Child Therapy Woodland Hills
Is Your Child’s Behavior Sounding Alarm Bells?
Does your child seem anxious and unsettled? Do they ever refuse to go to school, experience panic attacks, or engage in compulsive behaviors to address their fears? Have you wondered if they may be showing early signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD)?
Although you may have initially chalked up their behavior as a phase they would eventually outgrow, perhaps you’re worried your child is dealing with a more serious mental health issue. They may worry excessively, lack focus, have difficulty accepting mistakes, resist changes in routine, or become increasingly picky about things being done a certain way. Their anxiety may be so debilitating that they struggle at school and social gatherings, eroding their confidence and limiting their ability to make friends.
You May Feel Unsure How Best To Help Them
Whether these troubling signs and symptoms manifested quickly or have gradually ramped up, you might feel out of your depth and not know how to intervene. For instance, if your child is afraid to go to school or sleep alone, you face the dilemma of whether or not to give in to their desire to stay home or get in bed with you. While comforting your child could reinforce their fears, pushing them will likely cause more distress and anxiety.
When each day seems like a battlefield punctuated by emotional outbursts and combative behaviors, it can feel like the child you once knew has become a stranger. You may feel powerless to help your child whenever they become anxious, depressed, or withdrawn as a result of their challenges. The good news is that Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) treatment combined with play therapy children addresses anxiety, OCD, ADHD, or Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs)—such as hair pulling or nail biting—to help your child overcome their symptoms and restore their self-esteem.
Children’s Mental Health Issues Are More Common Than We Realize
Because mental health challenges like OCD and ADHD that develop in childhood often present with similar symptoms—namely, changes in mood, behavior, and attention span—it can be hard to distinguish one from the other. However, the onset of anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, and ADHD can occur in childhood. In addition to 0.25-4 percent of children developing OCD, 11.3 percent of children ages 5–17 years were diagnosed with ADHD from 2020-2022. [1] [2]
Having a child with anxiety, OCD, or ADHD is different than other parenting hurdles we’ve had to overcome. Unlike sleep training or helping our child walk and talk, navigating the nuances of a neurodivergent brain takes more education and support. For example, the way we respond and potentially accommodate our child’s OCD makes a difference. Research has shown that “Family Accommodation Behaviors—the things we do that enable OCD symptoms—are associated with more severe OCD symptoms in children.” [1] Whenever we engage in or reinforce their rituals and compulsions, it can make it more difficult to dismantle them later.
We Shouldn’t Let Shame Prevent Us From Getting Our Kids Help
As parents, it’s common for us to be embarrassed asking for help. We may feel judged by family and friends because we believe we’ve somehow failed our child. If we were raised with a stigma surrounding mental health, we may feel ashamed to admit to others that our child is struggling. But as their parent, we shouldn’t allow our own feelings to get in the way of seeking the help they need.
Intervening early and approaching their challenges with support and compassion can make a difference in your child’s long-term development. In therapy for anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, ADHD, or BFRBs, you and your child will receive guidance, education, and insight that can set your family up for success.
Therapy For Your Child Can Help Them Overcome Anxiety And Other Mental Health Issues
At Embracing You Therapy, we understand how difficult it can be to watch your child suffer. We offer your family psychoeducation, evidence-based treatment, and individualized guidance to move you in the right direction. For parents, understanding how your actions can impact your child’s behavior will help you more effectively set limits and maintain consistent boundaries.
Our approach to child psychotherapy starts with you as the parent. Once your family is paired with one of our behavior specialists, your active participation and collaboration will be essential to keeping your child on track. To ensure your child thrives, we depend on parents partnering with the counselor and remaining involved throughout therapy.
What To Expect In Sessions
When working with your child, it’s crucial that the therapist fosters their trust and rapport. Counseling will usually move at a slower pace than traditional therapy until your child feels comfortable. The first session will be held with parents individually to gather information on family life and presenting issues. After that, we will invite your child to participate in therapy sessions that incorporate elements of play with other effective modalities to address the symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and ADHD.
The Modalities We Use For Child Therapy
We customize therapy so that it’s not only age-appropriate but will also be accessible and engaging for your child. Because children are most comfortable with communicating through play and creativity, child-centered play and art therapy ensure they have an outlet to explore their needs, struggles, and pain points while being introduced to healthier coping skills and emotional regulation techniques.
If your child is exhibiting symptoms of anxiety or OCD, we will incorporate Exposure Response Prevention therapy (ERP) to help reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. In addition to ERP, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based treatment aimed at reducing family accommodation behaviors that commonly arise with childhood OCD and anxiety. Introducing mindfulness into therapy will help them find ways to calm their feelings—and including stories, books, and visual prompts can aid in identifying and understanding their emotions.
It’s okay to admit your child needs help if they’re contending with something you can’t get your arms around. The sooner your child begins therapy, the sooner you can start a new chapter in your family where connection grows, communication improves, and each of you is thriving.
But You May Have More Questions About Child Therapy…
We worry that once our child starts counseling, they will become too reliant on the counselor and therapy will never end.
Bringing your child to therapy may seem like a confusing journey without a finish line at first, especially if you are unfamiliar with the process. While we cannot predict a specific end date for therapy, we can promise that your child’s counselor will collaborate with you to determine measurable goals. While some goals will be completed in as little as a few weeks, others may be longer term.
We’re already so over-scheduled, we don’t have time to bring our child to counseling.
Understandably, scheduling kids counseling can be a significant concern when you’re already juggling work, school, and after-school activities. To make child therapy effective and accessible, our team of therapists is available for appointments on weekends and evenings. We can also provide whatever correspondence your child’s school requires for an excused absence so they can attend an early afternoon session.
Allow Us To Partner With Your Family To Find The Right Solutions
We are excited to extend our specialized services to children ages six and up. To schedule an appointment to begin child therapy at our Woodland Hills therapy practice or online, please fill out the contact form to schedule a free phone consultation.
[1] https://www.verywellmind.com/parenting-children-with-ocd-2510563#:
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7082239/
[3] https://kids.iocdf.org/what-is-ocd-kids/what-is-different-about-ocd-in-kids/
Storch, E. A., Geffken, G. R., Merlo, L. J., Jacob, M. L., Murphy, T. K., Goodman, W. K., … & Grabill, K. (2007). Family accommodation in pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36(2), 207-216
