Children

Childhood struggles

When children experience Big Hard Things, like divorce or other family changes, accidents, losing someone close to them, abuse, moving to a new family, or other scary or overwhelming situations, they often display major disruptions in emotions, behavior, relationships, and development.

Some children have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships with parents, siblings, peers, and teachers. Others engage in challenging behaviors like power struggles, defiance, aggression, hoarding, stealing, and lying.

Big Feelings like being overwhelmed, anxious, and frustrated can cause children to shut down, melt down, or express their emotions by throwing tantrums.

When children feel overwhelmed by life experience or big feelings, they need to be taught how to calm, understand and communicate their feelings, and gain skills to heal from and manage their responses to the hard things in their lives.

Parents’ role

Dealing with children who over-react to what seem like small issues or who are constantly in trouble because of their behavior can cause parents a lot of frustration and grief.

As a parent, you play an important role in helping your child respond to life experiences, frustrations, and big feelings in a way that supports their growth and resilience. This requires your learning to read your child’s cues, helping your child calm successfully, and processing thoughts and feelings together.

Improving your ability to help your child cope with emotions and life experiences requires training from a professional. You need someone who has the skills to help both you and your child decrease the anxieties and frustrations that can lead to strong emotional or behavioral responses.

Addressing your child’s anxiety and hurts

Behavioral challenges are often a response to uncomfortable emotions or past hurts. The longer your child struggles, the more likely you are to see further areas of their life affected.

Helping your child learn to manage their big feelings and to heal after Big Hard Things requires a safe place and empathetic presence. They need support to work through what they’ve experienced and learn strategies to manage big feelings.

I offer a safe and nurturing environment where your child can learn, grow, and heal the hurts.

As parents, you also need support as you learn how to guide your child through Big Hard Things and big feelings. You will be counseled in how to understand why your child may be feeling, behaving, or responding in a particular manner. You will learn how to support your child’s healing at home.

My goal and approach

Parents bring their children to me for a wide variety of concerns.

My major goal is to really get to know your child in order to understand where these behaviors and big feelings are coming from, and then to support your child in learning new patterns of behavior and coping.

My approach is to use play and relationship to support your child’s journey in the positive direction of healing, growth, and resilience. I want your child to develop a sense of security and safety, develop trust, build self-esteem and new ways of coping with stresses, restore joy and a carefree nature, and grow through this season of hardship.

I also work closely with parents to provide you with the understanding, skills, and confidence to support your child in their growth and healing, as well as to strengthen the attachment and connection between you and your child.

There is hope!

No matter how big the issues seem or how long your child has been struggling, I am here to support you and your child.

Please call me at (951) 599-8383 or complete the contact form below to get started.