Parenting is tough stuff. Yes, you love your children. But, man parenting is not for the weak! Some days it feels like every hour your kid is stumping you with some new issue. And, as soon as you get one thing taken care of, a new thing pops up, or an old habit comes back. If you have more than one kid, you also know that the strategies that you so carefully crafted and that worked so well with one kid, can easily crash and burn with the next.
There are a million parenting blogs, books, and resources- but it is hard to know what really makes sense and applies to your specific situation and your unique kid. If you know that your child needs something, but you’re unsure of what it is, we want to help.
Children are able to process their challenges through play or art, and having someone guide them in developing new ways of coping can be instrumental in their growth. They work through their feelings and will gain tools to use when they’re struggling. You will also be involved in your child’s therapy, and will know how to best support them when they need you.
At Take Root Therapy we have therapists on our team who are passionate about working with children, and more importantly, are effective when working with children. We use specialized approaches that help children feel comfortable and help them get to the root of their challenges more quickly.
We provide a safe and supportive environment for the whole family to learn how to create new patterns, so that your child can thrive. In other words, we can be that expert and book that helps take those years of study and create a unique plan that makes sense for you, your kid, and your family.
Our child therapy specialties include teen therapy, school struggles, self-esteem, grief, play and art therapy, and peer relationships.
If you’re ready for your child to get the help they need, please reach out. Call (323) 388-5578 or text (323) 388-5578 or email us at info@takeroottherapy.com for your free 15-minute phone consultation to be connected with a therapist that will be a good fit for you.
FAQs About Child Counseling in Los Angeles, CA
What is it? What does it entail? Why do it?
Child counseling, or play therapy, is when a child meets with a trained therapist to help them figure out what is getting in the way of them feeling their best. At Take Root Therapy, we design therapy for our child clients based on what would most benefit them, and help them get the support that they need. Typically, we meet with our clients on a weekly basis for 50-minute sessions. Depending on the needs of the individual child we sometimes recommend 75-minute sessions, and for some, we recommend family therapy in conjunction with, or in place of, individual therapy.
When is it time to seek child therapy or play therapy?
Some children struggle with anxiety- they have difficulty sleeping at night and they don’t want you to leave their side, ever. Others continue to struggle with emotional regulation. Even the seemingly smallest thing can cause some big feelings (AKA: meltdowns, tantrums, or shutting down). Children can have a hard time engaging in social relationships or they may have difficulty at school. And as children use social media to engage in relationships, the impact of bullying has become greater and farther-reaching. Changes, like parents separating or divorcing, going to a new school, or the addition of a new family member, can also be really difficult for children. Your child may start behaving in ways that are foreign to you, and you’re unsure how to support them. If your intuition, partner, or kid’s teacher is questioning whether child therapy or play therapy can help- it probably can. There are very few drawbacks or risks to pursuing therapy for your child, and if the therapist explores and doesn’t see a benefit for your child, they will tell you and help you come up with a better plan (which could include just realizing the current behaviors are perfectly normal).
What can I expect as our child starts with counseling?
At the beginning of the first session, we often meet with the parent(s) or caregiver(s) together with the child, so we can learn about what brought them in for therapy, and so that your kids can really hear their parent/caregiver’s concerns. After meeting with both child and caregiver together, we meet with the child individually, and we ask them what they want to get out of therapy. We have found that having a trusting relationship with their therapist is one of the primary predictors for successful child counseling, and we begin developing this relationship on day one.
An important factor that we clarify for both the child and their families is that whatever the child shares in therapy is confidential. Of course there are limits to this, such as if the child is planning on harming themselves or someone else, or if a minor or elderly person is being abused, and these limits are named at the start of therapy. Ultimately, in order for our child clients to feel safe and to build an effective relationship with their therapist, it is important to establish trust, and we want everyone to be on the same page about this. Our therapists also clarify that if something is important and we believe it needs to be communicated to the family, that we will help your child become empowered to communicate directly with their families themselves, and we will always let your child know before anything is shared with their families.