Emotional Problems In Children And Adolescents In Woodland Hills, CA
Children and adolescents today are suffering a mental health crisis. Depression, anxiety, eating disorder, loneliness, self-injury, and suicide are all significantly more frequent than in previous decades. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in teens! There are many reasons for this crisis.
For one thing, emotional problems in children and adolescents often manifest as different behaviors in youngsters vs. adults. Therefore, the problems may be difficult for parents to detect and understand.
In my practice, I treat a wide range of individuals. Some of the youngsters I see may be in the midst of a crisis; for these children, the goal of therapy is to intervene quickly, alleviate the present symptoms causing pain, and re-direct the individual toward a healthy outcome. I also see youngsters for whom a crisis may be "brewing on the horizon," but hopefully it can still be averted; here, therapy functions as a "mid-course correction" toward a healthy outcome. And, I see many youngsters for whom the goal of therapy is long-term crisis prevention. Therapy supports your child's normal, healthy development---by fostering resilience and psychological protection against future adversities.
DOES YOUR CHILD…?
- Show diminished interest in everyday activities
- Withdraw socially from other kids and family members
- Spend too much time with video games and social media
- Show a change in sleeping or eating habits
- Express self-doubt, self-blame, and a sense of worthlessness
- Worry excessively
- Experience a sense of panic
- Have trouble concentrating
- Seem disorganized
- Act impulsively
- Exhibit disruptive and oppositional behavior
- Engage in risky behavior, including indications of substance use or self-injury
- Express suicidal thoughts or behavior
HOW CAN I HELP?
It is important for me, first, to evaluate your child in order to understand the problem. In several (usually 2-4) sessions, I interview the child using standard diagnostic questionnaires and techniques. This information allows me to determine, in consultation with the parents, goals for the treatment and whether there is a good child-therapist "fit." Child therapy itself consists of individual sessions as well as parent and family sessions as needed. The overall goal of therapy is to help youngsters learn how to monitor their thoughts, feelings, and behavior; attain a greater sense of self-control and self-esteem; and develop strategies and resilience for coping with adversity.
One particular specialty in my work is helping children who have been bullied. Victims of bullying suffer tremendously. They often refuse to go to school, pull away from friends, and start to fail academically. They show symptoms of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-injury, and suicide. Especially when cyber-bullied, teens tend to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Over time, victims of bullying often are the same individuals who bully others. Thus early intervention is crucial.