Parents often book in to see a child psychologist to address a pressing concern with their child.
For example, anxiety, separation, learning difficulties, or bullying in the school yard.
But seeing a psychologist — especially for kids — can also be great for prevention, instead of only being reactive when things are difficult.
And the benefits in terms of life skills learned, can be profound.
In a recent blog post we discussed the long-term benefits of early intervention in the treatment of anxiety.
But did you know that early intervention can also be very helpful for several other types of issues?
Here are three more important benefits to practical, solution-focused counselling for kids:
1. Developing life-long coping mechanisms
Counselling teaches children how to identify, process and deal with their thoughts and emotions in a conscientious and productive way.
Although most sessions will deal with specific issues, at the core they are learning valuable thinking and coping strategies that can be applied in many different situations.
The aim of the psychologist is not to ‘fix’ problems, but to help kids develop coping mechanisms to deal with problems, now and in the future.
2. Learning to think outside of yourself
Counselling also helps kids to understand other people’s emotions and reactions.
The psychologist is empathetic and compassionate, but they are also impartial.
For this reason they can provide more perspective, which can be difficult for close family members and friends.
This perspective can be difficult to achieve in the midst of anxiety, stress or other emotional challenges.
But understanding the motivations and behaviour of other people can be a huge source of comfort.
And it can alleviate the feelings of isolation and confusion that are often associated with negative emotions.
Importantly, this is another skill that can be learnt and practiced, and will continue to be of benefit with various social interactions and problems in the future.
3. Knowing there’s help when you need it
Statistically, and from our own experience, counselling has an excellent success rate in the treatment of mild to moderate emotional and psychological issues.
This is great news for our clients in the short-term, of course.
But in the long-term, it means they will remember the benefits of seeing a psychologist, and know that there is help available to them when they need it.
And sometimes, just knowing help is available can be enough.
And if you or your son or daughter would like some extra help?
Our psychologists are here to help with practical solutions to life’s immediate challenges, as well as teaching vital skills for success at school and in life.