Are You Struggling With Your Child?
Does he frequently tantrum?
Is there constant sibling conflict?
You may feel embarrassed by how your child behaves in front of other people.
Perhaps you are tired of the teacher calling to complain.
Do you even suspect your child may have Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
Do you just wish your child would listen?
Many NYC parents seek child counseling!
Many parents struggle with childhood behavior problems. Dozens come into my office complaining about tantrums, sibling conflict, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and other challenges. In fact, we are in the middle of an epidemic of child behavior problems. Children are often under stress, such as pressure from school or family conflict, which intensifies their challenges.
The good news is that Child Counseling through Play Therapy together with Parenting Counseling with an empathetic, experienced psychotherapist can help you recognize why your child is struggling and what you can do to improve his or her behavior!
Child-Centered Play Therapy In My NYC Office Can Resolve Behavior Problems, Even Oppositional Defiant Disorder!
Most misbehavior, such as ODD disorder, is fueled by a low happiness level. Children are bored, frustrated and feel powerless, and misbehave in a desperate attempt to relieve their unhappy situation. Therefore raising their happiness level on a regular basis completely resolves the problem! Play Therapy accomplishes just that. You see, many children misbehave because they are unhappy or frustrated with a lack of control or self-determination over their lives. They are constantly being told what to do at school and at home. During child therapy, I let your child have complete control of the session. He makes all his own decisions about how to play, and I support and validate those activities. This gives him and exhilarating sense of control over his own life, leading him to not mind being told what to do so much outside of the session! In addition this raises his self-esteem and self-confidence, helping him feel happier and better about himself. And, since most misbehavior is fueled by unhappiness, your child’s increased self-esteem results in improved behavior and a resolution of Oppositional Defiant Disorder!
To find out more about exactly how Play Therapy reduces tantrums, click here.
Child Counseling through Play Therapy Increases self-respect!
In the playroom, I show so much respect for your child that he learns to respect himself! I show her how important her chosen activities are to me, and she thinks, "Joseph thinks the things I do are important, therefore I must be important." This makes her feel so great about herself that she becomes much more pleasant to deal with outside of the session!
Processing overwhelming emotions...
In play I use the amazing technique called tracking, where, similar to a sportscaster describing a game, I reflect back to the child each action made, decision taken, and feeling expressed. This gives the child a conscious awareness of all of his important accomplishments, leading to improved self-worth. In addition my verbal recognition of her feelings gives her the ability to master and process them, so her previously overwhelming emotions no longer cause behavior problems.
For more information on how Play Therapy improves a child's emotional health, click here.
Support Your Child With Parenting Counseling At My New York City Office
We, as parents, are the most important factor in our children’s lives. We possess tremendous power to influence their well-being, behavior and overall emotional health. By taking steps to improve our parenting, even slightly, we can effect great changes in our children’s situation. Parenting counseling provides a safe space where you can receive and discuss professional parenting advice tailored to your specific situation.
During parenting counseling, I ask you to recount everything that happened leading up to a tantrum or other misbehavior. By understanding the triggers that may be leading to behavior problems, I can provide specific instructions for how to change the way you interact with your child so you can reduce challenges or prevent the problem from happening in the first place!
I provide attainable strategies to help you increase your child’s happiness and fulfill his or her emotional needs. You’d be surprised how small changes in the limits we set and the things we allow can make your child much more agreeable and easy to manage!
Many children misbehave because they are frustrated by their parents saying no too often or giving too many commands. I work with you to develop a specifically tailored plan for when to say no to your child and when to say yes. You can recognize that your child can only handle so many orders, and you can reduce and tailor your commands so your child is more willing to comply.
Even a tough case of Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be remedied through good Parenting Counseling!
For great tips about how to validate your child's feelings, click here.
Many New York City parents seek Child Counseling from a child psychologist or a play therapist!
Play therapy and parenting counseling go hand in hand, and they are a very effective team for resolving almost any child behavior problems. If your child is defiant, it is likely caused by his feeling bossed around and like he is not in control of his life. Play therapy makes your child feel like the boss and gives him control. Parenting counseling, on the other hand, helps you understand how many commands your child will be comfortable receiving. It helps us, as parents, to fulfill our children’s emotional needs so they will feel more content and confident.
It truly seems like magic how well Child Counseling through Play Therapy and Parenting Counseling work! Fully 80 percent of the children I see report significant improvement in behavior and emotional health in just 3-6 months of child therapy.
For a fascinating discussion of how Play Therapy helps for ADHD, click here.
You may feel like child therapy can help, you but many New York City Parents still have questions…
Child Counseling is expensive and I’m not sure it’s worth the money...
Play therapy and parenting counseling are early interventions. We nip the problem in the bud and make sure it doesn’t develop into a larger, full-blown problem when your child gets older. Investing in 3-6 months of child therapy now can save you from years of costly treatment in the future. Issues like Oppositional Defiant Disorder take a toll on the whole family and without attention, unfortunately get worse over time. Considering the tremendous benefits to your child’s emotional health, success and well-being, therapy now is a steal!
I’m ashamed I haven’t been able to fix things on my own...
The truly wise person is the one who is always seeking to learn more, and who is brave enough to ask for help from an expert when needed. Why should you and your children suffer from mistakes when you can be guided by someone who’s been through it and can teach you how to avoid all the pitfalls!
What if people I know find out my child is in therapy and he is bullied or believes there is something wrong with him?
Your treatment is strictly confidential. I am prohibited by law from revealing to anyone without your permission the fact that your child is in therapy or any of the details. I have space between all scheduled appointments so you don’t run into other clients in my office.
Child Counseling Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior!
I have been working with young children for my entire life. My mother owned a Montessori school in New York City and I worked with her growing up and throughout college. I was a teacher for many years before becoming a child therapist, and I understand how young children think and what they feel. I have been through many challenges raising my own four boys, and I have the experience to help you work through your child’s thorny issues.
Many parents feel ready to improve their relationship with their children and wish to address their behavior problems. If you still have questions about child therapy, or are experiencing challenges like Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and would like the guidance or treatment of a child therapist in N.Y.C., I invite you to call me for a free 15-minute phone consultation at 646-681-1707. I also encourage you to download my free report on the effectiveness of punishment and join my email list. The next time you’re in the middle of a parenting challenge, give me a call and I can troubleshoot over the phone. I look forward to speaking with you!
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