If your child is exhibiting signs of severe emotional distress at home or in school, there are multiple types of therapy that may be able to offer a helping hand. While family therapy sessions will provide you with the opportunity to improve communication with your child and better understand their point of view, it's a good idea to get them some personalized help that's geared specifically toward their needs too – here are three interesting options to consider:

Play Therapy

Engaging in play as a type of therapy will help your child learn how to build on their communication skills and expand their ability to effectively express what they are feeling. Play therapy will give your child an opportunity to express their emotions without having to put them in words, which gives the mental health practitioner some insight into their subconscious mind.

Through play, a qualified therapist will teach your child how to identify, acknowledge, and address their personal problems in a positive manner. New problem-solving skills, emotional outlet activities, and family communication methods are all skills your little one is sure to learn during play therapy sessions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

If your child exhibits symptoms of anxiety due to their emotional distress, cognitive behavioral therapy may be right for them. This type of therapy teaches children that they don't have to accept their anxious thoughts as truth, and teaches them how to understand and challenge those feelings.

During cognitive therapy sessions, kids learn how to create more realistic situations and feelings that they're better capable of handling so that anxiety doesn't have a chance to build up. Kids tend to start showing improvements in their emotional stability typically within four to six sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT, or dialectical behavior therapy, is effective at teaching children how to use thoughts to change their feelings so that uncomfortable and emotional situations are less likely to arise overall. The idea is for kids to learn how to understand their emotions without placing judgments on them so they can more easily change behaviors from a non-biased point of view. You can expect your child's therapist to employ one-on-one sessions as well as group sessions that include yourself and maybe the other parent.

Consider scheduling an initial session for each type of therapy to see which one your child seems to identify with the most. You may find that a combination of therapies is the best option when all is said and done. For additional information and advice on counseling for children, contact a facility like Living Hope Clinic.

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