Is Your Child’s Behavior Creating Stress At School Or At Home?

Despite your best efforts to raise them in a balanced, healthy environment, is your child acting out? Do you feel helpless and at your wit’s end, hopeless about the direction your child seems to be heading?

You may feel as though you have a grasp on every other aspect of your life, but your relationship with your child is completely out of control. Perhaps you can’t understand where you went wrong, especially if raising your other children was not nearly as challenging. It may seem that the more you try to help your child, the more sullen and angry they become.

It may be that your child is experiencing bullying or feels they are not accepted by a certain peer group at school. Your child may not understand how to make lasting connections or know what good friendships mean. Even if they do have an active social group, you might be worried that your child’s friends are mistreating them or pressuring them into poor choices.

Or, maybe your child is struggling with academics, which is making them doubt their intelligence and worth. Perhaps they are causing disturbances in class and frustration for their teachers and peers. As their class work gets more difficult, they might be refusing to do their homework or even go to school. You might be worried about their future but completely unsure what else you can try.

Do you wish your child would share their thoughts, feelings and experiences with you? Are you searching for a way to connect with your child and offer them the resources and support they need to thrive?

 Several Culprits Can Lead To Behavioral Issues In Children

You, your child and your family are not alone in your worry and frustration. The truth is, most children struggle from time to time, especially as they transition between developmental stages. Your child is not “bad” or a “lost cause.” There are likely very good reasons behind their difficult behavior.

When it comes to understanding your child’s choices—as well as their potential symptoms of anxiety or depression—it’s important to consider not only their mental age, but also the impact of significant life changes and external challenges.

For example, children who are trying to understand mature relationship transitions, such as divorce, family blending or moving between foster parents, may feel frustrated and confused. These feelings can display themselves in temper tantrums, disobedience and fighting with siblings.

At school, it’s very common for children to experience bullying—or engage in bullying themselves. They may be consumed with self-doubt and feel ill-equipped to create appropriate bonds with others. It’s also possible that your child is struggling with ADHD, bi-polar disorder, autism or another condition which makes it difficult to regulate emotions and relate to others.

Like so many children battling their own internal frustrations, your child might be continually cited for disruptions at school. At home, the behavior continues in the form of irritability and defiance, physical harm to their siblings and, in some cases, isolation. You may feel as though you have tried everything you can think of, and you have run out of options.

The good news is, understanding the potential causes of behavioral issues in children is the first step toward effective treatment. By collaborating with a skilled family therapist and using a step-by-step, guided approach, you can help your child think differently about their fears and struggles.

Behavioral Family Therapy Can Lead To A Stronger Connection With Your Child

I offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has proven to be extremely effective for childhood anxiety, depression and self-esteem. And, improved mental and emotional wellbeing usually translates into improved behavior, with new opportunities for healthy development and growth.

CBT focuses on modifying your child’s thinking patterns so they can better respond to daily challenges. Through goal-oriented sessions, we will work on helping your child self-soothe, decreasing the intensity of both their distress and their harmful behavior. While our goal will be to eliminate tantrums and isolation, we also cannot expect kids to be perfect. I will help you distinguish between developmentally appropriate and inappropriate behavior and examine what is manageable for you. You can develop greater empathy for your child, learn new self-forgiveness and set healthy, realistic boundaries for the whole family.

As we begin our work together, I will gather your child’s social history and discuss your three biggest areas of concern. Then, in our first session, you and I will explore the difficulties of your family’s current situation. During this session, your child is welcome to wait in my child’s waiting area, equipped with activities to keep themselves occupied during our time together. The second session is an opportunity for me to speak one-on-one with your child and to hear their perspective. In our third session, we bring the participating family members together to discuss a treatment plan that both you and your child can follow.

While addressing your child’s behavior is paramount, the family unit is the key to your child’s success. To maintain your engagement and progress outside our sessions, I will also guide you through effective parent counseling and training techniques. Together, we will work toward breaking down the barriers that are preventing a positive relationship with your child.

Over the past 22 years, I have worked as a social worker, case worker, foster care social worker, counselor and child therapist. I have witnessed countless parents and children endure hardships and successfully come out on the other end. Behavioral family counseling, combined with structured sessions and attainable goals, can lead to relief for your child and harmony in your home.

You May Have Concerns About Child And Family Counseling…

I live in a small city, and I don’t want anyone to know we’re in therapy.

I understand the fear that others may judge you for coming to therapy. My office is located in downtown Cheyenne’s Majestic Building, across the street from the train depot. With the activity of nearby commercial shops, your family can quietly slip inside with a sense of anonymity.

My relationship with your family is completely confidential, and our continued success depends on that trust. I offer a relaxed and warm environment where your family can feel safe to unravel the complexities of your day-to-day life.

I don’t want to be in family therapy forever.

My approach includes a clear beginning, a middle and an end, parts of an overall process that takes place within 12 sessions. Some families may feel they have reached their goals in fewer than 12 sessions, while some may choose to extend our number of meetings.

Families using a health insurance plan may be limited by the amount of sessions covered. In these cases, we will create a more succinct plan to reach your family objectives. Regardless of your financial situation, we will decide on a number of sessions up front.

I feel like nothing will change.

I understand how your child’s destructive behavior may cause you to feel powerless. I will provide your family with problem-solving skills that you will be able to implement long beyond our family counseling sessions. And, as your child’s behavior evolves, you are always welcome to return for follow-up sessions to review which methods have been working and which could use adjustments.

No matter what your child is struggling with, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques can lead to positive, sustainable change.

Your Relationship With Your Child Can Improve

Trying to understand and respond to your child’s disruptive and harmful behavior can be stressful and exhausting. I encourage you to call me for a free 20-minute consultation. I welcome any questions or concerns about my approach to family therapy.