The Role of a Child Therapist: Counseling for Children
For a parent, there can be no greater pain than seeing your child suffer. A child therapist is a person who is trained in counseling techniques and armed with a set of tools that can help a child in a way that engages their will and is understandable. What is important to note is that children suffer with the same struggles, desires, and hopes that we do as adults. They fall prey to the same lies that adults do and find their freedom in the same way Christian adults do – in our savior, the Lord Jesus. The role of a child therapist is similar to that of a counselor for adults; however, the approach and skills used may differ. For instance, when counseling young children, sometimes their communication skills are limited. Counselors have a toolbox to draw on to help elicit feelings and a sense of where the child is at. This might include play therapy. A child therapist trained in play therapy is able to use a combination of creative methods of play, together with talking, to help the child express themselves. They will likely have figurines that can be used for pretend play, soft toys that can be characterized, as well as an art box for creative expression using drawing, painting, and clay sculpting. What issues does a child therapist help with? Children experience mental health disorders like depression and anxiety as adults do, and these often derive from a negative childhood experience – divorce, a death in the family, abuse, or witnessing a traumatic event. In these circumstances, a responsible parent or caregiver should enable the child to see a child therapist. This will help the family ascertain how the trauma has impacted the child and ways to help them navigate a way through their [...]
