Does Your Child or Teen Need Counseling? Here Are Two Great Places to Start
If you’ve noticed your child or teen experiencing issues such as low self-esteem, bullying, poor school performance, constant stress or other behavioral issues, counselors are excellent resources for resolving these concerns. Counselors help youth navigate daily stress and reach their potential. If your child or teen has been expressing behavioral issues, utilizing counselors in your youth’s school or faith-based community is a great place to start.
School Counseling
The combination of pressures from school and life can be difficult for a youth to manage at times. School counselors help your child or teen deal with common stressors by equipping them with the tools to manage their emotions and behavior. School counselors also evaluate a youth’s abilities, personality and more to ensure success in the classroom and in life. A school counselor can make a referral to other resources if additional support is needed.
School counselors can:
- Listen to your child’s concerns about social or academic problems
- Help plan achievable goals and ways to achieve them
- Act as a mediator between teachers or other students
- Help students realize their potential and plan for the future
- Advise on drug and alcohol use
- Make referrals to psychologists or other mental health resources if needed
Faith-Based Counseling
This type of counselor provides support that combines spirituality with the latest research and best practices of modern behavioral science. A number of Americans believe that spiritual faith is closely tied to their mental and emotional health. If your child or teen is involved in a faith-based community, he or she may feel more comfortable speaking with a counselor from this field. Faith-based counseling tends to take the teachings of a religion and apply it in positive ways, such as how to relate to others and how to enrich one’s life. If your child or teen’s needs extend farther than what a faith-based counselor can provide, he or she can refer you to a licensed counselor.
Faith-based counselors can:
- Provide meaning and guidance in one’s life
- Cultivate a sense of belonging, purpose or acceptance in a community
- Build self-esteem
- Help children or teens maintain focus on their goals
- Combine modern behavioral therapy with spiritual concepts
Want to know more about the different types of therapy and counseling available to youth? Download this FREE guide, The 3 Types of Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment for Children and Teens.