I need help with my child’s emotional and behavior issues
If you are reading this page, you might have some concerns about your child’s behavior and emotional reaction to things, which might have already affected school life and family life. Let’s look at the child’s behavior and emotions from a different angle- Emotion and behavior are two basic functions for human beings to express thoughts and feelings. It starts at a young age- even newborns without words know how to use these tools. If we see emotion and behavior as tools, then we become curious about why these tools are being used in a given situation, and we are able to explore how to help the child use the tools of behavior and emotion skillfully.
That is to say that children with emotional and behavior issues are often in a situation that they feel the “need” to use these tools. Some children born with a more “sensitive” personality, (a child who feels anxious, angry, or sad more easily than other children) and some children act out because they experienced some big events in their life. No matter what kind of situation your child is in, a counselor’s first priority is to understand his or her uniqueness. Then a counselor guides the child to understand why and how he or she reacts to the stressful situation and mentors them to explore different tools that suit them and the situation best.
Meanwhile, I have found that children with sensitive personalities also have a special strength, often found in their heightened power of perception. This strength is usually powerful and useful, and can bring comfort. One of the most important goals of our counseling work will be to extend the confidence from the strength, and rebuild a balance between the child’s strength and stress. Emotional and behavior issues are temporary, but confidence in knowing their strength is a lifelong gift. Counseling is temporary, but you and your children will be the ones who continue using this strength and confidence in the life journey.