If your child struggles with learning, behavior and maintaining healthy relationships at school and at home, there may be a medical reason this is happening. Many children suffer from conditions such as childhood depression, attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, autism and other conditions that affect their normal daily routine.

However, some of these children can benefit greatly by receiving counseling from a child therapist. Once your child has been properly diagnosed there are various treatments that can be used by a therapist that can help your child live a closer to normal life. These are some of the different treatments that are often provided by child therapists.

Developmental Therapy 

Developmental therapy is often provided to younger children who are delayed in their mental, emotional, social, language and motor skills. Some children may have problems with speech, interacting with others, maintaining their attention span or other skills that are appropriate for their age.

However, child therapists use different types of play therapy, speech therapy and learning activities that can help them overcome the developmental delays so they can be on a similar level as children their age. Developmental delays may occur for various reasons, but with the correct medical treatment and proper therapy, these problems can be resolved.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy 

If your child has problems with mood swings, anxiety or anger management, he may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy. This type of therapy involves helping the child understand that his thoughts and feelings influence his behavior and that he can use positive thoughts to create positive behavior.

Cognitive behavior therapy helps a child identify negative thoughts so that inappropriate behavior does not occur. This type of therapy has also been used in treating children who have post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Interpersonal Therapy 

Interpersonal therapy was specifically developed to treat both children and adolescents who suffer from clinical depression, but is also used to treat other conditions as well. The therapist focuses on what events in the patient's life have triggered his negative emotional state. The patient is taught to use coping skills to focus on the positive aspects of his life instead of the negative.

With the proper diagnosis and counseling, this therapy can help a child improve relationships with his family, friends and others who are involved in his life. This can also help children and adolescents have better relationships with others in the future as they become adults.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy 

For those children and teenagers who have severe emotional problems, dialectical behavior therapy can be of great help. This therapy is commonly given to young people who are chronically suicidal, have engaged in self-harming behaviors or have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Dialectal behavior therapy involves the therapist teaching the patient how to take responsibility for their problems and to use more positive ways to manage anger or intensely negative feelings. It is not uncommon for this type of therapy to involve both individual sessions with the therapist and meetings in group therapy.

Regardless of what type of mental or emotional problems your child has, chances are it can be very beneficial for him get help from a child therapist. Child therapists have the professional training and education necessary to help young patients live happier, more fulfilling lives. For more information, check with therapists like those at Lazaroff & Lazaroff - Beatrice S. Lazaroff, Ph.D./Jerry M. Lazaroff, Ph.D.