A Better Relationship for Valentine’s Day

A Better Relationship for Valentine’s Day

Finding The Source Of Your Child's Behavior

Vicki Alexander

Therapist services for children are becoming a larger field of practice for behavioral and emotional therapists. More children are being diagnosed with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems than ever before, and it helps to understand why your child is having these issues. Here are some of the more common sources of these issues for children, and how a child therapist uncovers these sources.

Family Histories

If there is a pattern of developmental issues in your family, then the therapist might uncover a source of these issues by taking your family's medical history. It is proven that having a single parent or grandparent with a mental health condition increases the probability that your child will also have the same or similar condition. For example, people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder (manic depressive disorder) often have a child or grandchild with the same condition because this particular disorder is inherited. In fact, many mood disorders are inherited and are among the most prevalent causes of behavior problems in children.

Discovery Through Play

Child therapists also use play as a means of uncovering hidden issues in children. This is why your child's therapist will have lots of toys in his/her office. It encourages your child to engage in what is available and build a trusting relationship with the therapist, and it helps your child open up to the therapist about things that are bothering him/her. This does take time, but eventually your child's therapist may discover the source of your child's emotional or behavioral issues.

Things that can be discovered through play as therapy include:

  1. Your child is being bullied at school
  2. Your child is being sexually or physically abused by someone he/she knows and is too scared to talk about it with you. (Younger children may be sexually abused and not even realize that this type of behavior is wrong.)
  3. Your child has anxiety or PTSD from a situation that happened some time ago and he/she does not know how to deal with it.
  4. Your child is very sad/depressed.
  5. Your child is extremely lonely.

Multiple other conditions may be uncovered through play, including autism, which would arise from watching how your child plays with certain objects. That is why play is the main go-to form of therapy for child therapists.

Types of Behavior as Seen at School and/or Home

Sometimes the source of a behavior has everything to do with where the behaviors are exhibited. If your child's teachers are seeing one kind of behavior at school, and you never see that kind of behavior at home, it usually means that the source of the behavior has something to do with school. This could be anything from anxiety, boredom, and ADHD to a strong dislike of the classroom teacher.

Conversely, if your child has uncontrollable or irrational behavior at home, you and your child's therapist need to find out what is causing it and why. Taking descriptive histories of behaviors at school and/or at home helps uncover another source of the behaviors. Comparing notes of witnessed behaviors is another tool your child's therapist will use to help your child.

When You Know the Sources, You Can Treat the Problem Behaviors

The most important aspect to uncovering the source(s) of your child's emotional, psychological, and/or behavioral problem(s) is that once you know, you can treat the problem behaviors or address the emotional and psychological issues. There are many medications approved for children's emotional and psychological behaviors now. There is also behavioral cognitive therapy to address issues concerning developmental delays and behavioral problems. Many of these treatments easily carry over into your home life and your child's school.


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A Better Relationship for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. My husband and I always shower each other with gifts and affection at this time. But, for some couples, this special day is another sad reminder of their unhappy relationships. If you and your spouse have hit a rough patch in your marriage recently, why not take Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to invest in your relationship? You can accomplish this task by visiting a local reputable marriage counselor. This professional can work with the two of you on communication skills, division of household chores, issues of forgiveness, and many other problems. On this blog, you will discover how to utilize a counselor this Valentine’s Day.