Being the parents of a young child can be very rewarding and provide a sense of great pride. Sometimes though, there can be factors that lead to worry and this can include when a child regularly misbehaves. Childhood is a time when children are learning a sense of sense, so it can be hard to distinguish when children are exhibiting age appropriate behavior vs. behavior driven by anxiety, learning issues or even some type of trauma. If you are concerned, the first thing to do is to get educated, so that you can feel in control of the situation.
Some children need assistance in learning how to manage powerful emotions, while other children may exhibit behaviors that require help from a licensed mental health counselor. That is where the talented staff at Suffolk Counseling Services come in. Our licensed therapists have successfully worked with both parents and children to get back on track.
What Is Emotional Dysregulation?
Often children need to learn how to control strong emotions. These can easily be affected by a child’s temperament, personality or even the different environments they are exposed to. Depending on the individual child, some may have emotional outbursts that are hard to control, while others may become withdrawn and internalize their feelings rather than express them to an adult. Fortunately there are tools, techniques and strategies that can be taught to children to help them with this.
Managing Emotions With Self-Regulation
Most people can self regulate without even realizing it, but for some, this is a struggle. Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions in correlation with the demands of a specific situation. It’s a skill that children can learn to direct their actions and behavior towards a specific goal and helps them to avoid overreacting to a certain situation they can’t control.
How Does Counseling Help?
There are many factors that can affect if a parent is comfortable seeking counseling for their child. What’s important to realize is that the sooner you recognize there could be a problem, the sooner your child can learn coping mechanisms to better control strong emotions. This should not be a source of embarrassment, but rather provide relief that you are taking action to help your child. Our experienced counselors can provide step by step instructions that can assist your child in gaining the needed skills and confidence that behavioral outbursts can be avoided.
If you are concerned about your child’s behavior, please contact us today to make an appointment at one of our three convenient locations. We are always here to help you.
