Frequently Asked Questions

1 

How do I know if my child needs therapy?

Children go through many phases in life and each child can respond differently to your parenting style or life events depending on their personality type and temperament.  A child can and should struggle emotionally at times in order to learn new skills and learn to deal with their emotions.  This helps them become a capable adult down the road.  It becomes a problem if they do not pull through it successfully in a reasonable amount of time and if they do not respond to normal limits, guidance, or maturation.  If their mood, behaviors, or other symptoms are getting in the way of relationships at home or school, or if they aren't able to function in normal roles, an assessment can give you an idea if it is a problem that you shouldn't ignore.  A trained mental health clinician specializing in children and adolescents can guide you in what your child needs.

2

Should I be involved in my child's counseling?

You are the expert on your child.  Parents can and should be involved in some capacity depending on the situation your family is facing.  Typically, the younger the child, the greater the involvement.  Since you are with your child 167 hours per week and therapy happens only one hour per week, it is imperative that you and your therapist work as a team to help your child.  Playful Journey's clinicians offer Supportive Parenting Guidance as part of therapy.  They will work with you to understand your child's needs and how to better help them at home.  Nearly all issues can be addressed much easier with parent support at home.

3

What should I tell my child about counseling?

Counseling at Playful Journeys is fun!  They get to have their own person to talk to and play with about their feelings.  It is important to give them permission to talk about anything they want to, including parents, siblings, friends, school, past events, fears or worries, boy/girl friends, etc.  You can tell them its kind of like a "Feelings Doctor".  Playful Journey's clinicians will use toys such as sandtray, figurines, puppets, painting, art, games, fun activities, and crafts to help your child express their big feelings.  Adolescents enjoy the use of music, poetry, and other expressive arts to work through issues.

4

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a technique to be used to resolve trauma.  It can also be used to improve skills and to strengthen one's internal resources.  A client holds a memory, a negative belief they hold, and the feelings associated with it and that will target the spot in the brain that the memory is stored.  The use of bi-lateral stimulation helps the left and right hemisphere of the brain reprocess the memory and decrease the overwhelming emotional and physical response to the memory.