Children

Most children cannot verbally express their emotions until they have developed abstract reasoning skills at the age of 12.

Therefore, asking them to sit in a room and talk to a counselor is not the most effective way of handling a child’s issues.

If you sit across from your child at the dinner table, you know that asking questions like “How are you feeling?” or “What do you think about that?” is unlikely to yield good results. This is where children’s therapy at Oregon Counseling comes in.

Child Therapy at Oregon Counseling

As a dedicated provider of children’s therapy in Portland, Corvallis, Eugene and Bend, OR, we understand that a child’s natural language is play, and toys are his or her words. By having a children’s therapist work with your child in a state of play, your child reaps the rewards of therapy without having to verbalize any concerns unless he or she is able or chooses to.

Our Child Psychologists

Our experienced team of child psychologists specialize in Play Therapy. This type of therapy is designed to give your child the freedom to grow and explore the values, skills, and beliefs present in their surroundings in a safe and healthy environment.

What is Children’s Play Therapy?

We understand that when children start kindergarten, children often reach a new level of independence. The elementary school years can be exciting for most children, yet daunting for some who experience significant anxiety about going to school. Sometimes just getting them out of the house can be a challenge. In the earlier years, children discover their capacity for expressing individual emotions. They can manipulate their emotions to their own advantage without fully understanding their actions. In addition, children are often expected to process conflicting and confusing messages well beyond their years.

Oregon Counseling child therapists will help your children deal with life events that are hard for children to deal with, such as:

Sometimes having a grownup besides Mom or Dad to help process big feelings can be helpful. Play Therapy provides a safe place to work through confusion, anxiety, anger, grief, and many other common childhood emotions. Children emerge from therapy more resilient, resourceful, and possess better coping skills and obtain a healthier worldview.

The following behaviors indicate that your child might benefit from children’s therapy: