Teenagers and Children
Does your child:
> Engage in power struggles?
> Refuse to take responsibility for their behaviors?
> Dealing with the aftermath of divorce or loss of a family member?
> Have problems relating to adults or other kids?
> Worry excessively?
>
Seem sad or depressed?
We Can Help.
You can reverse these problems. At the Relationship Center of Michigan, we can help your child or teenager build stronger relationships with friends, to become more confident and improve their work in school, be become less anxious and to become happier with their lives. We do this through Teen Counseling and Therapy, Child Therapy, and Parent Coaching and Counseling.
Rather than telling you what's on their minds, kids do
things that indicate their feelings. They behave in ways that
signal that they are having difficulties. Kids and, often, teens are
simply not always able to put into words what is bothering them. They
simply don't always have the words to describe what they are going
through. They don't always know how to say it. As a parent you may see
disobedience, poor judgment, anger, extreme shyness or withdrawal,
frequent stomach aches or head aches, missing school, or drop in school
performance.
With kids, we often use "Play therapy." This recognized form of therapy
uses play as a way to get kids to communicate and work on their
problems. To the casual observer this may look like an over priced
play-time. But it is not. Children project their thoughts and feeling
about themselves and their families into their play. The trained
therapist uses the play to build trust, identify issues and help the
child solve the problem. Therapy with children cannot be
accomplished in few sessions. The first step is building a trusting
relationship with the therapist. The time it takes to accomplish this is
different with every child.
The same is true for teens. Building trust can take
longer because many adolescents are suspicious of all adults. They will
not open up if they feel that mom or dad is going to find out all their
secrets. Adolescent usually have lots of opinions about the world and
few people who are willing to listen to them without judging them.
We ask that you respect their confidentiality and not demand to know
everything about the session. It is ok to ask. But not to demand. Our
therapists will give you periodic updates about progress. They will also
immediately inform you of any dangerous behavior. Thus the therapy
session allows the adolescent to feel heard and understood.
We also offer Parent Counseling or Parent Coaching.
Parenting is tough and sometimes stressful. We can help your child by
helping you. You can focus on a number of goals, depending on your
needs. If you and your mate are not in agreement about how to raise your
children, discipline becomes much more difficult to achieve. We can help
you create that agreement.
Sometimes parents are not sure how to react to a child or how to deal with a problem. Our counselors are trained to help you respond in a positive and helpful way. The goal is to make you an effective and competent parent. It is often stressful to parent a strong-willed or special needs child.
Sometimes a parent will take a negative attitude toward
their child. One might be more irritable and impatient with a child.
This only causes more problems, because the child will then react
unhelpfully. We can help you to reduce your stress and help you respond
effectively to your child or teen. We help make you a better
parent.
We first have a meeting with you and your child. We do this to get to know your child and to gather information about the problems. Then teens and children may be seen separately, with their parents, or with the entire family, as necessary. In cases where the teenager or child is seen separately, periodic updates are given to the parents. Your child will have a non-judgmental adult to talk about any problems. They will be treated with respect. They will be asked to be honest and real with themselves and with the therapist.
If you are a teen, you might ask: How can a therapist help me? They can:> Help you understand your problems
or why others think you have
problems.
> Help you figure out what you want from life and how to get it.
> Work with your parents, teachers or others to understand where you are
coming from.
> Help you understand why your parents or others are so worried or
upset.
What is important to keep in mind about therapy?
> You can figure out how you will
solve your problems.
> There is no blaming.
> Coming to therapy doesn't mean that you are broken or ill.
> Your conversation is held in confidence.
Our staff are licensed in the State of Michigan and have training in in working with kids and teens. Unlike some counselors, we do not tell you what is wrong with you or tell you what or how to think. We are interested in you and want to know what you have to say.
We accept many different insurances. To see if your insurance will cover our services, or for more information or to schedule an appointment:
>
Call us at (810) 227-6218 or (888) 372-4861
> Email us at
info@relationship-center-mi.com
*************************************************************
Sign up here for our Ezine which gives great information about
relationships.
You will also get your free report: Ten Tips for a Great
Relationship
We will never give your information to anyone.
**************************************
Click here for more information on:
***************************************
Frequently Asked Questions
Length of therapy: Counseling is usually time-limited and ends when your goals have been met. The national average is about 14 sessions to resolve the problem. Many take fewer sessions. But more complex situations can take longer to address and resolve. Because we have many years of experience, we have almost certainly dealt with almost any issues you may have.
Choosing a
Therapist:
Unfortunately, therapists are like car mechanics (or any other
professional): some are good and some are merely ok.
Look for a therapist who takes the time and effort to pay
attention to you. Do they
return phone calls promptly?
Is he or she willing to talk to you prior to your making an appointment?
How do the therapist and the support staff sound on the phone?
Are they friendly? Do
they give you a feeling that they can be trusted?
Therapists are trained in different types of therapy. Ask the therapist how they do therapy. After the first session or two, do you feel that you can trust the therapist? Is there a match between your personalities? Sometimes your personality will not match up with the therapist's. People are just different, through no fault of their own. If you are not comfortable, it is better to look for a better match. For that matter, it is ok to interview more than one therapist.
Insurance: We accept many different insurances. To see if your insurance will cover our services, please call our office staff at (810) 227-6218 during daytime hours.
Since 1997, we have helped couples solve their problems and become happier and closer to each other.
Call (810) 227-6218 or send an email to info@relationship-center-mi.com now to make an appointment or learn more about how we can help you.The Relationship Center of Michigan offers marriage counseling, couples therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, divorce counseling, premarital counseling, singles and couples workshops, relationship advice and parent counseling to communities in southeastern Michigan, including: Livingston County Brighton Howell Fowlerville Whitmore Lake Webberville Lansing Ann Arbor Cohoctah Linden Detroit Troy Birmingham Southfield Bloomfield Hills Farmington Novi Northville Ann Arbor Oakland Berkeley Ferndale Pleasant Ridge Plymouth Lathrup Village Livonia Hell Pinckney Green oak Clarkston Beverly Hills Waterford Rochester Wixom Wayne Canton Flint Walled Lake Milford South Lyon Bell Oak Hamburg Hartland Highland Fenton Gregory Lakeland New Hudson Superior township 48872 48892 48836 48892 48137 48116 48114 48854 48159 48169 48451 48430 48189 48178 48380 48843 48353 48067