Child Therapy For Anxiety

At BPC, our skilled child therapists are trained in a variety of treatment approaches that have proven effective anxiety treatment. Because we specialize in working with children as young as preschool, we have become really good at helping children.

Child Therapy for Anxiety

Maybe your child has always been anxious, but now their worries seem to be intensifying. Getting ready for school is becoming more difficult. There always seems to be something at school that your child feels nervous or anxious about. Maybe your child tends to be a perfectionist. They are unable to cope and they do not get things “just right.” Your child is constantly seeking reassurance and relies on the approval of others. As a parent, this can become quite exhausting. Anxiety can even cause physical symptoms. Your child may be experiencing more physical pain, such as stomach aches and headaches.

Your child might be struggling more with separation anxiety.

Your son or daughter is often unable to fall asleep without you being with them. Your child becomes upset the moment you leave their room.  Sleep is a frequent challenge at your house.  They throw major tantrums when it is time to separate from their parent for school.  As a parent, you might feel at a loss for what to do.  And feel like you have tried everything.

Maybe your child’s anxiety is related to social situations.

They experience intense and unrealistic fear of social situations. The idea of getting called on in class or starting a conversation with a peer feels impossible. You see how sweet and kind they are, so it’s hard to watch them struggle. It’s becoming clear to you that your child’s fear is holding them back. Maybe it feels like people aren’t getting to know your child at all and it makes your heart ache. Social anxiety can be crippling for a child. You just want to see your child happy, but their social anxiety makes it hard for them to be carefree and play like everyone else.

The good news is that counseling can HELP children struggling with anxiety!

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We understand that as parents, watching your child struggle is not easy at all. It is hard to feel helpless and unsure of how to help your child overcome their anxiety and begin thriving at school and in other social situations.

At BPC, our skilled child therapists are trained in a variety of treatment approaches proven effective anxiety treatment. Because we specialize in working with children as young as preschool, we have become really good at helping children. Anxiety is a common problem for children, but it’s something we help children overcome every day.

But before we explain our approach, it is helpful to understand what exactly anxiety is.

What is Anxiety and How is it Impacting Your Child?

Anxiety is a powerful emotion that can evoke all sorts of responses. The body sends a signal to the brain and the brain’s response is to scream: “You are in danger!” This fight or flight mechanism helped us immensely during our caveman days when we needed these signals to survive an attack from a wild animal. But in most situations these days, this response is a false alarm. Even though it’s a false alarm, this fear can feel very real! Heart racing, shortness of breath, trembling in arms and legs, and tingling in fingers are just a few examples of what can happen when anxiety takes over. These reactions – in and of themselves – can be so scary to children that they actually increase their anxiety, making it debilitating.

What’s more, often times the anxiety cannot be explained or rationalized away. Our instinct is to tell children:
“You’ll be okay. It’s just a short book report. Everyone has to do it.”
“There is nothing to worry about – Mommy will never forget to pick you up from school.”
“We are not going to get into a car accident! I will even drive extra carefully so you won’t have to worry.”
”Just relax. You will be okay.”

These statements are really well intended. You are trying to help your children, but it just seems to make their anxiety worse. The unfortunate truth is that for kids who really struggle with anxiety, these explanations are just not enough. Regardless of what “fact” we see as adults, their worries and fear seem very real to your child. Telling themselves to relax or that their fears probably won’t happen might not make them feel much better.

Help for Children with Anxiety

Fortunately, there is help for anxious children. Children have the ability to gain an awareness of their feelings and become empowered to gain control over this powerful emotion.  The counselors at BPC are experts at providing mental health services for children.

As a Houston child and family therapy clinic, BPC uses a blend of play therapy, mindfulness practices, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, and innovative “brain-based” strategies coming from the latest in neuroscience.  Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and therapy techniques are also sometimes indicated for children with anxiety.

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How Child Therapy for Anxiety Can Help Your Family

How Counseling Helps Your Child

  • Reduce nervous feelings
  • Learn tools to “boss back” their anxious thoughts
  • Gain confidence in social situations
  • Learn relaxation tools
  • Improve sleep habitats and transitions

How Counseling Helps the Parents

Parent and family counseling sessions will give you resources and tools to help your child take control of the anxiety.  Your child’s therapist will give you phrases to use for those times when you just don’t know what to say. As a parent, you will be supported and provided all the tools you need to help your child in all the ways you want to. Parent counseling sessions and anxiety treatment for your child can help your home become a peaceful, happy place again.

A child hugging a woman to regulate anxiety.

Your Child will Benefit from Child Therapy for Anxiety at our office if your child has:

  • Excessive anxiety and worry
  • Inability to control fears and worries
  • Difficulty sleeping due to anxious thoughts
  • Physical symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches
  • Extreme fears in social situations
  • Perfectionistic tendencies  and performance anxiety
  • Difficulty separating from caregivers
  • Irrational thoughts about something happening to primary caregivers

Families who may not be ready for child anxiety counseling at BPC include but are not limited to, parents who:

  •  Do not want to engage in the therapeutic process
  • Want a “quick fix”
  • View their child as the problem
  • Are not able to commit to 6-12 months of care
  • Want a therapist to “fix” their child
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Child Counseling Services for Anxiety in Houston, TX

Your child and your family do not have to live with the constant fear and worry that is currently consuming so much of your life. If you want to support in coping with anxiety and live in the Houston and Katy area, we can help! Contact Brittani Persha Counseling today to get connected with one of our skilled child therapists. To learn more about our child counseling services visit our Child Therapy Page. We believe that families can experience a peaceful home environment and you and your child can start feeling less anxious and more in control of your emotions.

Thinking about Anxiety Counseling for your child, but not sure if we are the right fit for your family?

Still unsure if this anxiety treatment for children at Brittani Persha Counseling will meet your family’s needs? Schedule a free phone consultation today. You will have the opportunity to speak directly with one of our mental health counselors to learn more about our office, the counseling process, and any other questions you may have.

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A child playing in one of the therapy rooms for Child Therapy for PTSD and Trauma.

Not Looking for Child Therapy for Anxiety? Check out our other services.

Want to Learn More about Children and Anxiety? Read our blog!

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