While parenting can be a very satisfying, fulfilling and rewarding job it can also be challenging, stressful and at times overwhelming. It can become that more difficult when your child shows signs of behaviour issues or changes in mood/behaviour that are concerning. Unfortunately parenting does not come with a manual so as parents, we must determine whether a certain behaviour or pattern of behaviours is normal and to be expected for the child’s age and developmental stage or whether it is not typical behaviour and therefore should be assessed by a professional.
Signs that your child, tween or teen may need psychological counselling include:
- Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Frequent angry outbursts & a tendency to overreact to situations
- Persistent worry, anxiety, or fearfulness
- Preoccupation with physical illness, germs or their appearance
- Fear that someone is controlling his or her mind or feeling "out of control"
- A sudden drop in school grades
- Loss of interest in activities that he or she previously enjoyed
- Isolating himself or herself from friends and family
- Changes in patterns of eating or sleeping
- Expressing thoughts of suicide
- Engaging in self-harming behaviour such as cutting
- Difficulty thinking clearly or making decisions
- Difficulty with focus or concentration
- An inability to sit still
- Obsessively performing routines such as hand washing, cleaning, turning on & off light switches etc.
- Alcohol and/or drug use
- Restrictive eating/binge eating/preoccupation with body image
- Difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships and reading nonverbal social cues
- Learning difficulties including poor school performance
- Organization and time-management difficulties