Published February 2, 2015 by in
Meagan Jackson is a member of First Church who is a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern and a Nationally Certified Counselor. She offers counseling and play therapy on our campus.
Every child/youth experiences difficult situations: parents’ divorce, difficulty with friends, adjusting to a school or community. Some children/youth may need some extra help in getting through these situations. Counseling for youth or play therapy for children is a place where your child/youth can gain skills and knowledge to equip them in handling their current situation and difficult situations they may face in the future.
If you or other adults have seen changes in behavior such as:
- Sudden isolation from people and things child enjoyed
- Fits of anger
- Overreacting to situations
- Persistent worry
- Sudden bedwetting or nightmares
Or a change in attitude towards people, friends, family, school, and things the child/youth once enjoyed, you may consider counseling or play therapy.
What does play therapy or counseling look like for children and youth?
Play therapy is for children 3 to 10 and is what counseling is to adults. By using a child’s natural language of play, a child is able to express feelings and explore the world around them much as an adult would do in counseling. In play therapy, the child plays with toys that are carefully selected allowing the child the opportunity for personal expression. This activity also allows the child to exercise decision-making skills.
Counseling for youth looks a great deal like counseling for adults, but with a few more games and activities. Youth have the ability to express themselves with words much like adults but have the desire to be creative and exploratory, so counseling is a place that allows this expression in different ways for adolescence.
If you are interested in counseling for your youth or child please contact Meagan Jackson, LPC-Intern, NCC at Meagan.j.play@gmail.com or 817.504.1121.