Adjustment Issues

Is your child experiencing difficulty adjusting to a transition, such as a family move, divorce, or change of school?
Have you noticed behavioral or emotional changes in your child, such as irritability, moodiness or withdrawal?
Is your child suddenly having difficulty in school or with a peer or sibling?
Are you feeling overwhelmed or frustrated by your child’s behavior?
Do you wish you knew how to help ease your child’s adjustment?

Life transitions can be challenging, especially for children whose brains are still developing and have limited life experience to draw from. A family move, change of school, or divorce can leave children feeling as if their world has been turned upside down and there is little they can do about it. When their sense of comfort and security is threatened, children may act out or, alternatively, withdraw.

Perhaps your child has exhibited recent trouble at school, such as a drop in grades or behavioral issues. It is not uncommon for children undergoing a difficult transition to react angrily or in attention-seeking ways. Children may also over analyze the recent change(s) and even blame themselves for the new circumstances. In this case your child may seem sad, highly sensitive or unusually anxious.

Regardless of how your child exhibits his or her distress, you as a parent are likely feeling overwhelmed and concerned yourself. It is never easy to witness your child struggle and when one family member is suffering, the entire family is often impacted.

If you have noticed significant behavioral, emotional or academic changes in your child following a life transition, seeking help through therapy can provide insight, guidance and relief.

Child therapy can help ease child adjustment issues .

Therapy for child adjustment issues can be highly effective for children struggling to adapt to change. In a safe and nonjudgmental counseling environment, both you and your child can receive the support and guidance needed to navigate this new emotional terrain.

In child counseling sessions, your Cartersville Counseling & Therapy therapist will use age appropriate approaches to help your child understand recent changes and cope with the related emotions that are causing him or her pain.

Through child therapy, your child can come to understand that this transition is not his or her fault and that he or she is not alone; many other children undergo similar experiences and also struggle. A counselor can help your son or daughter recognize how he or she can harness his or her strengths to make the best of change and feel empowered in new situations. Your child can develop problem solving skills and healthy approaches to stressful situations that not only provide him or her immediate relief, but build resiliency for future life challenges.

Therapy for child adjustment issues benefits the entire family.

The communication and parenting skills you develop with your child’s therapist will not only benefit you and your child, but can also help restore harmony among the entire family. With the guidance of a supportive and experienced child therapist, you can feel more confident and competent as a parent, so that your family can thrive.

But you still may have questions or concerns...

How do I know if this is a phase that my child will grow out of or if something deeper and more serious is occurring?

You know your child best. If you feel that something is not right, seeking a consultation with a counselor at Cartersville Counseling & Therapy can help to determine if your child’s behavior is within the scope of normal – given the circumstances – or if there is cause for real concern.

I’m a parent. We’ve gone through tough times before. I should be able to handle this on my own.

For one reason or another, the tools and strategies that were effective in helping your child in the past are no longer working. This could be because of the intensity of the change or perhaps because your child has entered into a new developmental stage and is now older and more complex. Parenting strategies that work at one stage of development often do not work at another. Seeking help is not an indication that you are not parenting well. Rather, you’re seeking resources to help you navigate something new and unfamiliar.

During times of change, getting support and developing effective tools can help you, your child and your family experience renewed harmony. Being proactive and getting help immediately can also prevent negative behaviors from becoming entrenched and give all members of your family skills that can be used when stress and change arise in the future.

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