People often minimise the importance of seeking mental wellness compared to physical fitness, especially in certain cultures that stigmatise mental health treatment. Although society has become more open in recent years, especially with the effect that COVID-19 had on mental health, many parents are still hesitant to support their children in seeking therapy.
Many parents fear the negative impact their children may have if they have a history of mental health challenges, so they discourage their children from seeking help. Some parents also think that mental health challenges such as anxiety or depression can be overcome by positive thinking or ignoring the issue. Though their intentions are good, discouraging or delaying their children from seeking treatment has an adverse effect because the longer the delay, the more time needed to heal.
Signs that your children may need therapy include extreme sadness, isolating themselves, being highly anxious, hypervigilant, or frequent challenges with a stomach ache, headaches, self-harm, and other physical symptoms that medical doctors could not verify. Children who experience bullying, divorce, separation, assault, sudden drop in test results, compulsive behaviour or witness traumatic events are also vulnerable to mental health challenges. Parents are encouraged to seek counselling or psychotherapy for their children because early intervention is necessary to prevent the symptoms from worsening. Research shows that children who do not receive help for their adverse life experiences will likely grow into adulthood with low self-esteem and difficulty navigating boundaries and healthy relationships.
Effective psychotherapy treatment for children and adolescents includes Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, Narrative Therapy and EMDR for children and adolescents. Restoring Peace Counselling and Consultancy offers counselling and psychotherapy services for children, adolescents, youths and adults individuals and families to help them overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, and various mental health challenges. For more information, please visit www.restoringpeace.com.sg or WhatsApp us at +65 8889 1848.
Keywords: anxiety, child, parent, counselling, therapy, stress, trauma, mental health, anxiety, depression, bullying.
Sources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/signs-your-child-may-need-a-therapist/
https://www.verywellfamily.com/signs-your-child-may-need-a-therapist-4130486
https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/afraid-the-doctor/202204/does-my-child-need-therapy