Therapy for Children

Does your child have trouble dealing with their emotions? Is their behavior sometimes disruptive to your home life? Have they experienced sudden loss or trauma?

As they grow, children and adolescents develop social skills and emotional intelligence. This awareness helps them to develop into healthy, happy, and successful individuals. But some children have trouble processing their emotions and this often leads to behavior that negatively impacts their school life, home life, and overall well-being.

The following are a few different types of psychotherapy available to children and families. Each offers unique approaches and techniques to bring about positive outcomes. Sometimes a therapist may choose to use just one specific treatment, and other times he or she may find a combination of various treatments is the best approach.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps children to identify harmful thought patterns. Once a child recognizes that their thoughts create their feelings and moods, they can learn to control themselves and their behavior. Research has shown that CBT is highly effective at treating depression and anxiety as well as helping individuals, including children, deal with traumatic experiences.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT helps children and adolescents process their inner emotions. ACT provides context and understanding to emotions that can seem overwhelming. This allows kids to work through emotions and move forward.

Family
Therapy

Family therapy is great for helping families improve communication so they can resolve issues. Sessions can include the entire family, including children, siblings, parents, and grandparents, or just one or two individuals.

Who is Therapy Right for?

At every age, children can be faced with life’s challenges. The following are some of the events and scenarios that can impact a child’s mental health and well-being:

The death of a loved one
Bullying
Physical or sexual abuse
Domestic violence
Moving or attending a new school
Divorce
Social anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Eating disorders

Therapy is not a quick fix to a child’s behavioral or emotional issues. It is instead a thoughtful and comprehensive process that provides children with insights and skills so that they may become masters of their thoughts and feelings. This, in essence, is how children develop into happy, healthy, and successful adults.

Play Therapy

At Pierce Counseling, play therapy offers a nurturing and engaging environment for children to explore and express their emotions, build problem-solving skills, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Guided by trained therapists, children use toys, art, and creative activities to communicate feelings and experiences they may not yet have the words to articulate. This evidence-based approach is tailored to the unique developmental needs of each child, fostering self-awareness and emotional resilience. Whether addressing anxiety, behavioral challenges, trauma, or social difficulties, play therapy at Pierce Counseling empowers children to heal and grow in a safe, supportive space

Teen & Young Adult Therapy

Is your teen under a lot of stress? Do they not seem as happy as they once did? Are they suffering from an eating disorder? Do you suspect they are using drugs?

Most of us remember our teenage years as a combination of great fun, burgeoning freedom, and a tremendous amount of stress. During this time our hormone levels are skyrocketing, making us feel emotionally out of control. We also feel a greater need to perform well academically and fit into social circles. All of this stress can take its toll on a teen’s mental health and overall well-being.

Common Life Challenges Among Teens

Teens can often face some serious life challenges that impact their mental health and well-being.

Loss - Loss can come in the form of a death of a loved one, including a pet, and it can also come in the form of parental separation or divorce. A loss also happens when a family moves to a new location and the teen must go to a new school.
Stress - A little stress is normal in life and can even be motivating. But too much stress can cause burnout at any age. Many teens face tremendous amounts of stress to do well in school, hold down a job, and be accepted by their peers.
Violence - Teens that are bullied at school or at home suffer, and are often alone. If not dealt with, the aftermath of violence can result in PTSD symptoms.

This is not an exhaustive list of reasons why a teen may want to speak with a therapist by any means. If you think your teen could benefit from therapy, please reach out to us.

Counseling for Teens: What to Expect

Sessions

At Pierce Counseling & Mental Health Collective, we want therapy to be a comfortable and supportive process. One of the most impactful aspects of counseling for teenagers is helping them feel truly seen, heard, and respected. It's important to take the time to get to know each teen as an individual and recognize their unique qualities and experiences. Building a genuine connection helps them quickly realize that we care deeply about their well-being.

Because every teen is different, sessions are tailored to their specific needs, goals, and personality. Their counselor will regularly check in with them to ensure we’re focusing on what matters most to them. Together, we’ll work on skill-building, self-reflection, and goal-setting in a collaborative and integrative way.

As therapy progresses, we’ll also explore the deeper “root causes” behind their challenges. By understanding these underlying patterns and identifying potential “traps” they may face in the future, we can work toward creating lasting, sustainable change that empowers them for the long term.

Parent Involvement

As a parent, your involvement is a vital part of your child's treatment, and your participation plays a key role in their progress. At the same time, it’s essential that your child feels safe to express themselves openly during sessions, without worrying that everything they share will be relayed back to you in detail. So how do we find the right balance?

Throughout treatment, parents are invited to participate in both joint and individual sessions at different stages. During the initial session, you’ll join to share your child’s history and help establish treatment goals. Afterward, we're able to schedule monthly check-ins, which may include your child or be parent-only. These meetings will focus on providing an overview of your child’s work in therapy, progress toward their goals, and practical ways you can support them at home.

Additionally, supplemental parent coaching is highly encouraged to help you develop or strengthen your own skills, understanding, and self-awareness. Since your child is part of the larger family system, the healthier the overall system becomes, the better the long-term outcomes will be for your child.

Note To Teens

We understand you might feel uncertain about therapy. Maybe you’ve tried it before, and it didn’t work out, leaving you questioning if it’s worth trying again. Or perhaps you’re thinking, “There’s no way this person could understand what I’m going through.” We get it. We only ask is that you give us and the therapy process a chance. While we can’t promise it will always be easy, we can promise that if you’re willing to put in the effort, it can lead to real, meaningful change—you will see and feel the difference.

When you commit to therapy, it can help you believe in yourself, recognize your worth, and develop the tools to be the best version of yourself. It can also bring more peace and balance into your life. We specialize in working with teens facing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and the challenges of figuring out who they are. And we genuinely want to help.

So, why not give it a try? What do you have to lose?