How do I know if my child needs therapy?

October 28, 2020

OK … so what’s actually going on?

“It is a daily struggle to get my child to do most things, no matter how small.”

”My child almost has a panic attack when we have to do more than one thing at a time and has a total meltdown if we go to a crowded place.”

“I’m a foster carer and my child is so confused about all the different placements they have had, where their birth family are and even why they are in care. I think this is what’s making them act out and feel bad about themselves.”

” My child is too rough during play, and doesn’t seem to understand personal space.”

“My ex and I are trying to share time with the kids after our separation. It’s been really hard on them and handovers are awful Will and I. They’re caught in the middle and I’m worried how this will affect them long-term.”

” I’m so sad for my child, they are always on their own and can never seem to keep a friend.”

“I seem to be at the school every second day with my child. They’re falling behind because they are constantly reacting to some thing or another and their behaviour at home can get really extreme.”

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Do you worry about similar things regarding your child? Understandably, concerns like these bring many families to a child therapy service for child focused therapies like Play Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Counselling, Therapeutic Life Story Work and Child Inclusive Practice.

These kinds of behaviours can really get in the way of a child’s development and put stress and strain on the whole family. We want our kids to live their best life possible.

How can you know if your child’s behaviours are caused by emotional struggles like anxiety, or by sensory issues or even by a medical condition?

Our Allied Health Practitioners can work alongside you and your family to find out what’s really going on.

How will my child improve?

A therapy service will provide a safe environment that cultivates respect, empathy and trust, where your child is free to express themselves and communicate their thoughts and feelings. This allows your child to process stressful situations, past trauma and suppressed emotions, helping them to change their thought patterns and their view of themself.

This in turn promotes the development of self-efficiency and teaches children how to identify emotions and express them in a healthier way. Therapy can help children learn new social skills and how to positively relate to others. Therapy teaches them to problem solve and helps them to improve their communication skills. Of course, all of this positively effects their behaviour at home, at school and socially.

We encourage you to reach out. Our practitioners have a range of skills and expertise to suit children and youth across every stage of their lives. We have strong networks across our communities and are happy to connect you to the right professionals so you can live meaningful happy lives.

People can self refer, or we accept third party referrals from other services, including Medicare Care Plans and NDIS Plans. These services do attract a fee, which can be offset through Medicare.

For special circumstances we do have a limited number of subsidised sessions available with a current Medicare Care Plan from a GP and subject to eligibility criteria.

Please call us on 1800 324 924 to discuss or email therapyservices@catholiccaredbb.org.au.

Photo credit : Michael Mims on Unsplash