Family Therapy and Counseling for Kids
Like adults, children can benefit from therapy. At Whole Journey, we strive to assist children and their families with improving their quality of life in a variety of ways. For example, therapy for children in Virginia and joint family therapy can assist children with developing coping skills. As well as, problem-solving skills, improve attention-deficit issues, impulse control, regulate their moods, and anger management skills.
We provide a safe environment where your child can learn, grow, and deal with their own stressors. Most importantly, counseling for children in Charlotte, NC, Chesapeake, VA, and Richmond, VA. does this at their own pace therapeutically. Perhaps, it’s art therapy, play therapy, or more conventional cognitive and behavioral modalities, the specific needs of your child are our first priority.
Your child is much more than the issues that are causing difficulties at this time. We would like to partner with parents, guardians, and other significant members of the child’s life (if necessary). Overall, this helps each child who walks through the door grow into their full potential.
Common Reasons Families Begin Counseling for Kids
- Bullying (victim or perpetrator)
- Episodes of sadness, tearfulness, or depression
- Significant drop in grades
- Anger episodes
- Social Withdrawal or isolation
- Decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Mood Swings
- Increase in physical complaints (headache, stomachache, or not feeling well), despite a normal exam from a physician
- Managing a serious, acute or chronic illness
- Family transition (foster care, adoption, blending families, divorce, new child in the home, or relocations)
- Signs of substance use
- Grief and loss
- Other Traumatic Events: physical, sexual abuse and/or neglect
__________
Counseling for Kids can help with...
We understand that counseling for children in Richmond, VA might not be at the top of a teen’s or adolescent’s to-do list. There can be complexities involved, and we strive to allow a genuine relationship to develop. From our experience, this allows for authentic exploration and growth. Youth at Whole Journey are given a safe environment to explore their questions and address their uncertainties. Additionally, this allows teens to confront their insecurities, and work through their pain. This is important to us. Validating our clients’ feelings and allowing them to feel empowered to grow, will help them create their own goals. This allows them to see the building blocks we believe in.
Benefits of Beginning Family Therapy and Counseling for Children in Virginia
- Mood
- Improve attention issues
- Life transitions
- Family dynamics
- Identity Issues
- Self-esteem
- Relationships
- Communicating to parents, guardians, and authority figures
Therapy for Families Can Help Because...
“Pain shared, is pain not doubled but halved. No man is an island.” – Neil Gaiman
Family issues can occur in any family. Even healthy families can experience challenges at times. Ideally, our families are the very people that we’d like to get support, love, understanding and connection from. However, there are times we don’t feel very close and our relationships feel strained from our family members. Being so closely linked with others, can often bring about the most intense emotions we experience, whether it’s positive or negative. Whether the challenges are minor or severe, we would like to help you strengthen your family ties. Family therapy can give your family the opportunity to do so. That is why we offer therapy in multiple locations including therapy for families in Virginia beach, VA, which is a brand new addition.
Our Approach to Family Therapy
We approach family therapy from a stance of openness, and respect for your family’s goals, needs, and values. Everyone in a family has a voice and is impacted by the family dynamic. Every family has patterns of relating to each other, and every family member deserves a safe space to express themselves. Every family is different, but we understand how complex it can be to maintain individuality while co-existing with others, and the importance of understanding, growing and learning new, healthier ways to create family relationships that are fulfilling. We understand this dynamic which is why we offer therapy for families in Charlotte, NC, Chesapeake, VA, and Richmond, VA., or therapy for families in North Carolina and Virginia!
Benefits of Family Therapy
- Improve communication between teens and parents
- Attachment Issues
- Academic Concerns
- Life Transitions
- Foster Care/Adoption Issues
- Boundary issues
- Family Role Issues
- Improve sibling rivalry
- Improve communication
- Changing dysfunctional patterns
- Blended/ Separating/Divorce Issues
- Strain due to deployment or military culture
- Coping with the impact of mental illness, physical illness, disability, caregiving, and/or substance dependent family member on the family
Children
Counseling and therapy can assist a child with working through challenges and developing new coping skills. As children experience challenges, sometimes they do not have the language and life experience to fully understand and express their emotions. Additionally, the complexity of children’s emotions are often overlooked by the adults in their lives. 
We provide a safe environment where your child can learn, grow, and deal with their own stress at their own pace. We offer a variety of approaches and keep the specific needs of your child our first priority. Our counselors who work with children are open to supporting parents in learning new ways to address their child’s needs and learn how to manage stress they may be experiencing.
Your child is much more than the issues that are causing difficulties at this time. We would like to partner with parents, guardians, and other significant members of the child’s life (if necessary) in order to help each child who walks through the door grow into their full potential.
Teens
As youth get older, they encounter more influences from others and experience life changes that often feel beyond their ability to cope. With the impact of friends, social media, friends, and school these days, it can be difficult to cope with changes and challenges.
We understand that counseling and therapy might not be at the top of a teen’s to-do list, but we understand that emotions can be complex.
Our counselors who work with teens strive to allow a genuine relationship to develop. From our experience, this allows authentic exploration and growth. Teens at Whole Journey are given a safe environment to explore their questions, address their uncertainties, confront their insecurities, and work through their pain.
Validating our teens’ feelings, allowing them to feel empowered to grow, and to create their own goals are building blocks we believe in.
Family Therapy
Family issues can occur in any family. Even healthy families can experience challenges at times. Ideally, our families are the very people that we’d like to get support, love, understanding and connection from. However, there are times we don’t feel very close and our relationships feel strained from our family members. Being so closely linked with others, can often bring about the most intense emotions we experience, whether it’s positive or negative. Whether the challenges are minor or severe, we would like to help you strengthen your family ties. Family therapy can give your family the opportunity to do so.
We approach family therapy from a stance of openness, respect for your family’s goals, needs, and values. Everyone in a family has a voice and is impacted by the family dynamic. Every family has patterns of relating to each other, and every family member deserves a safe space to express themselves. Every family is different, but we understand how complex it can be to maintain individuality while co-existing with others, and the importance of understanding, growing, and learning new, healthier ways to create family relationships that are fulfilling.
Art
Art is a great therapeutic tool to help youth express their emotions and to make sense of their experiences. Techniques used include: drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting, or making collages. As children create art, they may learn how to analyze what they have made and how it makes them feel. Additionally, communication and coping skills can improve from this technique.
Music
Music is a great therapeutic tool and can include: listening to melodies, playing an instrument, drumming, writing songs, and guided imagery. Music touches all aspects of the mind, body, brain and behavior. It can alter mood, and subsequently influence behavior that leads to improvement in overall functioning.
Play
Play as a therapeutic tool can allow a child who may not feel emotionally safe to express their emotions to their parents or others. It is a great outlet to work through issues. Play in the counseling process uses a child’s natural tendency to “play out” their reactions to life situations, to help the child feel accepted and understood and gain a sense of control or understanding of difficult situations. Through the course of building a relationship and engaging in the process of play therapy techniques, your child’s counselor may also be able to provide feedback and tools to family members surrounding the themes they are observing in sessions.
Parent Support & Education Group
We want our parents to have the skills and support to improve the lives of their children and families. In our parent groups and trainings, parents can expect a compassionate environment with experienced professionals and other parents who are invested in their children’s well-being. Groups and trainings for parents are offered throughout the year and tend to offer a combination of skill-building, education, and discussion components. A particular topic is offered that often addresses parents whose children and families are experiencing mental or emotional health needs.
- Transition to parenthood
- Behavior Management Series
- Mommy Burnout Series
- Success in School
- Managing Meltdowns
- Working Parents: Balancing Home, Career and Guilt
- ADHD: Bring Out the Best in your Child
- Blending Families: Basics & Parenting Styles
- Adoption Series
- Communication & Connection
- Trauma Support for Youth and Families
How It Works:
- Schedule a free consultation screening to ensure the group is a good fit.
- After determining the group is a good fit, enroll in the next group cycle.
Feel free to contact us for more information. Groups can be held in person or online.
C.O.P.E. Group for Depressed and Anxious Kids
The Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment C.O.P.E. Group is appropriate for youth 8-11 years of age. It is a 7-session cognitive behavioral skills group. Studies have found the group helpful in reducing anxiety and depression and improving youth’s self-esteem.
How It Works:
- Schedule a free consultation screening to ensure the group is a good fit.
- After determining the group is a good fit, enroll in the next group cycle.
Feel free to contact us for more information. Groups can be held in person or online.
C.O.P.E. Group for Depressed and Anxious Teens
The Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment C.O.P.E. Group is appropriate for youth 12-18 years of age. It is a 7-session cognitive behavioral skills group. Studies have found the group helpful in reducing anxiety and depression and improving youth’s self-esteem.
How It Works:
- Schedule a free consultation screening to ensure the group is a good fit.
- After determining the group is a good fit, enroll in the next group cycle.
Feel free to contact us for more information. Groups can be held in person or online.
School Support for Depression and Self-harm Partnership Program
This program allows for Whole Journey to partner with local schools to allow children and families needing access to screening and counseling services. With this program, school staff are able to refer youth presenting with self-harm and/or suicidal statements to directly link with a Whole Journey counselor for an assessment. Children are able to be screened for suicidality and recommended supportive services. The goal is to prevent families from experiencing ongoing strain and stress due having to go to the emergency room for care that can be provided in an office setting or online.
How It Works:
- Typically a statement of self-harm or death wish leads to a referral.
- We receive the referral for an assessment.
- Family schedules a session
- Youth and parent participate in a screening assessment.
- Youth is referred for return to school with counseling, hospitalization or other appropriate service recommendation.
If your child’s local school is not a current partner, consider referring us to them.
Supervised Visitation
Supervised visitation is when counselors monitor, coach and supervise visits between biological parents and children, children and relatives, and adoptive families and children. Visitation can be observation only or can be more in depth and therapeutic. Visitation occurs in our office space designed for comfort and connection. The length of visitation can vary based on needs.
A visitation intake appointment is scheduled individually for every member of the family at $75 per adult; children are free. This is to hear family members’ goals and story, ensure an appropriate plan is in place for the family, provide consent of the client rights and rules, and to clarify that the child(ren)’s needs are adequately addressed. Visitation costs start at $50 an hour. This is a self-pay service that insurance does not cover and payments are due at least 48 hours prior to your appointment to prevent cancellation. Your local Department of Social Services might cover the cost of services when it is court or program ordered.
How It Works:
- Schedule an intake interview for each participant.
- Schedule your visitation schedule.
Parent Coaching
We believe that parents are doing the best they can in any given moment, but parenting is not a role that always reveals the rewards of one’s hard work and sacrifices. For many parents, the 24-7 nature of parenting can cause wear and tear on all of their relationships and responsibilities. When you add in episodes of aggression, defiance, disrespect or excessive crying and sadness from your child, for many, it can lead to a breaking point. Some parents respond by disengaging in a variety of ways and some try to control their children’s behaviors more with tactics that often do not lead to long term success. Unfortunately, many times these strategies harm the relationship more. Well, we understand. Whether you’re parenting from what you were taught by your parents, trying to do the opposite of your parents, or feel as though even the textbook tools aren’t working for you. Our parent coaching programs are free of judgement and provide support, reassurance, and concrete strategies to assist parents with improving the quality of their lives and family. We realize that every family is unique, which is why we offer customizable coaching services for your family.
There can be so many things that limit a parent’s ability to feel content and satisfied with their parenting. Just to name a few for starters:
-Different parenting strategies between partners in the same home or living in different homes
-Seeing behaviors that parents feel are inappropriate and unmanageable
-Personalizing a child’s behavior as a reflection of the quality of your parenting skills
-Parenting children who have not been raised by you since birth
-Feeling disconnected from your child for a variety of reasons
-Other life demands causing additional stress and limiting your ability to fully engage with your child
Individual Parent Coaching Session (60-90 minutes):
This session is ideal for parents/guardians/ caregivers who have a specific question or concern. This can address a very short term goal. Parents typically feel as though they are in a relatively good space with their children and are attuned to factors affecting their relationship with their child. These sessions can be conduced face-to-face in the home, at our office, or online.
Parent Coaching Program:
This program includes weekly or biweekly sessions of the client’s choice and a customizable, comprehensible assessment and coaching plan. Sessions can include individual sessions with the parent(s) and individual sessions with the child (ren). Observation, modeling, home work exercises and charting is provided to assist with program implementation.
- School support may be enlisted if necessary to address the impact of the dynamic in multiple settings.
- Email and teleconferencing support is provided to parents outside of sessions.
*Families can be enrolled on a month-to month basis, or 3-month program.
Benefits of Our Coaching Program:
- Receive concrete strategies to control parents’ feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness and disappointment
- Develop healthy boundaries between parent/caregivers and child(ren)
- Feel like a loving and empowered parent
- Feel more proactive as a parent
- Become the authority in your parent-child relationship.
- Increase knowledge of how your family best functions
- Better manage behaviors such as (tantrums, defiance, etc)
- Increase feelings of connectedness
- Increase cooperation from child(ren) in problem-solving
Our clients are…
- Married, single, divorced, separated, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, and caregivers.
- Have tried to solve their issues on their own, and/or possibly with other professionals, and feel like they need a different approach.
Successful clients typically:
- Are honest about their readiness to change and expectations
- Understand that their discomfort can be a part of the growth process
- Prepare and schedule time to work the program
- Are open to feedback
- Adapt the mindset from a “rescuer/fixing” position to an “understanding/responding to the need” position
Our Approach:
We build a relationship with each individual within the family unit to gain additional insight into family dynamics, needs, goals, expectations and strengths. We use a strengths-based, integrative approach that includes influences from attachment theory, person-in-environment perspective, Erikson’s developmental model, Love and Logic, Positive Parenting and Positive Psychology approaches.
How It Works:
- Schedule a free consultation screening to ensure this program is a good fit.
- After determining the group is a good fit, enroll in the next group cycle.
FAQ’s
What is a parent coach?
A parent coach is a professional who has experience and training with helping parents improve the quality of their relationships with their child(ren).
What is the difference between a therapist and a coach?
Parent coaching uses hands on tools and increases skill building, utilizing research-based methods to help parents increase their ability to parent their child in a healthier manner. Parent coaching is typically a more brief intervention that focuses on the present situations, educates parents, and does not diagnose. Therapy typically involves a more intensive exploration of one’s background and it is a treatment where clients can work though their issues for resolution anywhere from weeks to years.
This program allows for Whole Journey to partner with local schools to allow children and families needing access to screening and counseling services. With this program, school staff are able to refer youth presenting with self-harm and/or suicidal statements to directly link with a Whole Journey counselor for an assessment. Children are able to be screened for suicidality and recommended supportive services. The goal is to prevent families from experiencing ongoing strain and stress due having to go to the emergency room for care that can be provided in an office setting or online.
How It Works:
- Typically a statement of self-harm or death wish leads to a referral.
- We receive the referral for an assessment.
- Family schedules a session
- Youth and parent participate in a screening assessment.
- Youth is referred for return to school with counseling, hospitalization or other appropriate service recommendation.
If your child’s local school is not a current partner, consider referring us to them.
Supervised visitation is when counselors monitor, coach and supervise visits between biological parents and children, children and relatives, and adoptive families and children. Visitation can be observation only or can be more in depth and therapeutic. Visitation occurs in our office space designed for comfort and connection. The length of visitation can vary based on needs.
A visitation intake appointment is scheduled individually for every member of the family at $75 per adult; children are free. This is to hear family members’ goals and story, ensure an appropriate plan is in place for the family, provide consent of the client rights and rules, and to clarify that the child(ren)’s needs are adequately addressed. Visitation costs start at $50 an hour. This is a self-pay service that insurance does not cover and payments are due at least 48 hours prior to your appointment to prevent cancellation. Your local Department of Social Services might cover the cost of services when it is court or program ordered.
How It Works:
- Schedule an intake interview for each participant.
- Schedule your visitation schedule.
Begin Counseling for Children and Family Therapy in North Carolina and Virginia
If you’re experiencing some tough changes in your family and notice it is affecting the mental state of your child, consider counseling for children and family therapy. Counseling can help you move forward. Our Charlotte, NC, Chesapeake, VA, and Richmond, VA, have caring child therapists/counselors who specialize in counseling for kids in Virginia and North Carolina. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:
- Contact Whole Journey
- Meet with one of our child therapists
- Start living life again!
Other Mental Health Services at Whole Journey
Family therapy and counseling for kids isn’t the only service we offer in our Charlotte, NC, Chesapeake, VA, and Richmond, VA practice. Other mental health services Whole Journey provides include anxiety treatment, couples counseling, LGBTQIA+ issues, walk and talk therapy, PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, and child counseling and wellness. We also help with women’s issues, men’s issues, depression, medical illness, and cancer counseling, counseling for life transitions. Finally, we work through counseling for people of color, grief and loss, work and career, counseling for millennials, and group workshops and classes.
