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What clues indicate that your child may need Online Mental Health Therapy?
Not every problem is serious. In fact, many everyday stresses can cause a child’s behavior to change. For example, the birth of a sibling may cause a child to act temporarily much younger than he or she is. To be helpful to your child, you need to know the difference between typical behavior changes and those indicating more severe problems requiring Mental Health Therapy.
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PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THESE SIGNS:
Photo Source: Chaya Braun, Baltimore Newborn Photographer
- Behavior Changes: drastic changes in behavior or personality, or out-of-control behavior
- Being upset, sad or tearful too often
- Children may develop headaches and stomachaches whereas adults become sad or anxious
- Difficulty concentrating, focusing or sitting still; which may cause problems in school
- Expressing a desire to hurt others, frequent fighting or willingness to use a weapon
- Intense feelings or feelings of being overwhelmed or afraid for apparently no reason
- Mood changes or swings that cause problems in relationships at home or in school
- Racing heart or fast breathing
- Repeated thoughts of death
- Self-harm: Deliberately harming his/her body, such as cutting or burning
- Social withdrawal or fearful behavior toward things your child is typically is not afraid of
- Abusing substances such as alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
- Weight loss, appetite change or frequent vomiting might mean an eating disorder
How will you know if Mental Health Therapy will work for your child?
While almost any adolescent can benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, certain characteristics and abilities tend to predict a child’s success in therapy.
These features include:
- The child’s ability to recognize, understand, and discuss how he/she thinks about things
- Capacity to set specific goals for therapy
- Desire to get better and a willingness to work toward recovery
- Capacity to cope with increased emotional pain
- The ability to take ownership of particular problems in one’s life
- Being part of a family that is stable and supportive of the child’s therapy
Most teens when they begin treatment do not exhibit these traits, but many of them develop them through the process. Having these qualities makes CBT extremely useful when used in addition to other evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
The Benefits of Online Mental Health Therapy
Although professionals and laypeople alike have questioned how successful online therapeutic interventions are, there is currently little research supporting any lack of effectiveness. While most agree that Online Mental Health Therapy is inappropriate for diagnosing issues such as chronic depression and psychosis, generally speaking, the benefits of Online Mental Health Therapy are numerous.
First of all, online treatment is readily available to everyone and overcomes barriers that preclude some from seeking treatment, such as those in rural or remote areas. Also, many children and teenagers who may be ambivalent about therapy are more comfortable receiving treatment over the internet. Moreover is the greater scheduling convenience benefits both therapist-client alike.
Online Mental Health Therapy may also be useful in eliminating the social stigma of receiving therapy. The client no longer needs to be seen by others in the waiting room, the administrative staff or anyone else who just happens to be walking past at the time the client walks through the door. The privacy of online therapy encourages many to seek assistance who otherwise may have hesitated.
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