As a parent, there is nothing more heartbreaking than detecting sadness in a child. Many factors drive the mood of children and young adolescents, but one factor stands out as the most common reason why children feel down in the dumps.
It is called self-esteem.
The self-esteem of your daughter is about the value the child places on feeling worthy of love, acceptance, and compassion. If your daughter possesses low self-esteem, it makes it difficult for the child to navigate life’s often difficult journey.
How do you help your daughter build self-esteem or restore previously strong self-esteem? One of the most effective strategies is to enroll your daughter in a highly-rated individual child therapy program.
Why Does Child Therapy Matter?
Children face many difficult life issues that often result in confusion at best and intense emotional pain at worst. The more a child receives negative feedback, the more likely the child eventually shuts down because of reduced self-esteem. Child therapy pairs an empathic and experienced therapist who builds the level of trust required to get your daughter to open up about the issues that have damaged her self-esteem.
Improving self-esteem is about building or rebuilding confidence, and one of the proven ways to achieve enhanced self-esteem is through play therapy sessions.
What is Play Therapy?
Taking your daughter to a therapist can trigger an inordinate amount of stress for the child. Although adult therapy can trigger stress because of the stigma attached to undergoing therapy, for a child, the stress often derives from confusion and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. One of the best ways to eliminate confusion and uncertainty is by introducing your daughter to play therapy techniques.
Play therapy centers around activities your daughter should consider fun. It allows your daughter to relax and eventually express what issues are troubling her. Children, especially young ones, have difficulty verbally expressing their emotions. Play therapy provides them with an opportunity to act out the challenges they face that have diminished their self-esteem.
Implementing play therapy techniques can provide emotional support for kids that face academic challenges, deal with a traumatic event, or live with an acute mental health issue such as anxiety and/or depression. Two types of play therapy play a pivotal role in boosting the self-esteem of children and young adolescents.
Child-centered play therapy allows your daughter to take the lead when communicating with a therapist. The therapist working with your daughter pays close attention to non-verbal cues, and then encourages your daughter to share what is on her mind. Directive play therapy involves the therapist directing your daughter by asking questions or encouraging her to act out different scenarios that trigger positive emotions. The techniques used to foster the development of self-esteem include sand play, pretend play, and creating art.
The Bottom Line
Poor self-esteem can spill over into every area of a child’s life. It can produce irrevocable damage to your daughter’s mental and emotional development. Child therapy offers your daughter the opportunity to build confidence by sharing information with one of our experienced therapists.
