50+ In-Network Insurances We Accept In Illinois
Comprehensive, Personalized Care For You
LifeStance providers can help children and their families cope with difficult interpersonal relationships, stress, and crises.
We connect you with Licensed Clinicians who match your needs and goals.
Your Clinician performs a thorough evaluation of your child’s symptoms and develops a personalized treatment plan.
Your Clinician maintains a proper level of care through therapy sessions while staying connected with your support system. If appropriate, your clinician can refer your child to a psychiatric clinician for evaluation and medication management.
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How Do I Know If My Child Needs Counseling?
If you’re wondering whether your child could benefit from therapy, one of our licensed providers can assess them and inform care. You likely landed on this page because you are concerned about something your child said, did, or felt. That’s a sign that it may be time to check in with a licensed, specialized therapist.
Think of it like when your child is physically ill. If they have the sniffles, you may know how to handle it. But when you start searching the internet for symptoms, it’s probably time to call the pediatrician.
The same thing goes for mental and behavioral health. The occasional tantrum or bad day is something you know how to handle. But when you’re lying awake at night wondering if something is “normal,” or you’re worried that something serious may be going on, checking in with a therapist is a great idea.
Children & Adolescent Treatment Options
At LifeStance, our child and adolescent mental health services are tailored to meet the unique emotional and developmental needs of young individuals.
Therapy Options for Children
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, and that is especially true for children. That’s why we offer several types of therapy for children and teens. Families may use one or more types of pediatric therapy in a care plan, and they may use therapy alongside medication.
LifeStance offers many types of pediatric therapy, including:
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Pediatric Psychology
• Play Therapy
In some types of pediatric therapy, parents play an active role in the sessions. For other types of care, therapists work one-on-one with the child and keep parents up to date as they go.
Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) is an evidence-based parent-training designed to help children aged 3 to 8 who are experiencing a wide range of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. This training teaches parents how to use play therapeutically so that the communication between parent and child is improved and their relationship is enhanced.
When children experience a play relationship in which they feel accepted, understood, and cared for, they play out many of their problems and, in the process, release tension and anxiety. When children feel better about themselves, they tend to behave in more self-enhancing, and less self-defeating ways.
Play therapy is a form of treatment that can help children who are experiencing social, emotional, behavioral, and relationship disorders to express their emotions, improve their communication abilities, and learn to solve problems.
This kind of therapy honors a child’s unique developmental level and looks for ways of helping by observing and interacting with how they play, which is the natural expressive “language” of children. Play therapy is most often used for children ages 4-12, though it can also be used in varying forms with teenagers and adults, as well as with children and their parents or caretakers.
Play therapy is recognized as an evidence-based practice by professional organizations for anxiety, disruptive behaviors, and victims of abuse. Research shows that play therapy can be effective in treating a variety of mental health and behavior issues. Play therapy research dates back over 100 years, with more rigorous study in the last few decades. Across issues that have been studied, play therapy consistently demonstrates positive effects with few exceptions.
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) was originally used to help children and adolescents who had experienced sexual abuse. Now, this approach is being applied to children, adolescents, and adults who experienced any form of trauma or abuse as a child.
TIC recognizes and responds to the signs, symptoms, and risks of trauma to support the health needs of people who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Adopting trauma-informed practices can improve engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes.
Unlike traditional therapy, trauma-informed treatment integrates an awareness of trauma into every aspect of therapy while prioritizing the individual’s safety. A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that healthcare providers need to have a complete picture of the individual’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective healthcare services. This type of treatment brings awareness of trauma by creating a safe space to navigate the individual’s mental health journey.
Psychiatry Options for Children
Medication management can be an essential part of psychiatric care for children and adolescents, as identifying proper prescriptions and dosage schedules are a key part of successful psychiatric treatment.
Some mental health disorders are best treated by therapy, while others are best treated through both therapy and medication. More often than not, the most successful interventions combine the two. For example, a child receiving exposure therapy for OCD may need medication to ameliorate their symptoms as they practice techniques learned in therapy.
In some cases, medication is the core treatment and therapy is the secondary intervention. Those with a chemical imbalance, for example, may need medication to stabilize the mind and then therapy for healing.
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), many treatment options are available. Please remember that only certain medical professionals can prescribe medication and perform thorough physical evaluations to rule out other possible causes of symptoms of ADHD. These professionals are physicians (M.D. or D.O.), nurse practitioners, and physician assistants (P.A.) under physician supervision.
You want to choose a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in treating patients with ADHD because they will be the most up-to-date on research and treatments for ADHD.
Psychologists treat ADHD with different types of behavioral therapies, but they cannot prescribe medications.
Psychiatric clinicians treat ADHD with behavioral therapies too but can also prescribe specific ADHD medications as part of your child’s overall treatment
Autism is most often tested in children but can also be diagnosed in teens and adults. Diagnosing someone with autism as early as possible allows them to get the services and support they need to reach their full potential.
Diagnosing autism or autism spectrum disorder can be challenging because the cluster of symptoms can be quite confusing to non-clinicians. Because of this, doctors must look at the child’s developmental history and behavior in order to make an autism diagnosis. Psychiatric clinicians may also recommend psychological testing as part of the evaluation process for autism.
To figure out if a child has autism, they are observed and evaluated on their development in several key areas:
- Language & Communication
- Social Awareness & Interaction
- Restricted Interests & Repetitive Behavior
Online Treatment Options for Child Therapy and Psychiatry
When appropriate, online appointments can serve as an additional way for psychiatrists and therapists to provide mental health services to those who cannot come into their offices for in-person appointments. An online appointment is conducted online via your computer, phone, or tablet.
Child Psychiatry and Therapy FAQs
If your child or teen is experiencing any of the following, they might benefit from a visit with one of our therapists:
- Sadness, tearfulness, or depression
- Social withdrawal or isolation
- Excessively angry outbursts or acting out
- Decreased interest in activities they previously enjoyed
- Drastic mood swings
- Alcohol, drug, or substance abuse
- Attention deficits (ADD/ADHD)
- Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
- Speech, language, or other developmental delays
- Family separation such as divorce in the family or high-conflict custody disputes
- The death of a close family member, friend, or beloved pet Eating disorders or drastic appetite changes
- Irregular sleep, including insomnia or excessive sleepiness
- Complaints of illness (such as headache, upset stomach, or not feeling well)
even though a doctor finds nothing wrong
- Struggle to complete ordinary tasks or to enjoy their daily lives
- Express suicidal ideas or have self-harmed
- Are likely to need medication as part of their treatment
- Require admission to a hospital
- Have hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) or delusions (fixed ideas that are not true)
- Have complex needs that require a team of doctors and other professionals
- Continue to have problems despite help from other mental health professionals
Children as young as two years old can benefit from therapy. However, the right time to start counseling may depend on the child’s needs, family’s goals, and the therapist’s expertise. Children as young as 12 can start seeing adolescent therapists, who use different methods. Your therapist can help ensure that your child receives age-appropriate care.
- First and foremost, find a calm moment to bring up therapy with your child. Don’t discuss the topic in the midst of a tantrum or argument. When the time is right, explain to your child what they can expect in a way that is compassionate and age appropriate.
- The younger your child is, the fewer details you need to give them. For example, a preschooler may just need to know that they are safe and that their therapist or psychiatrist is here to help. However, an older child may need to have a
discussion about how counseling might help them feel happier. - You can also prepare your child by making them as comfortable and happy as possible on the day of the first appointment. Consider letting your child wear their favorite clothes and bring a comfort item, such as a toy or blanket.
- The first few appointments are the time for you, your child, and the provider to get to know one another. It is normal for a child starting therapy to have questions, concerns, and maybe even fears.
- Talk to your child and ask them how they are feeling, and if they have any questions. Be sure to share what you are learning about the process as you go. It’s important to remember that trying anything new can be stressful for a child.
Help them understand that visiting a therapist/psychiatrist is often the first step towards them feeling happier and doing better in their daily lives.
