Children

Karen Nicholson services for childrenChild Psychotherapist Ann Arbor

I offer assessments and ongoing short term or long term therapy for children four years old and older who are struggling in pre-school, grade school family, and/or relationships and friendships.  I usually meet with parents first before seeing the child to assess the situation. I then do family/parent consultations if needed after meeting with the child for at least three sessions.  I provide school consultation services if needed in order to ensure that teachers, school social workers and I work as a team to help child succeed at school and at home.

I prefer to meet with children and parents in my office, but do virtual therapy sessions using skype and face time if the parents are out of town.  I also offer phone sessions if necessary. New text.

Symptoms to look for in your child:

  • Avoidance

    • Avoiding playdates
    • Avoiding sports or competition
    • Avoiding school and or group activities
    • Avoiding foods much more than other children their age
    • Avoiding unfamiliar or new situations
    • Avoiding making new friendships
    • Avoiding going to bed at night
    • Hiding to get away from social or unfamiliar situations.

  • Separation anxiety

    • Clinging to parents during drop off at school
    • Crying in separation situations
    • Refusing to go to school
    • Saying their sick in order to stay home with parent
    • Refusing to go to bed
    • Sleeping with parents
    • Worrying about safety of parents and themselves

  • Irritability

    • Temper tantrums often
    • Unexplained anger
    • Punching
    • Hitting
    • pushing
    • More quiet than usual
    • Difficulty concentrating

  • Defiance

    • Not listening
    • Refusing to do what is asked
    • interrupting
    • Temper tantrums
    • Screaming
    • Saying no and resisting

  • Physiological symptoms

    • Frequent Stomach aches
    • Frequent Headaches
    • Frequent Back aches
    • Feeling faint
    • sweating
    • Nausea
    • Heart racing
    • Difficulty swallowing
    • Shaking
    • Throwing up before special events
    • Difficulty sleeping
    • Agitation

  • Worries

    • Realistic worries

      • Excessive worries about:
        • tests often
        • school often
        • friendships often
        • the future often
        • appearance often
        • performance in sports, school, and relationships often
        • being judged
        • Worries get in the way of school, relationship building, and jobs, and family
        • Worries about separation from parents, especially when they go to work or travel

    • Unrealistic Worries

      • Worries about the world ending
      • Worries about health
      • Worries about burglars
      • Worries about monsters
      • Worries about storms
      • Worries about parents or loved ones dying often
      • Worries about something bad happening without reason
      • Worries about natural disasters

  • Comupulsions

    • Counting
    • Rituals
    • Praying
    • Tapping
    • Washing hands
    • Reassurance seeking “am I pretty?” “am I ok?”  “do you love me?” and no matter how much reassurance you give it’s not enough
    • Sadness
      • Crying often without reason
      • Low self-esteem
      • Says no one likes them
      • Suicidal thoughts “ I would be better off dead”, “ no one loves me”

Many of these symptoms occur at some point in a child’s life, but if the symptoms occur more often than other children their age, you may want to consider further assessment.

If you would like to seek treatment, treatment for these symptoms should include evidence -based therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure response prevention therapy, behavioral interventions, along with family/parent guidance therapy as well as play therapy. It is imperative that the therapist understand and know how to elicit the destructive complicated thought patterns and feelings that induce these behaviors.

I offer assessments and ongoing short term or long term therapy for children who are struggling in school, family, and/or relationships and friendships.  I usually meet with the child first before parents to assess the situation. I then do family/parent consultations if needed after meeting with the child for at least three sessions.  I provide school consultation services if needed in order to ensure that teachers, school social workers and I work as a team to help the child succeed at school and at home.

I prefer to meet with kids in my office, but do virtual therapy sessions using skype and face time if the family is out of town.  I also offer phone sessions if necessary.