Online Therapy for Kids and Teens
Technology has advanced to the point that online counseling for kids is now a beneficial resource for families seeking professional help and guidance. Online child therapy is easy and convenient while offering the same benefits as in-office sessions. Removing the journey to appointments helps busy families fit therapy between work, school and extracurricular activities.
If your child is struggling with difficult feelings like sadness, stress or social discomfort, it’s vital to step in before the severity of their condition intensifies. Many children won’t ask for help or express what’s wrong, so it’s up to you to provide ways to help them manage their emotions and build self-confidence.
Online child therapy can help kids and teens develop essential skills to serve them throughout their lives. Whether they’re grappling with big changes, anxiety, grief, anger or depression, online therapy for kids can support them in addressing destructive thoughts and behaviors and cultivating positive coping strategies. Continue reading to further understand the ways in which online therapy can help your child reach new heights.
Types of Online Child Therapy
Several types of therapy can help your child, even in virtual counseling. Online therapy offers easy access to essential professional help for kids and parents. With this service, our highly trained therapists have the opportunity to deliver various forms of counseling to children in need quickly.
Many children and families we work with at Courageous Kids Counseling report improvements within three months of beginning children’s therapy online. While this will vary depending on your child’s motivation throughout the process and how consistently we meet, among other obstacles that arise, we promise you will see movement toward your child’s goals with the following therapeutic approaches:
Our Online Children’s Therapy Approach
When you’re seeking an online child therapist, you want someone who “gets” them — someone who understands how fragile they are and how urgent it is to act quickly. When your child is vulnerable, they may feel alone and believe no one understands them. Perhaps they don’t even know why they are feeling this way. They may lash out or retreat into themselves, and you are desperate to draw them out and fix the problem.
Navigating your child’s challenges can be difficult, especially when dealing with them alone. Many parents see the value of engaging in online therapy for their kids, and our therapists have witnessed the transformative power of this therapy approach firsthand. Our compassionate and expert online child counseling services help both you and your child have access to the support you need.
When you find someone who truly cares about your child and has answers, it’s a relief. You don’t have to try to help them on your own. We can work together to uncover solutions to alleviate their pain. You can be assured there’s a path forward and a partner to help your child get there.
To get help for your child, you used to rely on general referrals from pediatricians, schools or friends. Sure, the internet has made it easier to search for a therapist, but finding someone in your neighborhood who specializes in your child’s particular issue is still challenging. Courageous Kids Counseling is committed to ensuring our online therapy for kids remains as engaging, nurturing and effective as in-person counseling sessions.
Our dedicated team takes the following approach to help your child or teen find joy again.
Even in online therapy, we aim to create a warm and comfortable environment. We invite your child to choose a relaxed communication style and typically end our sessions with a fun game. We can work through any discomfort or uncertainty through patience and gentle reassurance.
In their first therapy session, you and your child can share as much information as you’re comfortable sharing. As our relationship strengthens, your child will set the pace as we dive deeper into various obstacles, recognize strengths and identify helpful insights and strategies we can translate into lasting change.
Education is a force for empowerment in online therapy for teens and children. At Courageous Kids Counseling, we’ll spend a few sessions discussing how the brain affects their feelings and actions and the challenges keeping them from overcoming these negative patterns. Learning how to identify these issues can help your child feel less confused and give them a greater sense of control over how to reach solutions.
Together, we will build healthy habits and ways of overcoming challenges. For instance, perhaps your child or teen is struggling with low self-esteem. They’ve likely developed negative thought patterns or feelings of worthlessness and compare themselves to other teens.
By helping them retrain the brain to build self-esteem and gain self-worth with positive affirmations, they can learn to see others and themselves in a positive light. Developing healthy thought patterns to replace negative ones can help your child thrive in school settings and beyond.
After developing valuable skills with your child in virtual therapy, we’ll help them put them into practice in the “real world.” Your child will work toward specific goals each session, applying what they’ve learned to everyday situations. For instance, a child who fears social problems could learn how to overcome anxiety by practicing calming and mindfulness techniques learned in online therapy.
We use imagination and roleplay at Courageous Kids Counseling to help them implement these strategies in social situations. Each time they practice, they’ll begin to experience success, learning how to adjust their approach to get optimal results. We provide flexibility as we help your child change their strategies as needed. And remember — there’s never any judgment, so if it takes longer to learn or apply a skill, we will go at your child’s pace.
We also use a team approach to help your child in the most effective, comprehensive way possible. That involves parents, caregivers and family members. It also helps to work with key players like school teachers, school counselors, principals or community leaders — anyone actively involved in your child’s life. And, of course, when sharing the strategies and information for your child’s best interest, we ensure confidentiality is respected.
How Parents Can Prepare for Online Therapy for Kids and Teens
Before scheduling the first session, ask your child’s therapist questions and make sure you feel comfortable. Once you feel confident in proceeding with a particular mental health professional, there are ways you can help your child have a more positive experience.
Discuss the Process and Answer Questions
The most important thing for children of every age is to reassure them and help them feel comfortable. Going to therapy for the first time might feel scary. How you talk about therapy can help your child feel more prepared and open.
Explain to them that it’s a positive addition to their lives that can help them develop skills and find ways to feel better. Let them know therapy is a safe space to talk about experiences and emotions, and they won’t be judged, no matter what.
Go over details like how long sessions will last and what they can expect to happen. It’s also important to create time to address your child’s questions or concerns.
Create the Ideal Space
Before online child therapy sessions, prepare a distraction-free, private space. Set up a room with good lighting and a fast internet connection, and test the camera and microphone on the device your child will use.
Privacy is key to comfort. If you have other kids, make sure they know not to disturb the session and preferably keep them away from the door in case sound travels. A headset with a microphone might help, as it allows your child to speak at a normal volume, and the therapist’s voice won’t be overheard.
Benefits of Online Therapy for Kids and Teens vs. In-Person
In-person therapy is just one way to deliver support. Virtual therapy for kids can be just as effective as in-person therapy, with the added benefits of convenience, flexibility and comfort. This option suits active families and can help parents get support even for children unsure about going.
Online child counseling has numerous advantages, including the following:
- Flexibility: Compared to in-person therapy, online counseling for teens and kids can be much more flexible as it doesn’t involve travel, making it convenient for busy families on the go. Schedule sessions around work or school and ensure your child receives the help they need when they need it.
- Convenience: Online teen therapy saves time because you’re not driving to appointments or waiting for sessions to start. It also saves you the hassle of traveling miles for in-person sessions when you’re unsure whether the therapist is the right fit. Parents also have at-home resources at their disposal to help their kids work on therapeutic goals.
- Comfort: Another benefit of online teen counseling is seeing your therapist from the comfort of your home. Children report feeling less self-conscious talking online, so they are more willing to share. They might feel more comfortable speaking from their playroom, bedroom or living room, for instance, instead of being in a strange, new environment for therapy.
- Ease: Whether you have a smartphone or a laptop with video capability, you can easily dial into sessions with your device. Children easily participate by using electronic devices with which they’re already comfortable. All you need is a high-speed Wi-Fi connection and a quiet room away from others to ensure privacy.
- Privacy and security: We use HIPAA-compliant video conferencing technology for our online sessions to ensure your privacy, security and confidentiality.
- Easy-to-apply skills: Even in online therapy, we teach skills they can easily apply to everyday situations. While some may see virtual appointments as a barrier to more effective treatment, online therapy can be just as helpful for your child. We ensure our sessions are equally intensive while customizing treatment for your child’s unique needs.
Meet Our Team
Erica Smuckler
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Owner & Clinical Director
Specializing In
TraumaDepressionAnxiety
What Our Clients Are Saying
Schedule Online Child Counseling at Courageous Kids Counseling
Whether you’re looking for flexible scheduling and convenience or simply an easy way for your child to get treatment, online kids counseling is a great fit. Courageous Kids Counseling is a mental health practice located in New City, New York. Our staff consists of licensed social workers who provide online kids therapy and counseling to children, teens and families.
While it may be challenging to access specialists in your area, our flexible, confidential and effective treatment can help you wherever you’re located in New York. We specialize in various forms of online counseling for kids, from CBT and DBT to biofeedback, EMDR and play therapy, to help your child process their emotions and learn healthy coping skills for stressful situations.
Through our compassionate online child counseling services, we keep your child’s unique needs in mind to promote a positive, empowering and enjoyable experience. To learn more about our online therapy for kids, contact us today or schedule an appointment to get started with your child’s online counseling.
