Anxiety & depression
Usually we become aware of children's depression through their behavior, a change in academic performance or a change in eating habits. Its not always obvious. Sometimes depression in children is obvious. We see a change from normal smiling talkativeness to moodiness and withdrawal. Some children sleep more, play less and become irritable. Sometimes, however, misbehavior, bullying, stealing and/or lying happen when a child is depressed.
Children with anxiety may have overwhelming worries, may be fidgety & jumpy, want to avoid school or may have persistent nightmares. There are many ways in which they attempt to handle the impact of stressors that they may not be able to articulate or even recognize.
Services to children include talk therapy, play therapy & brain and general biofeedback, along with school consultation and in-class observation. We begin with collecting information on your child's developmental history. Then, with your input, we map the behaviors that you are concerned about. Looking at the complete picture, including diet, daily schedule, outside activities, learning styles and recent events, for example, we design a plan to relieve some of the stress on your child and teach them how to express their feelings successfully.
Next steps: If your child has the symptoms of childhood depression or anxiety, a brief phone discussion can help you determine your next steps to getting help for them.