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Individual therapy is designed to help our clients work on the underlying issues that lead to problems in functioning. Therapists work with clients on an individual level for the purpose of reducing internal suffering which occurs in the form of problematic behaviors, beliefs, feelings, and somatic responses (sensations in the body). In addition, therapy can be a means of self-growth. Therapy can help people to resolve barriers which interfere with joy, compassion, self-esteem, spiritual connection, and relationships. In addition to addressing emotions, therapy also addresses the thoughts that lead to behaviors and that lead to impaired functioning in relationships.
Individual therapy can help children to:
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Develop new perspectives and life skills so that they can be free from habitual patterns of anxiety, depression, behavioral acting out, and self-criticism
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Deal with addictive behaviors including substance abuse and relationship issues
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Reclaim their sense of self-esteem and learn to take responsibility so that they can move forward in life rather than feeling stuck, helpless and hopeless
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Find ways to talk about their emotional or physical suffering so that new coping skills can be learned and used in every-day life
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Improve the quality of their relationships so that they can express themselves, build and maintain family relationships and develop healthy ways to interact with others
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Provide youth with a scheduled time to attend to their own needs and enlist help and support
Other Benefits of therapy
One main benefit of therapy is that it can help children feel hope and learn to reach for a life they can fully enjoy and appreciate. Therapy can also support a child's ability to feel better about him/herself, feel more at peace, connect better with people in their life, and learn new behaviors and/or responses which may help them cope better. Therapy has also been shown to reduce stress, help children work through problems, and help them understand others better. Therapy provides a child with a safe listener who is compassionate, professional, non-judgemental and supportive.
In many cases when working with children, people think that a therapist's job is to manage negative behaviior or to intervene with a minor misbehaves. A therapist's role is to address the emotions underneath the behaviors and to establish a relationship that creates a connection that fosters healing. When clients act out it is the responsibility of the staff and or parents to manage the minor's behavior. Therapists have specialized training to address the emotional struggles and the nature of relationships that heal. They are not behavior coaches or behavior managment experts. Please keep this in mind with working with youth.
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