About

For some parents, you seek therapy when your child is in crisis. Maybe they have experienced trauma, such as months of bullying by a classmate, leading them to withdraw from the family conversation and no longer enjoy fun activities with friends. Or their self-esteem has taken such a hit that they’re embarrassed by their appearance and worry about how they come across to others, resulting in them avoiding school and declining grades. Perhaps they’ve lost someone close to them and haven’t dealt with the pain.

At other times, you need to dial down your child’s pain nozzle so they can handle the emotional agony they’re experiencing. Your child is trying to figure out how to feel comfortable in their skin. Their bodies are changing, and their minds are growing. They don’t know what to expect next. The distress caused by family and social difficulties is hard to understand or put into words. It can be frustrating and upsetting to try to handle these problems alone. The anger and sadness are boiling and about to spill over into all aspects of their life.

Sometimes, you see warning signs and want some insight into whether a storm is brewing. Is your child withdrawing from social situations, having personal relationship issues, refusing to attend school, or struggling with schoolwork?

This is the pivotal moment when you notice your child is struggling, and you’re open to the idea that talking to someone who understands these subtle cues can make the difference between continued sorrow and optimism for the future. Maybe your child has been in therapy before and made progress, but now you need a tuneup or a whole new workup. Perhaps a new personal issue or an old challenge has come to the fore.

Or maybe you get a call from the school counselor who tells you your child has shared their pain at school and needs to talk to someone now. Whether you’ve been blindsided or have had concerns of your own for a while, it’s time to call someone and fast.

Erica Smuckler is the owner and clinical director of Courageous Kids Counseling. She has worked with children, adolescents and families in psychiatric hospitals, schools and outpatient clinical centers. She collaborates with a team of licensed master and clinical social workers and a licensed creative arts therapist. Each team member brings specialized knowledge and insights, allowing us to work together for the good of your child or teen.

You can rely on us to use our expertise to identify your child’s challenges and develop a customized approach that focuses on their healing. Every team member works hard to understand your child and their challenges, providing a supportive environment where kids can communicate freely and receive caring aid.

Whether your child loves to run around and play or your teen likes a calmer environment where they have the freedom to discuss their life, we’ll adapt to their unique personality to help them work toward feeling better. Through children’s therapy, we can work with your child to address:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Your young child’s mental difficulties may present in defiant behaviors, anxiety or regressions like bedwetting. While you may see something is wrong, your child may lack the tools to communicate feelings. If your typical methods for supporting your child emotionally and addressing their behavior no longer help, you may benefit from professional support. We’ll build trust with your child so they feel comfortable. Then, we can work through issues using approaches like role-playing or drawing, depending on your child’s needs.

Your teen may struggle for various reasons, such as the pressures of school, changing hormones or their first breakup. As your teen faces these situations, you may notice dropping grades or irritable behaviors, even for minor things. Counseling gives your teen access to someone who can listen without judgment and allows them to open up in a safe environment. Once we have identified challenges, we can work toward solving them.

Your family faces challenges together, and a situation that impacts one child may have a ripple effect on siblings and you as a parent. In family therapy, we bring parents and children together to address situations like divorce, moving, losing a family member or issues at school. We will connect with your family and learn about your unique situation to create a personalized plan that helps bring you together.

Is your child struggling to get through the day due to worry or discomfort in social situations? Online therapy offers the support they need with added convenience and flexibility. Your child may also feel more comfortable opening up to us in a well-known environment like a bedroom or playroom. Our first goal is to make your child feel comfortable and relaxed. Then, we can work through education and practice new ways of thinking.

But even with this support, children don’t always act as we expect.
Your child might say that everything is okay, but inside, they’re crying out for help. They don’t want to worry you, or they’re overpowered by what they feel and wish it away. You’re reassured because your child wants you to believe that is true. They aren’t asking for help or telling you anything’s wrong, so you’re hoping all is well. But you sense that the reverse is true. Their positivity is unconvincing.

For example, they talk about their classmates as succeeding in one way or another and assure you they are also doing well. When you speak to their teacher or you look at their report card, a different story is told. You read all the signs, but you didn’t want them to feel defeated when they were trying to seem upbeat.

Maybe your child seems angry. Constant shouting matches fill the air. Or they hit their siblings and possibly even their parents. Are they just uncaring and oppositional, desiring to defy your every request? Or is there a deep sadness underlying their behavior? Or is the anger is a cover for feelings not yet understood?

You want to help them manage their emotions…
…but you’re not sure where to start or even what they are experiencing. Ever begin a puzzle to discover a piece that will not fit, no matter how hard you try to nudge it into a space? It takes work to prod the pieces to move in the way you want them to go.

The same thing happens with children. We always encourage children to become the best versions of themselves, yet we often don’t know when to intervene. Regardless of the catalyst for change, every parent seeking therapy for their child has one goal: to provide relief for their child’s emotional pain. And we offer precisely that.