You love your child more than life itself, but you’re tired of the crying, the screaming, and the constant bickering. Something has to change.
Every single day you wake up wanting to give your child the world. You’ve done everything you can think of to try to parent the “right” way. Yet, you’ve become the kind of parent you never wanted to be: the parent who yells at their child, the parent who punishes their child all the time, or the exhausted parent who feels like they can’t do anything right. In fact, your attempts to help seem to make your child’s behavior and mood worse.
You’re tired of watching your child struggle.
It feels like you’ve tried everything. You’ve tried asking your child to talk about their feelings. You have tried giving rewards or bribes for good behavior. Spending more time together. Yelling. Punishing. Hugs. Pleading. New bedtime routines. You have even tried changing their diet or essential oils. Still, your child is struggling and at this point, you don’t know what else to try.
You want to find help for your child.
You’re looking for a lifeline; for you, your child, and your family. Day after day of watching your child struggle is overwhelming. You want your child to feel happy again. You want your house to feel peaceful again. You’re ready to find help.
Common Reasons Children Come to Play Therapy
Every child is different because every child has a different personality. The reasons bringing families to our Alpharetta, GA counseling office are different for each family we help.
Some of the common reasons children come to play therapy include:
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Your child is struggling to adjust to a major life change such a divorce, a recent move, or a parent’s job change.
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Your child is anxious. For example, they might be having separation anxiety that’s causing you both stress. Or, they might be very anxious about school and refuse to go to class.
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They seem withdrawn or quiet. They may even be mute in some situations.
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Behavioral issues, like fits and tantrums, have made interacting with your child difficult.
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You’re worried about your child’s mood. They cry a lot or seem sad. You may have wondered if they have depression.
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Your child’s school has concerns about their academic performance or behavior.
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Your child is experiencing a loss and the big emotions that come with grief.
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You notice the same troubling behaviors coming up over and over again.
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They have experienced a traumatic event. Like, a car accident, a major medical event, or abuse. This can include any significant event that your child seems to be struggling to cope with.
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Your child is struggling to cope with the big feeling that overwhelms them.
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They have attempted to harm themselves.
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Your child has expressed wanting to die or suicidal thoughts.
Our play therapists help children and their caregivers with a variety of concerns. These include grief, ADHD, childhood anxiety, behavioral issues, trauma, depression, and more.
Additionally, we know that children’s problems don’t always fit into simple categories. In fact, you may have more than one worry about your child. We treat the whole child in play therapy. And, our therapists have the training to address a variety of mental health, emotional, and behavioral concerns.
I need a counselor for my preschooler…Do you offer play therapy for kids that young?
At Balance & Potential, we offer play therapy to children between the ages of 3 and 12. Those therapists who specialize in child counseling can adapt play therapy sessions to meet the needs of your young child.
Our child therapists can help whether your son or daughter is a 3-year-old who is beginning to use words or a sassy 12-year-old who thinks they are too old to “play.”
Play is your child’s language: We meet them where they are in counseling sessions
Before a child has words, they have play. Even once they have the words, it can be easier to express themselves through play, acting, art, music or methods other than talking.
Play is an incredibly powerful tool in the lives of children. They use toys to express what is in their hearts and mind when they lack the words to express what they think and feel. Or sometimes, what a child has experienced is too scary for them to talk about. So, toys are often their words.
What to Expect from Play Therapy at Balance & Potential
Every child is different and has a different personality. We’ll work with your child and family to figure out the counseling methods that are the best fit for everyone.
In our Alpharetta counseling office, we have a dedicated play therapy office. In fact, we also have a specially designed sand tray space as well. We offer a variety of options for your child so we can tailor child counseling sessions to meet their needs.
During a play therapy session, your child may play with a sand tray, use our dollhouse, draw something on our whiteboard, play a therapeutic board game, or read a story meant to encourage and teach.
In counseling sessions, your child’s play therapist will listen to both you and your child. We will encourage you and your child. In essence, you will have a professional who truly understands you and your child and will help.
Our Play Therapists are Available to Support You and Your Child
Your child needs help expressing their feelings.
Right now, your child’s emotions are out of control. They’re experiencing big feelings and they just don’t know how to handle them.
When meeting with a younger child, the therapist may focus on helping that child express their emotions fully through play. For younger children, the play itself is often what helps a child learn new behaviors.
However, when meeting with older children or parents a play therapist will often offer specific, practical tips to help change the dynamic in your household.
The therapist will help your child learn to identify and be more mindful of their feelings. Then, the therapist will help your child learn to express their emotions in a healthy way. Your child will learn ways to tolerate distress and cope with big emotions. Furthermore, they’ll learn to get along better with siblings, parents, classmates & teachers.
As parents, you may be involved in play therapy sessions too.
Parents often need and want, new skills to use.
Parenting is difficult. Yet, you have more influence over your child than anyone else. Therefore, one way a therapist can help your child is by supporting you, their parent, as well. Your child’s play therapist will likely involve you in sessions with your child. Or, they will meet with you for separate parent counseling sessions. Either way, we want to offer support to you as the parent.
Your child’s therapist can work with you on specific skills you can use to respond to their behaviors. You can learn to spot their triggers, see tantrums coming, and intervene before their behavior escalates. Furthermore, your child’s therapist can give you specific tools you can offer your child when they’re upset to help them cope with distress.
Play therapy can help your child & your family.
Play therapy gives you and your child confidence in their ability to handle big feelings. You’ll be able to see things from your child’s point of view. You will get specific skills to use or offer your child when they upset. You will be able to stay strong when your child’s behavior is frustrating.
Your child will have a new way of interacting with their feelings. Your child will feel heard. They will know that it’s ok to be upset. But, they’ll learn to express big feelings in an appropriate, safe way. They’ll learn to calm themselves down when they feel upset.
Through the course of counseling, you and your child will rebuild the strong bonds of trust you once had. You may still have difficult moments, but they will happen less often. Most importantly, you’ll both feel more equipped to handle those stressful moments. There will be more happiness in your household.
Begin Play Therapy in the Atlanta area:
Are you ready to begin play therapy and give your child the tools to cope with their big feelings? If so, our counseling practice in Alpharetta, GA may be a good fit for you. To begin play therapy at Balance and Potential, follow these three steps:
- Contact our office to set up an appointment or an initial free consultation
- Meet with one of our compassionate child therapists
- Begin play therapy and build a more peaceful relationship with your child.
Other Services offered at Balance and Potential Therapy in Alpharetta, GA
In addition to individual play therapy, our Atlanta Area counseling clinic also offers individual Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), DBT skills classes for teens and adults, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), anxiety treatment, therapy for depression, couples therapy, family therapy, and mindfulness training. Contact us to learn more about our other counseling services.
