Child and Adolescent Therapy in North and South Carolina
Are you struggling to be the parent you want to be with a child who doesn’t listen? Our child and adolescent therapy services are for you.
Do you go to work to get a break from home? Does your temper flare up when you get overstimulated with life, kids, and work? It’s so hard to figure out priorities on a daily basis as life seems to impact every day. One day a kid is sick and requires early pick up. Another day the school is calling because the other kid is acting out and needs extra support. Whether it’s life throwing mommy curveballs at you or the weather canceling school from the hail storm, parenting is hard.
When you arrive home from work, do you walk into mass chaos instead of the peaceful home you always desired? Child and adolescent therapy services at The Healing Collective can support you.
For example, returning home from work one child is on the floor throwing a temper tantrum because they heard spaghetti is for dinner. As the screaming continues, the dogs are jumping to say “hi” and “where’s my food”. Furthermore, hubby says “can I help with anything” as if he can’t hear the kid screaming. Big sigh, deep breath. Doorbell rings, the grocery delivery has arrived. Where does one start?
Can you imagine parenting in a way that calms your child rather than escalates them further? Even parenting where you as the parent doesn’t have to scream louder than your child to be heard. Working with a child therapist, adolescent therapist or a family therapist at The Healing Collective gives you both of these outcomes!
Do you find your household repeating the same behaviors you experience in your childhood home? Our unique approach to child and adolescent therapy services will give you the roadmap.
Parents struggling to remain calm are typically repeating patterns from childhood where emotional sobriety and emotional availability were not modeled. Baby Boomers were highly effective at using the shame tool; it sounds a lot like “you oughta be ashamed of yourself.” It’s not because they wanted to cause harm or dissolve a sense of worth. Parenting with shame was effective at controlling the moment, not changing a behavior. The children of those Baby Boomers are now parenting through control and fear rather than teaching and empowering. The expectation that you should parent differently than how you were parented is unrealistic without the repair and healing of the inner child.
Does any of this sound familiar? You walk in the door, your teenager hasn’t completed homework. A tornado went through the kitchen after an attempt to make macaroni and cheese as an after school snack. The clothes that were supposed to be put away yesterday are still on the coffee table, only now they are no longer folded because the cat knocked them over. Furthermore, the thermostat is turned down to 62 degrees. You make an attempt to hold accountability, but it falls flat with brief eye contact and an increase in the volume on their airpods. Subsequently there’s lots of yelling, restrictions placed through the end of the year, and harmful name calling that can’t be recanted. All to then wake up the next morning and nothing is completed, cleaned, removed, folded or apologized for. The cycle continues. Child and adolescent therapists and Family Therapists at The Healing Collective work collaboratively with our treatment team of inner child therapy specialists to support parents in supporting their own inner child through healing.
Are you finding yourself repeating generational patterns in your own parenting? Child and adolescent therapy is a piece of the puzzle.
Do you often find yourself saying “I can’t believe I sounded just like my mother” or “I’m raging just like my dad did” after a big blow up? Altering generational patterns isn’t a logical process. It’s also not a process that can be avoided by proclaiming to “never be like my parents” or even moving to a different town or state to create physical boundaries. Generational patterns are energetic experiences that create emotion or feeling. Child therapists at The Healing Collective are specialists in addressing the impact of generational patterns upon behavior and dysfunction.
Think about a time when you attended a training or a workshop. The takeaway of that experience highly depends on whether or not you experienced emotion. If it was a great experience, there will be many things one can remember. That’s not a coincidence. Energy is stored in the body and doesn't “go away”. Energy can only be transmuted. Many researchers are proving this such as Bessel van der Kolk in his book “The Body Keeps The Score”.
The mom that heals her own core wound of “not being seen or heard” doesn’t have that scarcity influencing her relationships. This scarcity often shows up in the relationships with our children despite the absence of a conscious expectation or need. By healing that wound, it creates more capacity and emotional availability to support your child’s emotions as opposed to getting lost in your own.
The way we are parented becomes part of our “imprinting”, or an analogy would be a blueprint for building a house. In order to change the generational patterns or show up differently in parenting is honoring oneself. Much like surgeons can’t do surgery on themselves, humans can’t heal their own trauma when our defenses are driving the bus.
What happened in this scenario above is that you are likely wounded with not being seen and heard from your own childhood. You are likely triggered by the dynamic of the relationship and the ways that your child is showing up with needs that were never met in your own story. Unfortunately, you may not yet have effective coping skills or communication skills to appropriately get your needs met. This is not because you are not intelligent or capable. Emotional intoxication is a consequence of learned powerlessness. A mom who was raised with shame wasn’t taught, she was controlled. The reaction she gave as a child is the same as the reaction she just received from her child. Confusion, emotional outburst, and an attempt to gain control. Therefore, in this scenario above, the child has a tantrum as well as the mom. The parents’ tone sets the tone for the child. Generational patterns persist.
In this scenario how does one respond rather than react? Well there must be a logical process happening as opposed to an emotional one. In the situation above with the toys and the playroom, this mom became emotional because the child was ignoring her. Her reaction was emotional, not logical. Furthermore, the limitations set on the child were intensifying the child’s emotional reaction rather than supporting the child in changing a behavior or following through with a request. Logic and emotion do not originate from the same part of the brain. In this scenario, Mom is triggered by her core wounds (not being seen or heard) even though it’s her own child. This pattern of behavior can’t be altered until Mom has the ability to regulate her own emotions and more importantly becomes her own mirror. Until then, the child will continue to mirror the behaviors of the mother in her attempts to control.
A Mom that can regulate her own emotions creates an open space for emotional availability which allows the child to process through emotions to get to a place of expressing needs. This “space” offered by mom, looks like staying calm as the toddler begins to tantrum. When a professional recommends “respect your child to get respect” this is an example. Respecting a child’s process to learn emotion, learn healthy expression of emotion. This is mutual respect in parenting. Child therapists and adolescent therapists at The Healing Collective work closely with our entire treatment team to support parents in learning how to support their own needs to support the needs of the family.
Do you feel like your children don’t respect you? Child and adolescent therapy at The Healing Collective helps you find the solutions.
Is it infuriating when a professional recommends giving respect in order to receive respect? You may find yourself asking why a child or teen who refuses to listen deserves respect. Let’s look at a scenario. You ask your child to pick up the toys. He ignores you and continues playing. You ask him again to pick up the toys in the playroom. He ignores you again and keeps watching the television show. You turn off the tv, you yell at him in a loud tone with a threat of restriction or limit. He yells back and throws a toy at you. You take the toy and restrict the use of the toy for disrespectful behavior. He melts down and lays on the floor screaming and pounding his fists. You pick up toys and scream at him “no more toys!”
The expectation is not merely to give respect when it’s not “deserved”. The expectation is to respect yourself enough to communicate in a way that sends a message effectively. The intention of parenting is to teach and change behavior, as opposed to control the behavior. Controlling behavior doesn’t leave your child with a message of what was right, what was wrong, and what is expected. It sends a message that he or she is wrong (feelings, actions, etc). Children want to please, children do not have malicious intent.
What does therapy for your child look like?
Do you find yourself feeling frustrated that your child is getting all of the support but don’t know what to ask for? Our approach to child therapy and adolescent therapy doesn’t forget your needs!
Do you have a hard time integrating the work done in your child’s therapy sessions into your day to day life? Are you curious about how to support the rest of the family while addressing your child’s needs? Family therapy, in conjunction with child therapy and therapy for teens, offers a profound avenue for healing and growth within familial relationships. It recognizes that a child's emotional and psychological well-being is deeply intertwined with the dynamics and health of the family unit as a whole. By incorporating both child and family therapy with a therapist at The Healing Collective, parents are provided with a holistic approach to addressing underlying issues that may be impacting their ability to nurture and support their children effectively.
One key aspect of this approach is its focus on the parents' own healing journey. Family therapy creates a safe space for parents to explore and confront their own unresolved issues and traumas. Often, parents bring their own wounds into their parenting roles, which can inadvertently influence their interactions with their children. By addressing these wounds within the therapeutic setting, parents can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and how their past experiences may be impacting their parenting style.
Moreover, family therapy empowers parents to reconnect with their inner child and cultivate a more nurturing and emotionally available parenting style. Many parents may find themselves replicating patterns of behavior learned in childhood, often unconsciously. Through therapeutic interventions aimed at healing the inner child, parents can gain insight into these patterns and learn healthier ways of relating to themselves and their children. This process fosters emotional growth and resilience, enabling parents to break free from cycles of dysfunction and create a more supportive family environment.
Additionally, family therapy provides a platform for improving communication and strengthening family bonds. Effective communication is essential for healthy relationships, yet it is often hindered by unresolved conflicts and misunderstandings within the family. Through guided therapeutic interventions, parents and children can learn to express themselves authentically, listen empathetically, and resolve conflicts constructively. This enhanced communication fosters greater understanding, empathy, and connection within the family, laying the foundation for a more harmonious and supportive environment.
Furthermore, family therapy offers parents practical tools and strategies for navigating the complexities of parenting. Raising children presents a myriad of challenges, from discipline and boundaries to navigating developmental milestones and addressing behavioral issues. Family therapy equips parents with evidence-based techniques and resources tailored to their unique family dynamic, empowering them to effectively manage challenges and promote their children's well-being. This collaborative approach encourages parents to actively participate in their child's therapeutic journey, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment.
Ultimately, the integration of family therapy with child therapy represents a proactive and holistic approach to supporting both parents and children in their journey toward healing and growth. By addressing underlying issues within the family system, parents can become more emotionally attuned and responsive caregivers, capable of providing the love, support, and guidance necessary for their children to thrive. Through this transformative process, families can cultivate deeper connections, resilience, and overall well-being, laying the groundwork for a brighter and more fulfilling future.
Have you tried other behavioral interventions or child and adolescent therapy for your child and been frustrated by the lack of progress?
Do you have an internal knowing that your child needs something more action oriented to support their behavior but aren’t sure what to look for? Child therapy at The Healing Collective is action oriented experiential therapy to support movement of the whole system. Experiential therapy and right-brained activities offer a powerful means of supporting child behavior by engaging the whole child in a creative and sensory-rich therapeutic process. Unlike traditional talk therapy, experiential approaches tap into the innate capacity for self-expression and emotional processing inherent in children. Through hands-on activities, expressive arts, and movement-based interventions, children are invited to explore and communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a non-verbal and holistic manner.
One of the key advantages of experiential therapy is its ability to bypass the limitations of language, particularly for children who may struggle to articulate their emotions or have limited verbal skills. By engaging in activities such as art-making, play therapy, or role-playing, children can access deeper layers of their subconscious and express themselves in ways that may not be possible through words alone. This allows therapists to gain insights into the child's internal world and experiences, facilitating a more nuanced understanding of their behavior and underlying needs.
Moreover, experiential therapy encourages children to engage in self-directed exploration and problem-solving, fostering a sense of autonomy and empowerment. Through interactive activities and creative expression, children are encouraged to make choices, experiment with different strategies, and learn from their experiences in a safe and supportive environment. This process not only enhances their self-esteem and confidence but also equips them with valuable coping skills and emotional resilience to navigate life's challenges more effectively.
Additionally, experiential therapy promotes the integration of mind, body, and spirit, acknowledging the interconnectedness of physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts in shaping behavior. Right-brained activities such as sensory play, mindfulness exercises, and body-based interventions help children regulate their nervous system, manage stress, and cultivate a greater sense of embodied awareness. By grounding children in the present moment and connecting them with their bodily sensations, experiential therapy supports emotional regulation and self-soothing, reducing impulsivity and reactivity in their behavior.
Furthermore, experiential approaches facilitate social and relational development by providing opportunities for collaborative play and interaction with others. Group-based activities are frequently offered to supplement individual therapy and family therapy by our child therapists to promote empathy, cooperation, and perspective-taking skills, enhancing children's ability to navigate social dynamics and form meaningful connections with their peers. Through shared experiences and mutual support, children learn valuable interpersonal skills that are essential for healthy relationships and positive behavior both within and outside the therapeutic setting.
Moreover, experiential therapy fosters creativity and imagination, which are essential components of emotional expression and problem-solving. By engaging in imaginative play, storytelling, or improvisational activities, children are encouraged to explore alternative perspectives, expand their cognitive flexibility, and develop creative solutions to challenges. This playful and exploratory approach to therapy not only makes the therapeutic process more engaging and enjoyable for children but also stimulates cognitive growth and adaptive thinking skills.
Ultimately, experiential therapy and right-brained activities offer a holistic and child-centered approach to supporting behavior by honoring the unique strengths, interests, and developmental needs of each child. By harnessing the power of creativity, sensory exploration, and embodied experience, experiential therapy empowers children to discover their inner resources, express themselves authentically, and cultivate the skills they need to thrive in life.
Are you and your partner turning against one another as your child’s behavior worsens? Child therapy and adolescent therapy at The Healing Collective never leaves out the parents.
Do you find you and your partner completely disconnected due to differences in opinions on parenting? Do you notice that your child seems to be more attached to one parent over the other? Are you struggling to do anything other than fight about the kids? Couples therapy plays a vital role in supporting child therapy and teen therapy by creating a foundation of emotional safety and alignment within the family unit. When parents are in conflict or struggling with communication and emotional barriers, it can significantly impact the emotional well-being of their children. Couples therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for parents to address underlying issues, improve their relationship dynamics, and create a more stable and nurturing environment for their children. Child therapy at The Healing Collective involves the child therapist working closely with our treatment team to provide exquisite care for the coupleship through couples therapy to support the entire system.
One of the key ways in which couples therapy supports child therapy is by addressing communication breakdowns and conflict resolution skills within the parental relationship. When parents are able to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts in a healthy manner, it creates a more stable and harmonious family environment. This, in turn, fosters a sense of emotional safety and security for children, enabling them to thrive and develop healthy relationships both within the family and beyond.
Moreover, couples therapy helps parents cultivate empathy and understanding for each other's perspectives and experiences. By exploring their own emotional wounds and triggers within the therapeutic setting, parents can develop greater insight into how these dynamics may be impacting their interactions with their children. This increased awareness allows parents to become more attuned and responsive caregivers, capable of meeting their children's emotional needs with compassion and sensitivity.
Additionally, couples therapy provides a space for parents to work through past traumas and unresolved issues that may be affecting their parenting abilities. Many parents bring their own baggage into their roles as caregivers, which can manifest in patterns of behavior that inadvertently harm their children. By addressing these issues within the context of therapy, parents can break free from negative cycles and create healthier family dynamics that promote emotional well-being for all members.
Furthermore, couples therapy helps parents align their parenting approaches and values, creating a more cohesive and supportive parenting team. When parents are on the same page regarding discipline, boundaries, and expectations, it reduces confusion and conflict within the family and provides children with a sense of consistency and predictability. This alignment fosters a greater sense of emotional safety and trust, allowing children to feel secure in their relationships with their parents and confident in their ability to navigate the world around them.
Moreover, couples therapy offers parents practical tools and strategies for managing stress, prioritizing self-care, and fostering resilience in the face of challenges. Parenting can be incredibly demanding, and it's important for parents to prioritize their own well-being in order to be emotionally available and responsive to their children's needs. By supporting parents in developing healthy coping mechanisms and self-regulation skills, couples therapy equips them with the resources they need to be effective caregivers and role models for their children.
Ultimately, couples therapy supports child therapy by creating a strong foundation of emotional safety, communication, and alignment within the family unit. By addressing underlying issues and strengthening the parental relationship, couples therapy enables parents to create a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes the emotional well-being and development of their children. Through this collaborative and holistic approach, families can cultivate deeper connections, resilience, and overall happiness for all members.
Are you parenting a neurodivergent child or neurodivergent teen and have suddenly become aware of all the unmet needs you had as a neurodivergent child? Our child therapy approach can support you.
Do you find yourself sobbing in the closet because you’re so overstimulated after yelling at your child for the hundredth time in a day to listen or follow through with a task? Are you frequently triggered by the notes sent home by your child’s teacher referencing behavior that you never got support on as a child? Is it incredibly triggering to be the gentle parent you want to be while also being completely overstimulated by the demands of your work and day to day life? Parenting as a neurodivergent individual while raising neurodivergent children presents unique challenges that can be emotionally and psychologically taxing. Neurodivergent parents may struggle with sensory sensitivities, executive functioning difficulties, and social communication differences, all of which can impact their ability to meet the needs of their children effectively. Moreover, navigating the complexities of neurodiversity within the family dynamic can trigger unresolved wounds from their own childhood experiences, particularly if they were raised in environments where their neurodivergent traits were misunderstood or invalidated. Child therapy for neurodivergent children and individual therapy for neurodivergent adults at The Healing Collective can help!
Child therapy, in conjunction with individual therapy for neurodivergent parents, offers a crucial avenue for healing and support. Child therapy provides a safe and nurturing space for neurodivergent children to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, while also developing coping skills and strategies for managing their unique challenges. By addressing their children's needs within the therapeutic setting, neurodivergent parents can gain valuable insights into their children's perspectives and learn effective ways of supporting them in their journey toward self-discovery and empowerment.
Simultaneously, individual therapy for neurodivergent parents focuses on healing inner child wounds stemming from their own experiences of masking and not having their needs met. Many neurodivergent individuals grow up feeling misunderstood, invalidated, or pressured to conform to neurotypical norms, leading to a profound sense of shame, self-doubt, and disconnection from their authentic selves. Therapy provides a supportive and validating space for parents to explore and process these complex emotions, fostering self-acceptance, self-compassion, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Therapy also offers neurodivergent parents practical tools and strategies for navigating the challenges of parenting while honoring their own neurodivergent identities. This may include psychoeducation about neurodiversity, skill-building in areas such as emotional regulation and sensory processing, and developing effective communication strategies within the family. By equipping parents with the knowledge and resources they need to understand and embrace their neurodivergent traits, therapy empowers them to cultivate a greater sense of confidence and competence in their parenting roles.
Moreover, therapy helps neurodivergent parents redefine societal narratives around success and fulfillment, allowing them to live authentically and pursue the life they've always wanted. Neurodivergent individuals are often bombarded with messages that they need to "fix" or "overcome" their differences in order to fit in or succeed in life. Therapy challenges these harmful narratives by affirming the inherent value and strengths of neurodiversity, encouraging parents to embrace their unique perspectives and talents, and pursue paths that align with their values and passions.
Furthermore, therapy fosters connection and community for neurodivergent parents, reducing feelings of isolation and alienation often experienced within mainstream parenting spaces. By connecting with other neurodivergent individuals and families, parents can share experiences, offer support, and exchange valuable insights and resources. This sense of belonging and solidarity creates a supportive network of allies who understand and validate their experiences, empowering parents to advocate for themselves and their children more effectively.
Additionally, therapy helps neurodivergent parents develop healthy boundaries and self-care practices to prevent burnout and maintain their well-being. Parenting can be demanding, especially for neurodivergent individuals who may be more susceptible to sensory overload, emotional exhaustion, and executive functioning challenges. Therapy provides a space for parents to prioritize their own needs, set realistic expectations, and establish boundaries that preserve their physical, emotional, and mental health.
Ultimately, therapy offers a transformative pathway for neurodivergent parents to heal from past traumas, embrace their neurodivergent identities, and cultivate fulfilling and authentic lives for themselves and their children. By providing a supportive and validating space for growth and self-discovery, therapy empowers parents to break free from societal expectations, nurture meaningful connections, and embrace the beauty and diversity of neurodiversity within their families and communities.
Are you looking for a child therapist or teen therapist who can prioritize your child and your family’s needs over the demands of the insurance company?
Do you want to ensure a truly customized treatment plan is created for your child and family to support healing and growth? Are you looking for a provider who can provide sessions of customized lengths and frequency to support the flow of your family? Opting to see an out-of-network provider for child therapy or adolescent therapy can offer numerous benefits that outweigh the constraints imposed by insurance networks. One significant advantage is the freedom from insurance restrictions, which often dictate the number of sessions allowed, the duration of each session, and the types of therapeutic interventions covered. By choosing an out-of-network provider, parents and caregivers gain greater autonomy and control over their child's therapeutic journey, allowing for a more personalized and comprehensive approach to treatment. The child therapy providers at The Healing Collective can support you in these treatment goals.
Customization of the treatment plan is another compelling reason to seek out-of-network therapy for children. Every child is unique, with their own set of strengths, challenges, and individual needs. Out-of-network providers have the flexibility to tailor the treatment plan to suit the specific needs and preferences of the child and their family. This customization ensures that therapy is aligned with the child's developmental stage, personality, and therapeutic goals, maximizing the effectiveness of the intervention and promoting positive outcomes.
Furthermore, out-of-network providers offer the flexibility to be adaptable and responsive to the child's evolving needs on a week-to-week basis. Children's emotions and experiences can fluctuate unpredictably, and their therapeutic needs may change over time. Out-of-network therapists can adjust the frequency, duration, and focus of sessions as needed to address emerging issues, accommodate scheduling constraints, or incorporate new therapeutic modalities. This flexibility allows for a more dynamic and responsive approach to therapy, ensuring that the child receives the support and guidance they need at every stage of their journey.
Another advantage of choosing an out-of-network provider for child therapy is the ability to access a wider range of therapeutic services and modalities. In-network providers may be limited in the types of services they offer or the therapeutic approaches they utilize due to insurance constraints or provider network agreements. Out-of-network therapists, on the other hand, have the freedom to draw from a diverse toolkit of evidence-based interventions, including play therapy, art therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and more. This diversity of options ensures that therapy can be tailored to the child's unique preferences, interests, and therapeutic needs, enhancing engagement and promoting positive therapeutic outcomes.
Moreover, seeing an out-of-network provider for child therapy can offer greater privacy and confidentiality. Insurance companies typically require providers to submit detailed treatment notes and diagnostic information in order to authorize payment for services. This can compromise the child's privacy and confidentiality, as sensitive information may be shared with third parties without their consent. Out-of-network providers, however, are not bound by these requirements and can prioritize the child's privacy and confidentiality, creating a safe and trusting therapeutic environment where the child feels comfortable expressing themselves openly and honestly.
Ultimately, choosing to see an out-of-network provider for child therapy empowers parents and caregivers to prioritize their child's well-being and access high-quality, personalized care that aligns with their values and preferences. By opting for flexibility, customization, and autonomy over insurance restrictions, families can ensure that their child receives the individualized support and guidance they need to thrive emotionally, socially, and psychologically.