Adolescent/Child Therapy
As a parent or caregiver, it is natural for you to want to protect your child from challenging experiences. The problem with that is that life is inherently traumatic, and it is not possible to avoid life’s difficulties. Parents and caregivers so badly want to emotionally support their children but in order to deeply and emotionally support someone, you need to understand their experience. It can be difficult for adults to put words to their scary, sad, or anger-inducing memories, and much more so for kids and teens who have less vocabulary, ability, and practice at putting emotionally intense ideas into words. The benefits of therapy are not isolated to adults, but children and adolescents also!
Symptoms and Signs
Have you noticed changes in your child’s eating habits or sleep patterns? Have they lost pleasure in doing the things they once loved? Has your child become quiet or isolated? These are just a few of the signs or symptoms that your child has experienced events that have affected the way they see themselves and the world around them.
What Can You Do?
When you partner with our therapist Amber Jarve LLMSW, you are doing more than simply signing up for therapy for your child. Through techniques such as talk therapy, play therapy, TraumaPlay™, and TF-CBT, Amber will be able to teach you how to most effectively support your child.
Is TraumaPlay™ Therapy just for trauma?
Absolutely not! We know the name can feel intense, especially in relation to children, but TraumaPlay™ is for any child or adolescent experiencing life’s ups and downs.
Ways this may present itself may be:
-
Outbursts
-
Isolation
-
Deep Feelings of Sadness
-
Hopelessness
-
Aggression
-
Defiance
-
Changes in Personal Care
-
Attention Struggles
-
and more…
What is TraumaPlay™
TraumaPlay™ is created by therapist and author Paris Goodyear-Brown. It is a therapy model for children and teens (ages 5-18) that brings together the creativity and experiential knowledge of the brain’s right hemisphere and the problem-solving capability of the brain’s left hemisphere to process trauma or an overwhelming event. TraumaPlay™ expands upon the attachment relationship between the child and their caregiver to both enable the child to fully share their experiences with their adult and support the adult in receiving the story.
What Does TraumaPlay™ Look Like?
A picture is worth a thousand words.
During TraumaPlay™ the child uses toys, miniatures, art, and other prop-based activities to create representations of their memories, feelings, and hopes. The child is given the power to play out justice or show what safety might look like to them. The child is able to make changes in their created world, have their experience witnessed by safe adults, and find paths toward hope and healing alongside their caregiver. Child, therapist, and caregiver use full-body experiences to express mutual understanding and enhance safety, strengthening the attachment relationship between child and caregiver.
Why are we TraumaPlay™ enthusiasts?
TraumaPlay™ takes the best parts of TF-CBT and emphasizes support to the caregiver from the therapist, further developing caregiver support to their child. TraumaPlay™ taps into the visceral images and feelings that words simply cannot capture. After playing out an experience, words often come easier. Once these ideas have been expressed artistically or dramatically the child has a physical representation of the trauma that maybe before had been only somatic and sensory memories. TraumaPlay™ allows for and validates the continuum of disclosure, meaning that children will show adults bits and pieces of their experience as they are able.
Your Next Steps
Healing can happen for your child, and we are here to support you through this process. Getting your child scheduled is easy! Call or text our Administrative Assistant Emily Chivis today for simple scheduling. You may also e-mail at echivis@mariposacounselingllc.com.
While we do offer virtual services for Child/Adolescent Therapy, for younger kids or those with attention-span difficulties, in-person offers best results. Located near downtown Grand Rapids, our offices at The Cooper’s Landing Building Suite 323, are sure to be a hit for your child. Amber has taken mindful care to ensure your child has an inviting and safe space to heal.
We are regularly working to add additional insurance companies that we work with; currently we accept Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Priority Health, and Medicaid. For those without insurance, we have a self-pay rate of $175 per hour session. If you have any questions, please give us a call or text so we may help! We strive to update you prior to your appointment on any costs associated with co-pays or deductibles.
If you have any questions, please give us a call or text so we can help!
