his or her development and mental well being.

At McKinney Christian Counseling, your child’s counselor starts by helping the child understand what is going on in his or her mind, as well as the influence thoughts have on the way we feel and act. The counselor will then break the child’s problems down into more manageable parts, and use a combination of techniques depending on the child’s age and specific issues to teach him or her how to:

• identify negative thought patterns
• self-regulate emotions and behavior by reframing distorted thoughts
• learn necessary coping skills

These skills will enable your child to navigate through the stressful situations of life in a healthy, productive way.

• Grief over the death of a loved one or pet
• Anxiety and/or depression
• Being bullied at school or on the playground
• Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event
• Physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse
• Substance abuse, addiction, and or mental illness in the family
• Uprooting created by circumstances such as a move to another state, change of school, being placed in foster care, or parents’ divorce or separation
• Developmental delays and/or learning disorders
• Developing positive coping mechanisms, improving communication skills, and boosting self esteem

If you notice any of these signs in your child, you may benefit from speaking with a Christian counselor in McKinney.

• Uncharacteristic behavior. Your child seems to be struggling or has been behaving in an uncharacteristic way for at least a couple of weeks, and you sense that something seems off.
• Prolonged worry and anxiety. Your child seems unusually anxious and has been worrying excessively for an extended period of time.
• Disruptive behavior. Your child’s behavior is disrupting family life at home and/or getting him or her in trouble at school.
• Defiant behavior. Your child shows unwarranted aggression, has been arguing or complaining more than usual, tends to overreact, and becomes angry or defensive at the drop of a hat.
• Unexpected changes at school. Your child’s grades have been dropping, and he or she is exhibiting a sudden and unexpected academic decline.
• Sudden changes in eating and sleeping habits. Your child has been exhibiting noticeable changes in his or her eating and/or sleeping habits that have been going on for at least two weeks. This can include loss of appetite or overeating, sleeping too much or not enough, sudden weight gain or weight loss, nightmares and/or insomnia.
• Complaints of physical ailments. Your child often complains of headaches and/or stomachaches when there is no medical cause, and he or she uses his/her complaint to try and avoid activities such as going to school.
• Social isolation. Your child lacks interest in things he or she used to enjoy and starts withdrawing from social situations on a regular basis, preferring to spend most of his or her time alone.
• Your child starts engaging in regressive behavior for no apparent reason, such as bedwetting when he/she has already been toilet trained, thumb sucking, and/or speaking in baby talk.
• Extreme feelings of sadness. Your child seems sad all the time and/or cries a lot.
• Suicidal thoughts and self-destructive behavior. Your child says he/she wants to die, and/or regularly engages in self-destructive behaviors such as cutting, digging his/her nails into his/her skin, pulling his/her hair, or head banging.

• Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Cognitive behavior therapy is based on the premise that thoughts cause feelings, and feelings can affect behavior. Its goal is to help the child change your child’s negative emotions and behaviors by reframing the way he/she thinks about the issues that trigger them. The counselor teaches the child how to develop healthy patterns of thinking and behaving by helping him or her learn how to identify the harmful, distorted thought patterns and replace them with more appropriate, realistic ones.
• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is a specialized form of cognitive behavior therapy that helps children heal from the effects of trauma. In addition to teaching the child how to reframe his or her thoughts, the counselor equips your child with coping techniques to use if he/she experiences a distressing flashback.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In acceptance and commitment therapy the counselor helps the child understand and accept his/her inner feelings and emotional struggles, and use this understanding to be able to move forward in a healthier way.
• Psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy is a form of psychotherapy that is focused on helping the child process and gain insight into the unconscious thought and behavior patterns he/she has developed to cope with distressing situations.
• Play therapy. In play therapy, a playroom is used as a safe space in which children can lean how to process their feelings and explore distressing issues through toys and play. The counselor observes how the child uses the play materials in order to get to know your child, identify themes and patterns, and gain insight into his or her problems. The counselor uses items such as games, drawings, blocks, puppets, and toy people to help the child verbalize his/her feelings. This will also move your child toward a specific goal such as dealing with unresolved trauma and/or learning coping mechanisms that enable your child to redirect inappropriate behavior when his/her emotions get triggered.
• Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT). Parent child interaction therapy is a treatment modality for young children exhibiting behavioral problems. It is a form of play therapy which focuses on improving the parent-child relationship. It also teaches parents effective skills for managing their child’s behavior in a consistent and confident fashion. The counselor watches the parent and child interact through a one-way mirror and coaches the parent through an earpiece.
• Child anger management therapy. Child anger management therapy focuses on helping children identify and overcome the emotional triggers that cause them to feel angry. The counselor teaches the child how to identify triggers and unhealthy thought patterns, express himself/herself in an appropriate way, and use coping strategies to calm down.

Christian counseling for children in McKinney, Texas involves a combination of biblical principles and clinical intervention to help them find healing and wellness with God’s help. Choosing a counselor with a biblical perspective ensures that your family’s Christian values will be supported and your child will receive counsel in keeping with God’s will.

If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, please give us a call today at McKinney Christian Counseling. We would be happy to discuss how we can help you and your child manage the challenges you are facing and walk you through the healing process.