Tag: <span>Child Counseling</span>

Challenging children Child Counseling Family Counseling Parenting By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Unlocking a Brighter Future: The Profound Benefits of Child Counseling

Childhood is a time of wonder, discovery, and growth, but it can also be a period of challenges and uncertainties. Every child navigates a unique journey, facing various emotional, social, and psychological hurdles along the way. In such moments, child counseling emerges as a guiding light, offering a range of invaluable benefits that foster emotional well-being, resilience, and personal growth. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the transformative advantages of child counseling and explore how it can unlock a brighter future for the youngest members of our society.

Emotional Expression and Regulation

Children often lack the verbal skills and emotional vocabulary to express their feelings and concerns effectively. Counseling provides them with a safe and non-judgmental space to articulate their emotions, whether it’s sadness, anger, fear, or confusion. By learning to recognize and express their feelings, children develop essential emotional regulation skills that empower them to cope with challenges in healthier ways.

Enhanced Self-Esteem and Confidence

Childhood experiences significantly shape a child’s self-esteem and self-worth. Through counseling, children can explore their strengths, talents, and unique qualities, which in turn fosters a positive self-image. A skilled counselor helps children identify and challenge negative self-perceptions, allowing them to develop a strong sense of self-confidence that lays the foundation for a more resilient future.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can improve self-esteem and positive self-talk.

Effective Communication Skills

Clear and effective communication is a crucial life skill. Child counseling equips young minds with the tools to express themselves, their needs, and their boundaries assertively and respectfully. These communication skills extend to interactions with family, peers, and authority figures, setting the stage for healthier relationships throughout their lives.

Coping Strategies and Problem-Solving

Childhood is peppered with challenges, both big and small. Learning effective coping strategies early on empowers children to navigate stressors and setbacks with grace. In counseling, children discover a repertoire of coping mechanisms that suit their individual needs, including mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and creative outlets like art or play therapy. Moreover, they develop problem-solving skills that enable them to tackle challenges with resilience and confidence.

Social and Emotional Intelligence

Navigating complex social dynamics and understanding others’ emotions are vital skills for any child. Child counseling helps children develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and social awareness, fostering better relationships with peers and family members. These skills are essential for successful collaboration, teamwork, and maintaining healthy friendships throughout their lives.

Healing from Trauma

Children may encounter traumatic events that deeply affect their well-being and development. Child counseling provides a safe environment for processing and healing from traumatic experiences, allowing children to regain a sense of security and normalcy. Early intervention can significantly reduce the long-term impact of trauma and prevent potential psychological challenges down the road.  TF-CBT is well researched and evidence-based treatment for PTSD.

Academic Success

Emotional well-being and academic performance are closely intertwined. Children who receive counseling are better equipped to manage stress and anxiety related to schoolwork. By addressing underlying emotional challenges, child counseling enhances a child’s ability to focus, concentrate, and engage in the learning process, ultimately paving the way for improved academic achievement.

Conclusion

Child counseling is a profound investment in a child’s emotional and psychological well-being. By offering a space for emotional expression, confidence-building, communication skill development, and trauma healing, counseling empowers children to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and grace. The benefits of child counseling extend far beyond childhood, influencing future relationships, academic success, and overall happiness. As parents, caregivers, and educators, it is our responsibility to recognize the importance of child counseling and provide our young ones with the support they need to thrive.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo therapy
 

Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan, and South West Michigan areas. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at-risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment, and trauma-related disorders.

READ MORE

Anxiety Child Counseling • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Three Deep Breathing Strategies to Help Kids with Anxiety

Deep breathing is a simple yet powerful technique that can help children manage their emotions and reduce stress. When practiced regularly, deep breathing can help kids feel more relaxed and focused, and improve their overall well-being. This technique can be especially helpful for children who struggle with anxiety, as it can provide a sense of calm and control in stressful situations.

Anxiety can be overwhelming for children, causing them to feel worried, nervous, or fearful. Deep breathing can help children calm their minds and bodies when they start to feel anxious. By taking slow, deep breaths, children can activate their parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to lower their heart rate and blood pressure, and reduces feelings of anxiety.

Here are three fun and easy ways kids can practice deep breathing to help manage anxiety:

  1. Balloon Breathing

Balloon breathing is a fun and interactive way to teach children how to take deep breaths. Have your child sit comfortably with their back straight and take a deep breath in through their nose. As they inhale, tell them to imagine they are blowing up a balloon in their belly. Then, have them slowly exhale through their mouth, as if they are letting the air out of the balloon. Encourage them to repeat this process several times, taking slow, deep breaths each time.

  1. Flower Breathing

Flower breathing is a visualization technique that can help kids relax and feel more centered. Have your child close their eyes and imagine they are holding a beautiful flower. Tell them to take a deep breath in through their nose, imagining they are smelling the flower’s sweet scent. Then, have them slowly exhale through their mouth, imagining they are blowing away the flower’s petals. Encourage your child to repeat this process several times, focusing on the sensation of the breath and the visualization of the flower.

  1. Counting Breaths

Counting breaths is a simple and effective way to help children focus their attention and calm their minds. Have your child sit comfortably and take a deep breath in through their nose. As they inhale, have them silently count to four. Then, have them hold their breath for a count of four, and slowly exhale for a count of four. Encourage your child to repeat this process several times, focusing on the counting and the sensation of the breath.

In conclusion, deep breathing is a valuable tool for children to manage their emotions and reduce stress, particularly for those who struggle with anxiety. Encourage your child to practice these simple techniques regularly, and they will soon reap the benefits of a more relaxed and centered mind. If your child continues to struggle with anxiety, it may be helpful to seek support from a mental health professional who can provide additional resources and strategies.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo therapyJeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan, and South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

Read more

TF-CBT Kalamazoo
Child Counseling Grief and Loss PTSD • • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

What is Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)?

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a widely used and effective therapy. TF-CBT helps children ages 3-18 years-old and their families who are struggling with the effects of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Multiple randomized clinical trials have prove TF-CBT’s effectiveness.  TF-CBT is a gold-standard treatment for addressing trauma in children.  The California Evidenced Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare gives its highest rating for TF-CBT as an evidenced-based treatment for children impacted by trauma.  When children or adolescents have gone through trauma they may experience a combination of any of the following: intrusive thoughts, fear, anxiety, mistrust, depression, troubles with sleep, aggression, and various other symptoms.

Types of Trauma addressed by TF-CBT

Types of trauma commonly treated by TF-CBT include sexual abuse or assault, physical abuse, a sudden or traumatic death, violence at home or in the community, a natural or man-made disaster, a car accident, community violence and animal attacks.

What makes  it work?

There are two major components of TF-CBT that make it work: parent/caregiver involvement and a concept called gradual exposure. Parent/caregiver involvement can include meeting one-on-one with the therapist, or meeting at least a part of every session.  These meetings are intended to help therapists and parents be on the same page about current symptoms and parental concerns. This is also a wonderful time to educate parents about trauma and its impact on children.  It also can also be a good time address any of their child’s difficult behaviors, emotional outbursts, and safety concerns.

Gradual exposure includes intentional exploration of trauma reminders for the purpose of achieving desensitization to them. Gradual exposure begins with small intentional doses and is increased over time.  In TF-CBT, gradual exposure does not mean children need to immediately talk about what happened.  Humans don’t usually throw children in the deep end to teach them to swim.  To use the swimming analogy again, we get used to the temperature of the water before going under.  In the first sessions of TF-CBT, clients will receive education about common effects of the specific trauma they went through and by the end of treatment they will have created a narrative about what they went through and how they were impacted by it. The narrative, along with the other forms of gradual exposure, helps the child and family to reduce their avoidance and other PTSD symptoms.  There any many myths about PTSD and children, gradual exposure is an important part of PTSD treatment.

Steps of TF-CBT

First, children and adolescents will learn about trauma and how it commonly impacts people. They will learn relaxation skills to help them calm down when they are anxious, mad, etc. Next, kids will learn healthy ways to identify and express their feelings. Then, the child or adolescent will learn strategies to change negative or unhelpful thoughts to ones that are more positive, or helpful.  This is especially important for “stinking thinking” related to the traumatic event. Once children and teens gain confidence in these skills, they will move into creating a story about the trauma they experienced. The narrative will include some general information about the client, what happened before, during, and after the traumatic event(s), their feelings and thoughts surrounding the trauma, and what advice they would give to other kids like them. Once the narrative is completed, it is usually shared with the parent or caregiver in a conjoint session. Further sessions will address any triggers that may be inhibiting the child or adolescent, finding ways to overcome them, and increasing safety for the family as they move forward.

Kylie Bader and Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Kylie Bader was an Intern from Western Michigan Univeristy’s School of Social Work.  Her graduate studies including trauma across the lifespan, and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo therapy

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan, and the South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes providing play therapy with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

problems paying attention in school - ADHD or Anxiety?
Anxiety School • • • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Problems paying attention in school – Is it ADHD or Anxiety?

Your child is having problems paying attention in school.  The teachers are concerned because your child doesn’t seem to be able to focus in class.   He seems to need to have instructions read to him multiple times.  Your child’s school just has you on speed dial about his level of activity. The school talks about how impulsive or active he is.  He blows up over minor problems and its getting in the way of making friends, or doing well in class.  By now a couple of people in your child’s life have talked to you about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  When children have ADHD their difficulty attending is due to a neurological condition.

Some children who have problems paying attention in school have Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder:

ADHD is a common neurological condition in children which impacts their ability to attend or focus. The overlap between anxiety and ADHD symptoms is often overlooked.  Anxiety symptoms are often mistaken for signs of ADHD—this is especially true in young, elementary age boys.  While the inability to concentrate or sit still may at first look appear to be ADHD, the question of why your child cannot attend is important.

ADHD or Anxiety – Why children have Problems paying attention in School?

The root of your child’s inability to attend is one of the most important questions parents, families, and teachers can ask—why is my child having problems paying attention in school? Concentration problems that stem from anxiety are rooted in emotion.  Children with anxiety are preoccupied by worry or are busy anticipating what is coming next.  These children’s preoccupation with the future or what could happen is not compatible with what is happening right now—kids who are worrying have trouble concentrating or listening.

Symptoms of inattention, distraction, fidgetiness and what appears to be boredom may actually be signs of anxiety.

Helping children who have problems paying attention in school

The help and support that children with anxiety need as opposed to children with ADHD is different.  Counseling for children with anxiety often involves evaluating anxious thoughts, helping kids feel safe, and avoiding reinforcing avoidance or providing reassurance which reinforces anxious thoughts or avoidant behavior.

It can be incredibly difficult to tell when children who are having trouble concentrating at school are suffering from anxiety or ADHD.  When parents and teachers are uncertain mental health professionals can assist in parsing the two apart, or knowing when both mental health problems may be coming in play with challenging children in the class room.

 

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo

 

 

 

 

Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

Read more

 

Child Anxiety Therapist Portage MI
Anxiety School • • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Helping Children with back to school Anxiety

Back to School Anxiety

The first day of school is an exciting time for children and parents. The sudden change in routine, mixed with the demands of the classroom can be tough on kids and their parents.  The hustle and bustle of getting ready for school on time and preparing to separate from mom or dad can amplify stress and anxiety for kids.  Separating for some children can be very challenging and incrediably distressing. For children who are already anxious, here are five ways to help relieve back to school anxiety.

Meet the Teacher

One of the biggest fears that anxious children have when they are going to a new class room is will I like my new teacher? Many schools prior to the start of the school year have a social night for new students to become acquainted with their new teacher, and classroom.  For children with anxiety reducing the unknown of who they will be spending their school day with prior to the start of the school year can help.

Tour the School

For children going to a school for the first time, or even a new room spending some extra time before school start tour the school is important. Knowing where their class or classes are before they’re expected to be “on-time” can reduce the panic of getting lost.  Some familiarity with the layout of the school will help ease some of the anxiety of going back to school but also help them have something to look forward to.

Prepare Sleep and Wake Routines

During summertime children sleep schedules relax. Bedtime in the summer is more flexible and adjusts for the energy spent during the day and the plans for tomorrow.  When school starts the importance of re-establishing a consistent bedtime is important.  The routine of knowing when bedtime is and when they wake up helps anxious children plan out their mornings and avoid feeling rushed in the morning.  Getting children ready for their school-year bedtime is good to start the week before school starts to help them adjust so that’s it one less change during the start of the school year.

Let children know what to expect

Along with having a consistent bed time, it is helpful for children with anxiety to have a clear plan of what expect during the school week. This includes knowing when the alarm is going off, when the school bus arrives, to when lunch and dismissal is.  For children who don’t read time, simply knowing the order of things helps the day become more predictable.

Talk to your child his or her feelings

Most importantly talk to your child about how they are feeling about school starting. What are they worried about, what are they excited about?  This is something that is helpful to do at the start of the school year and through the entire year.  Helping children talk about their worries helps them process and plan.  Checking in with them regularly (daily) is important help them handle anxiety in the moment, but also know before small problems become big problems.  Connecting with children about their anxiety with school gives them someone to go to when they need help.

 If you’d like to talk with someone about your child’s school anxiety contact us now for a free consultation.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, and South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

Read more

anxiety symptoms in children
Anxiety Child Counseling • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Anxiety Symptoms in Children

Anxiety symptoms in young children

Anxiety symptoms can look very different in younger kids than in adults. It can be difficult determining what is developmentally normal and what should be cause for concern.  Likewise some worry and stress is not problematic.

Asking for reassurance repeatedly

Examples of young children asking for reassurance may look like them repeatedly asking you to look over their homework, even though they’ve made no errors. Some children who are looking for reassurance will repeatedly call home from school to hear from their parents that they’re okay.  They may want to be told that he or she is a good boy or girl.  Asking for reassurance is a queue for parents that their child is worrying about what they are asking for reassurance with.  Asking for reassurance is a common anxiety symptom.

Trouble sleeping at night

Many children have trouble sleeping for lots of different reasons. One reason why some children struggle with sleep is that they are unable to let go things that they are worrying about.  Kids who worry to the point where it interferes with sleep may have anxiety.  I previously wrote a blog post about how to help children with anxiety sleep better.

Trouble concentrating

This is not always thought of as an anxiety symptom.  It can be difficult to tell why a child is not able to attend or concentrate at school. Some children have neurodevelopmental disorder like Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) and have difficulty attending.  However, kids who are worrying or preoccupied with anxious thoughts at school may also have trouble concentrating.

Restlessness or being on edge

Some anxious children just seem to explode out of nowhere. They may seem irritable or grumpy.  Children who are chronically worried are oftentimes overwhelmed.  For a child with an anxiety a seemingly mild or small stressor may be just enough to overwhelm what they were previously just barely managing to handle.

Most common anxiety disorders and their symptoms

Separation Anxiety – Age inappropriate stress and anxiety over separating from caregiver. This sort of anxiety interferes with a child’s ability to actually separate, or how they function when they have separated.  Some children with separation anxiety disorder cannot separate to attend school or daycare, or need to sleep in their parent’s bed at night.

Generalized Anxiety – This is one the most common anxiety disorders in children. These children worry excessively about many things like school, health, safety or family members. They may always think of the worst that could happen. Some children have physical symptoms, like headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, or tiredness

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – This is commonly thought of when people think of veterans coming back from war. PTSD in children can be result of any number of traumatic events, such as a car crash, physical or sexual abuse, being exposed to violence, medical trauma, the list goes on.  Common symptoms of PTSD in children include always being on the lookout, thinking about the traumatic thing that happened when they don’t want to, sleep disturbances, fear or avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event.

Social Anxiety – This is often characterized by children avoiding or becoming distressed in situations where are required to interact with others. Social anxiety can be triggered in children when they’re required to speak or perform in front of others.

Phobias – These are intense, often irrational fears of people, places or things. Common phobias include driving, dogs, flying on an airplanes or heights.  Children with phobias desperately avoid, or become distressed when exposed to whatever they fear.

If you’d like to talk with someone about your child’s anxiety symptoms contact us now for a free consultation.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, and South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

Read more

child counseling
Child Counseling Parenting By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Child Counseling

Child Counseling: How can I tell if my child should go to therapy?

So you’re thinking about counseling for your child, and you’re wondering, “Maybe it’s just phase,” or “It doesn’t seem that bad.”  By the nature of growing up, children are learning new things all of the time. With growth come bumps along the way.  Additionally, it can be difficult to tell if your child’s behaviors are normal and should cause no alarm, or if it might be time to talk to you child about counseling.  It can also be difficult to tell if a child is just going through a phase or if their emotional distress is normal. Most child counseling involves the family to some degree or another. At Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, we greatly stress the importance of parents being involved in their child’s counseling. Parents can think about their child’s life in three main areas to help determine if they might need counseling.

How does your child behave at home?

  • Do you and your child fight? How intense are the fights?  How long does it take for your child to “bounce back?”
  • Does your child frequently fight or argue with siblings? How intensely do they fight and how long does it take for your child to recover from these fights?
  • Is your child withdrawn or isolating himself or herself from the family?
  • Do you and your child have the relationship that you want?

Child and Family Counseling can help build relationships between parents and children or siblings with siblings. Additionally, evaluating how children do at home is important to think about when you are considering counseling for your child.  This is especially true because the relationships that children have with their parents is a profound predictor of how they do long term.

How does your child do socially and at school?

How children do at school and in their social groups is another thing that parents should think about when they’re considering counseling. Some questions that parents should ask themselves when wondering if they should take their child to counseling are:

  • Is my child performing to his or her best abilities in school?
  • Does he or she have trouble focusing?
  • Does my child get into fights at school with peers or teachers?
  • Does my child have a difficult time making friends?
  • Do I routinely get notified of my child’s misbehavior at school?
  • Does my child frequently skip or not put in effort at school?

How does your child do in his or her personal life?

Children’s mental health is often evaluated in the context of how they’re doing at school or with family.  Also, It is important to think about your child as an individual.  Here are some questions that parents should ask themselves about their child as well:

  • Is my child generally sad or express general boredom like he or she is unable to be interested in anything?
  • Does my child seem anxious or frequently worried? Does he or she sleep too little or too much?
  • Does my child have poor self-esteem or lack confidence?
  • Making the decision to take your child to counseling can be difficult. If your child is having problems with one or two of the problems listed above it would make sense to think about talking to a professional.

Here are some things that should always be taken seriously and indicate a more urgent need for child counseling:

  1. Your child talks about wanting to die or commit suicide. Always take children talking about suicide seriously.  Call 911 or take your child to the nearest emergency room if you’re worried about your child’s safety.
  2. Your child has disclosed being sexually abused.
  3. Your child is using drugs or alcohol.
  4. Your child is engaging in self-harming behavior (cutting/burning his or herself. Binging or restricting food, etc).

 

Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling offers child counseling in addition to support for frustrated parents.  Call or email for a free consultation.  Navigating these sorts of decisions is difficult and parents don’t need to do it alone.

 

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo

 

 

Jeff LaPonsie LMSW

Jeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, and South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at risk youth. His clinical expertise includes working with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma related disorders.

Read more