Child Therapy
When Your Child Is Struggling, You Don’t Have to Face It Alone
As a parent, it can be difficult to know what to do when your child seems anxious, withdrawn, overwhelmed, or emotionally distressed. You may notice changes in behavior, mood, sleep, or school performance and wonder whether these challenges will pass on their own or require additional support. You are probably feeling overwhelmed - unsure of how to calm your child down or help your child feel better.
When children are overwhelmed, some will become overly controlling to try to mitigate their anxiety. Others will shut down. Some will react with rage. Each of these outer behaviors is a signal that something is "off track" deep inside. These surface behaviors are symptoms of unprocessed feelings and unmet needs that lie beneath the surface, in need of our help and support.
Child therapy provides a safe, supportive space where children can explore emotions, learn coping skills, and work through challenges in a developmentally appropriate way. With the right guidance, therapy can help children feel more confident, emotionally balanced, and secure as they grow.
You Are Not Alone — And Neither Is Your Child
Many families seek therapy for children during times of transition, stress, or emotional difficulty. Anxiety, sadness, irritability, behavioral outbursts, or withdrawal are common signs that a child may need support.
Seeking child counseling does not mean that something is wrong with your child or your parenting. Many children who come into our offices have highly sensitive systems that get easily overwhelmed, which can be confusing and overwhelming for parents. Further, children often lack the words to express what they are feeling. Counseling for children helps translate those emotions into understanding and healthy coping strategies.
At Mindful Child & Family Therapy (MCAFT), we believe early, compassionate intervention can make a meaningful difference in a child’s emotional and developmental well-being. And early intervention can help ease the burden on you, the parents, who are working so hard to make sense of your child's struggles.
How Child Therapy at MCAFT Helps
At Mindful Child & Family Therapy, child therapy is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and tailored to each child’s age, personality, and needs. Our clinicians understand the subtle differences in how children communicate, and therapy is designed to meet each child uniquely where they are - especially highly sensitive children who tend towards high anxiety, leading acting out and off-track behaviors.
Working with a trained child therapist, therapy may help children:
- Understand and express emotions safely
- Develop emotional regulation and coping skills
- Reduce anxiety and stress responses
- Improve behavior and social interactions with friends and family
- Build self-esteem and resilience
Our child counselors collaborate closely with caregivers to ensure progress continues outside the therapy room.
Therapeutic Approaches Used in Child Therapy
Play-Based and Expressive Therapy
For younger children, kids therapy often uses play as a natural form of communication. Through guided play and creative expression, children can process emotions, experiences, and worries in a way that feels safe and non-threatening.
Cognitive and Skills-Based Therapy
For older children and adolescents, structured approaches support emotional awareness, problem-solving, and healthy thinking patterns. This type of kids counseling can be especially helpful for managing stress, emotional regulation, and behavioral challenges.
Trauma-Informed Child Therapy
Children who have experienced stressful or overwhelming events may benefit from childhood trauma therapy. This approach focuses on restoring emotional safety, building trust, and supporting gradual healing without re-traumatization. For children struggling with self-regulation, our trauma-informed work helps cultivate body-based awareness that supports emotional resilience.
Support for Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Challenges
Child therapy can be especially helpful when children struggle with ongoing emotional concerns.
- Child anxiety treatment helps children manage fears, worries, and physical symptoms of anxiety.
- Childhood depression treatment supports children experiencing persistent sadness, withdrawal, or low motivation.
- Therapy also supports children navigating grief, family changes, academic pressure, athletic performance or social difficulties.
When emotional challenges interfere with daily life, early therapeutic support can help prevent long-term difficulties.
The Role of Caregivers in Child Therapy
Caregiver involvement is a vital part of effective child therapy. At MCAFT, therapists work collaboratively with parents or guardians to:
- Share insights and progress updates
- Provide strategies to support emotional regulation at home
- Strengthen the parent-child relationship
This partnership ensures therapy benefits extend beyond sessions into everyday family life.
What to Expect in Child Therapy
Early sessions focus on understanding your child’s needs, strengths, and challenges. Therapy progresses at a pace that feels safe and supportive, with regular parent check-ins to ensure goals are being met. You, the loving parents, are seen as an essential part of the process, and your regular engagement is greatly appreciated.
Sessions typically last 45–50 minutes. The length of therapy varies—some children benefit from short-term support, while others may need longer-term care depending on their circumstances.
Why Choose Mindful Child & Family Therapy (MCAFT)?
At Mindful Child & Family Therapy, our clinicians specialize in working with children and families using compassionate, developmentally appropriate care. We offer:
- Licensed child therapists and child psychologists
- Trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches
- Collaborative caregiver involvement
- A supportive, child-centered therapeutic environment
Our goal is to support not just symptom relief, but healthy emotional development and long-term resilience. Some parents consider therapy an investment in one of their most valuable assets - the mental / emotional health of their children, and their relationship with the people they love most.
Take the Next Step for Your Child
If your child is experiencing emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges, child therapy can provide meaningful support during a critical stage of growth.
Schedule a FREE 20 minute consultation with Mindful Child & Family Therapy (MCAFT) to explore how therapy for children may support your child’s well-being.