Behavioral issues are generally first recognized in school-age children. Their behavior may make it difficult for them to learn and grow at school. They also may have trouble getting along with siblings at home or peers on the playground. They may throw tantrums, get in fights, or use illegal substances. Additionally, some behavioral issues stem from trauma in early childhood or an unstable home life.
Available Treatment Options
Therapist interventions vary depending on the specifics of the behavior and the child’s experiences.
Therapy for children or young adults with behavioral problems may include parents or guardians so they can become involved in their child’s healing. Learning to deal with problem behaviors in a calm, fair way is critical to a child’s mental health. Play Therapy may help the child work through their emotions in a safe environment while playing with toys, completing puzzles, and engaging in games with the therapist. Family Therapy can be helpful if distressing family dynamics are causing the child to have more problematic behaviors.
Therapists Who Specialize in Helping Those Who Struggle With Behavioral Issues
I believe that no two paths are the same. Everyone has a unique path that makes them who they are. This path may lead to a planned destination, make an unexpected turn, or hit a few bumps along the way. Change can be hard and heightened feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression can make that change feel much more difficult and lonely. Instead of allowing these changes in our path to hold us...
Good for you! If you are reading this, you have taken a first step and are seeking help & support! We all go through seasons of pain and stress in our lives. Looking at ourself and our relationships with a safe person can bring insight, awareness, change and freedom. If you are looking for hope and help in moving through the challenges you are facing, call today! You don’t have to walk alone....
I believe all people possess the courage and strength to overcome life's obstacles. I believe with the right mindset and mental health foundation, change is attainable. Is therapy something you have thought about or tried in the past? There are many factors that bring people into therapy; however, one consistent theme seems to persist throughout; the want to learn about or change one's self. I...
You may be seeking therapy because you find yourself repeating the same unhelpful patterns – in your relationships, at work or school, or in how you feel and think about yourself – but you don’t seem able to change them. Or you may see and worry about the emotional or behavioral patterns that your child or teenager is developing, and not know how to help them. I work to help adults, teenagers, ...
For the first time in our lifetime, we are experiencing a global pandemic with all sorts of implications for changes in our lives. How much change is not yet known. As a psychologist, I cannot anticipate what will happen, nor is it my job to give advise about the virus itself. During this uncertain time, however, I can help with the sadness, fear, and anxiety that surrounds the uncertainty. Liv...
My passion is working with couples to positively impact their relationship and find new ways of communicating with each other, and I have found that using Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy is an exceptional tool to address attachment in family systems. I have also been fortunate enough to expand my experience into addressing substance use and the impact that it can have on not only the...
According to Berne Brown, “we can’t be brave in the big world without at least one small space to work through our fears and falls.” I would like to provide you with that space to work through current issues, future goals or past trauma. I take a warm, non-judgemental, culturally humble, and compassionate stance with my clients, providing them with a safe space, the opportunity for...
I deeply value peoples' ability to be honest and kind to themselves so they can recognize when change is needed, but also forgive themselves for having struggled... because struggling is human. We all struggle, we all make mistakes, and we all have been in a place where we may not have presented as our best selves. Things in life can be difficult and we may lose sight of our importance and valu...
I feel privileged that you are reading this to potentially help you, a loved one, or someone you know. I would love to join you on your journey of nurturing your emotional health. Are you the one that has been considering counseling, but keep talking yourself out of it because you have lived with many of these symptoms for so long, and think you can just keep going on with them. I am here to he...
Do you feel the weight of emotional burdens? Are you going through a major life event? Are you in a relationship that needs help? These burdens can get to the point that it feels unbearable or too difficult to manage on your own. Taking the first step toward going to counseling can be hard. My goal is to meet you wherever you are and however heavy your burdens are. I want to join you in this wo...
Depression, anxiety, panic and poor self-esteem can have a profound effect on our day to day lives. Reaching out to someone new can be difficult even when we feel our best. The courage you present by making such an important phone call is tremendous. I am honored to be able to help when you call. I currently work with Pathways Center for Learning and Behavioral Health in the Guilford and East...
I am a Licensed Graduate Social Worker serving adolescents, adults, and couples, experiencing depression, anxiety, grief and loss, effects of past trauma, issues related to gender and/or sexuality, life transitions, and challenges within interpersonal relationships. I utilize a variety of modalities to inform my approach, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based skills,...
Dr. Mary Huffstead is a licensed professional counselor, national board-certified counselor, and a child and adolescent trauma professional. Dr. Huffstead has extensive training in individual, family/couples, group and play therapy. She has a wealth of experience with a diverse client population ranging in age from primary school through adulthood. Her primary clinical work encompasses anxiety,...
I like working with all age groups, from young children to adults, because people are precious and deserve support through life issues. I want clients to feel comfortable as they work to understand and achieve their mental health and life goals. I started working as a mental health practitioner with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Behaviorism. My chosen degree, Marriage and Family Therapy, speaks ...
I work with families, children, adolescents, and adults, to understand their emotional health, learn emotional regulation, identify personal strengths, heal from traumatic experiences, and find positive ways of expressing their thoughts and feelings, providing support and hope for strengthening connections in relationships and in the family. I serve families in learning positive parenting skill...
