If you’ve found yourself losing sleep at night and searching the internet wondering whether or not what your child is currently experiencing is normal, it’s safe to say your child could benefit from talking to a professional regarding their recent concerns.
Darwin child psychologist Barbara Kapser recommends that if your child is currently making statements that don’t align with their typical temperament, you should definitely seek external help before the situation escalates.
She also advises to watch for sudden swings in mood, from “bright and bubbly” to “quiet and withdrawn” or “calm and placid” to “angry and irritable”.
Ms Kapser has extensive specialist training regarding children’s developmental concerns, trauma, attachment disorders, behavioural management and sensory processing challenges, along with overall parenting difficulties, which sets her apart from many of her industry peers.
Your child may have recently started primary school, and while the separation from being at home with parents to the new routine will come with its own set of challenges, it should settle down within a reasonable time-frame.
Therefore, if your child can’t seem to relax and appears to be over-boisterous compared to their schoolmates or it has been reported that they have been unable to take part in certain activities or concentrate in class, it’s likely they need professional intervention.
As an experienced Darwin child psychologist, Ms Kapser will be able to best ascertain exactly what your child’s current needs are in order to create a custom counselling plan to help them navigate the challenging stage.
For teenagers in particular, having someone other than their parents to talk to can be hugely beneficial. Teens are more likely to respond to a confidante, rather than spilling all their private and personal concerns to their folks, whom they can typically perceive to be “out of touch” with the needs, wants, desires and hurdles of teenage life.
Even if the problem is just a phase and therefore only a temporary issue for your kids, seeking a Darwin child psychologist can provide a valuable learning experience. This ‘hurdle’, as you might see it, may be the very opportunity for them to obtain the necessary tools that may help them throughout their entire lives.
Therapy can make tough times a lot less painful for both children and their parents, whereby the cliché “a problem shared is a problem halved” can ring very true.
If any of these warning signs are coming up for your kids, it’s a good idea to talk to Ms Kapser about what child psychology solutions she can assist with:
- Your child is undergoing a stressful life event, including bullying, health concerns, the divorce of their parents, the arrival of a new sibling, or a relocation to a new town or starting a new school.
- They’re having frequent and long-lasting tantrums, whereby they can’t seem to settle.
- Your child is exhibiting violent behaviour, such as destroying property or hitting people.
- Pulling at their hair or eyelashes, scratching themselves or more obvious self-harm, such as cutting their skin.
- They begin speaking about self-harm, writing suicide notes or if they are searching about “suicide” online.
- Frequently saying things like “I hate my life”, “You’d be better off without me”, “Nobody ever wants to play with me”, or “I wish I wasn’t here”.
- A traumatic family event, such as an accident, death, abuse or marital separation, whereby even if they seem fine, there may be underlying issues (talking about their grief or trauma can help avoid issues later on).
- If they suddenly start displaying certain anti-social behaviour or a significant event has triggered a regression in the child’s development.
- Very obvious changes in personality, whereby your child has relinquished their sporting team commitments, won’t leave their room or is wanting to drop out of school activities altogether.
- Your child’s anxiety is interfering with their daily routine, and impeding school activities, homework, mealtimes and bedtimes.
- Your child’s problem seems to be getting worse with age, rather than diminishing, making it difficult for them to make and maintain friendships.
- Their school grades have dropped considerably, and they struggle to pay attention in class.
Perhaps your child’s concerns are seemingly more subtle, hence your sleepless nights and the constant searching for answers regarding whether or not their behaviour is normal.
There are other ways in which children present with issues that go deeper than the surface level and knowing how to look for these can be trickier for parents.
Sometimes a trip to your local child psychologist can provide the reassurance you need that your kid is OK, while a little bit of professional help will be all it takes to set them sail on calmer waters.
The following markers can be indicators your child would benefit from meeting with a professional child psychologist in Darwin:
- Their problems are negatively impacting family dynamics and other relationships within the family unit, including siblings and/or parents.
- They’re having constant trouble within their own friendship circle.
- Losing confidence in themselves and feeling they are inadequate in many areas of their life.
- If they seem worried or stressed and appear tense a lot of the time.
- Expressing the pointlessness of “everything”, whereby nothing seems to pique their interest.
- A loss of interest in activities, their friends or not wanting to leave their room.
- Dramatic changes to their sleep and dietary habits.
- Quick to flame, whereby they often seem irritable or angry, which has led to somewhat difficult behaviour.
If there are struggles, the earlier you seek treatment for your child or adolescent the more quickly these difficulties will be resolved. More entrenched problems can take longer to get to the bottom of.
In her child psychology practice in Darwin, Ms Kapser works within a multidisciplinary team, which allows her to offer a holistic service to ensure more long-lasting results via tailored therapy solutions.
Having trained extensively to additionally understand the influencing factors that contribute to children’s challenging behaviours, Ms Kapser is highly qualified to address and remedy your children’s many and varied concerns.
Address the issue as soon as you notice a shift in your child by contacting the practice, Stepping Stones in Life Therapy Service, on (08) 8985 6067.
