Interpersonal Therapy for children with Behavioral and Emotional Disorders
Many children with behavioral and emotional problems do not realize that their actions are wrong, even after they have been punished for them.
Others, cannot control many of their actions, so they do not exactly get the full benefit of the disciplinary action that they have been given. These problems usually result in a very upset parent, and very confused child. However, it does not have to be this way for either of them. Turning to an interpersonal therapist may be the answer you are both looking for.
When you wish to choose an interpersonal therapist for your child, it is important to decide whether your child works better with males or females. If your child does not work well with male figures, it may be better to choose a therapist that is female or vise versa. Ensuring that your child is comfortable with the therapist they will be seeing is crucial to the success of the therapy.
The therapist your child sees will more than likely have the first few visits together as a family. However, after the initial few visits, they may just want a verbal update from you and then see your child alone. The key for this therapy is to ensure that the child is focused on the therapy.
Each session the therapist will try different methods of teaching your child how to deal with anger, frustration, or their emotions in general. After every appointment, your child will be expected to demonstrate these new skills and focus on them. These skills will gradually build on each other until they have complete behavioral or emotional control for themselves. At this point, the therapist will focus on maintaining these skills with your child.
It is important to be consistent with the appointments. Missing an appointment may cause your child to slip or regress slightly in their behaviors.
Do not think that because the behavior has not been obvious, that it means it has went away. It means that your child is learning how to get past that behavior. Once they have learned control of it, then they will understand discipline for that specific behavior. Keeping them focused on what is expected of them is important. Do not forget to praise your child on controlling themselves. They need to know that you see the changes they have made and that you are proud of how far they have come.
