Worry / Sadness Therapy
Facing Your Child’s Challenges
Things just don’t feel right but you can’t get your child to open up. Is this a “normal” stage of development or something more serious? If you or your child are struggling, we have therapists who are passionate about helping children feel like themselves again.
All children go through periods of worry or sadness. For teens, hormones make it harder to know when to be concerned since so much is changing. Add to that, anxiety and depression in children present in incredibly diverse ways. It can show up as a phobia, physical complaints, ruminations or withdrawal. More classic symptoms of worry and sadness that you might recognize in your child include:
- No longer enjoying things that used to make them happy
- Appearing tearful, aggressive or cranky for an extended amount of time
- Changes in sleep, weight or eating
- Avoiding certain situations
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Constantly having negative thoughts
- Getting in trouble at school
Ease their worries
As a parent, it can be hard to figure out these unfamiliar behaviors or feelings. It can be even more confusing for your child because they don’t have the language to explain it to you. You may have hoped it was a phase that would pass, but that’s not the case. If your child wants to see a therapist or you realize they need more help than you can provide, PAC has psychotherapists who specialize in working with children to:
- Establish a safe place where they feel comfortable
- Ask questions in a way that helps them tap into what’s going on
- Acknowledge their feelings without reinforcing them
- Uncover any triggers and practice healthy coping strategies
We welcome your child exactly as they are. Therapy can give them the courage to lean into life’s possibilities again.
Onsite & Online Therapy
Psychotherapy Associates of Chicago provides onsite & HIPAA-compliant teletherapy sessions. Although in-person sessions are generally preferable, an online therapist can be a great option when this is not possible. Contact us for more information.
Why PAC for Child Sadness Counseling?
We don’t use clinical jargon or write for academic journals; we are here to help people. Our approach doesn’t work for everyone, nor should it. It just needs to work for you. Your concerns guide our therapeutic approach. We each have diverse specialties so you can choose one of our licensed therapists that fits you. Sometimes you instantly click with a mental health counselor. Other times, you don’t. We get that and work to find you the best match.
Our Chicago community has counted on our psychotherapy practice for over 20 years. The on-site & online therapy services we provide range from individual therapy, couples therapy, mindfulness and child therapy. It’s a true privilege knowing that we have created a highly respected resource for our neighbors. We are an inclusive practice serving individuals, couples and families of all ages, genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities. All are welcome.