As a parent, one of your greatest wishes is that your child lives a happy life. But everyone deals with hurdles, and sometimes your child may be dealing with a situation that you’re not equipped to handle.There are also complex situations that kids today often have to deal with, which could be a lot different from those that you remember from your own childhood.

The challenge for most parents is how to provide the necessary skills their kids need to deal with life’s ups and downs and support them as much as they need. Most importantly, recognize when there might be a more serious problem or mental health issue that calls for professional help.

How Can I Tell if My Child Needs Help?

Before searching for a child psychologist near me, I would have to be certain that my child is dealing with a condition that requires professional help. How can I tell if my child is sad or struggling with a mental health problem? Sometimes, your child may not let you know that they’re unhappy, so it’s preferable to look out for warning signs that there may be a problem.

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Online therapy for parentsBeing a parent is hard. Talk to an experienced, licensed Talkspace therapist today.

Online therapy for parents

Being a parent is hard. Talk to an experienced, licensed Talkspace therapist today.

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Is my child depressed?

It’s normal to feel sad at different points in our lives — it’s a natural response to unpleasant situations. However, when your child persistently feels sad and experiences consistent low moods that affect their normal social activities, it may be a sign of depression. Some of the symptoms of depression in children include:

Is my child anxious?

You might notice some anxious behaviors even when your child doesn’t have an anxiety disorder. These symptoms may not clearly appear, unless they occur often or interfere with their daily activities. A child who is dealing with an anxiety disorder may experience any of the following symptoms:

In addition to these, theAnxiety and Depression Association of Americacompiled a screening sheet with questions that parents who think their child may have an anxiety disorder can answer. As a parent, I’ve been very open with my children and shared the results of these screenings with my son after I consulted a child psychologist near me about his anxiety.

Is my child struggling with ADHD?

Most healthy children exhibit hyperactive or impulsive behavior at one time or another. For instance, preschoolers tend to have shorter attention spans and are unable to stick with one activity for long. Even older children and teenagers can have short attention spans, depending on their level of interest in a given task. This inattention doesn’t necessarily mean that your child is dealing with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however.

According to theCenter for Disease Control (CDC), a child with ADHD might:

These symptoms alone are not an indicator of ADHD, so it will help to get an opinion from a doctor or licensed mental health professional before you attempt a diagnosis.

Getting Help For My Child

In the past, when I had concerns that my child was struggling with a mental illness, the first thing I did was reach out to a child psychologist near me for help. There are experts who specialize in treating children with ADHD, depression, and anxiety disorders, so you should take time to find the right fit for your child.

There are different types of child psychologists who are skilled in different areas of child development. Keep that in mind when searching for the appropriate mental health services for your child’s needs. For instance, abnormal child psychologists specialize in working with children and adolescents dealing with mental health disorders. Adolescent psychologists are those most equipped in treating children between the ages of 12 to 18 who are struggling with mental illness.

These child psychologists work with different treatment plans, depending on which is most suitable for the child. These treatment methods include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches children to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, as well as social skills therapy, or grief counseling in case they need help coping with the loss of a loved one or a pet.

Apart from individual therapy, a child psychologist may recommendfamily therapy, if you’re going through a turbulent phase like a divorce. Group therapy also helps children build social skills and fosters their ability to communicate.

How Can I Find a Good Child Psychologist Near Me?

It can also help you to speak with someone who might have an idea about what your child is going through, your child’s teacher or the guidance counselor at school. They may be able to recommend a skilled professional that can help. Most importantly, you should talk to your child about their struggles and their preferences — what they’re comfortable with — and make sure that they’re comfortable with the psychologist or therapist, before starting sessions.

Where To Find a Good Child Psychologist Near Me

While focusing on your child’s health and well-being, don’t forget to get the support you need as well. Consulting your own therapist or opting foronline therapycan help ensure that you’re your best self and can act as a strong support for your child.

Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.

Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.

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