My
name is Vickie L. Green. I am a Licensed Professional
Child Counselor-Therapist in the State of Michigan.
I work with children and parents in my office at Professional
Counseling Services serving the Traverse City area.
I
have been a school counselor with more than 25 years
of experience working with children of all ages.
Most general counseling centers are not equipped
to adequately meet the needs of children. You won't
find other counselors in the area that have this
kind of experience. I continue to specialize in
child counseling in my private practice.
I specialize in
Children's Therapy! This means
you can be assured your child will be getting the
special, specific attention of a therapist trained
for the unique needs of children. I provide age-appropriate
children's counseling therapy using a variety of
strategies.
Counseling
children and adolescents requires a variety of skills
and techniques. Approaching a teenager's problems
is quite different than working with a 5 or 6 year
old. Every child in any given age range is different
so therapy must be tailored individually to meet
each child's needs. Some teenagers are eager to
get help with what's bothering them; others are
just as resistant in the beginning in the counselor's
office as they are at home. For those children it
takes time to overcome their mistrust and find a
common ground. On the other hand, most younger children,
once they've overcome their anxiety about the unknown,
look forward to sessions and respond quickly to
therapy.
Child
and adolescent counseling works best when paired with
family therapy and parent skills training. A child's
problems don't occur in isolation; they're often a manifestation
of stressors and difficulties within the family as a
whole. If these problems aren't addressed, positive
outcomes may take longer to achieve.
The
crucial first step towards wellness is the initial phone
call to my office to make an appointment.
I appreciate the courage that it takes for you to reach
out and say, "my child needs help".
I
offer help to your child experiencing any of the following
conditions . . .
- Adjustment
to Divorce - Remarriage - Blended Families
- Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism
- School
Related Issues - Academic Problems
- Behavioral
Concerns - Lying, Stealing etc.
- Pre-Teen
and Teen Issues
- Depression,
Anxiety and Fear Issues
- Tantrums,
Fighting, Anger, Aggression - Impulse Control
- Grief
and Loss - Adjusting to Death and Separation
- Adjustments
to Trauma, Family Crisis and Life Transitions
- Bed-wetting
or Self Soiling
- Poor
Social Skills - Self-esteem Issues - Self-concept
Issues
- Obsessions
and Compulsions
- Developmental
Problems - Learning Disabilities - Special Needs
- Physical
or Sexual Child Abuse
- Substance
Abuse - Truancy - Runaway
Play
Therapy
Play
Therapy is the most effective therapy for children up
to the age of 10 to 12 years old - at which age children
have developed their abstract reasoning skills adequately
enough to allow them to verbally express their emotions
and feelings.
When children are not equipped to
solve their own problems, they often act out and are
unhappy. Play therapy provides the opportunity for therapists
to assess and understand children’s play. When children
can confront their problems in the play session, they
are able to develop more appropriate resolutions and
gain insight about how to handle situations. A child's
natural language is play and toys are his or her words.
By having a skilled play therapist work with your child
in a state of play, your child reaps the benefits of
therapy without having to verbalize any concerns unless
he or she is able, or chooses to.
Play Therapy is designed to give your
child freedom to grow and explore values, skills and
beliefs in a safe and healthy environment. Child-centered
Play Therapy allows the child to heal in his or her
own manner and time, giving the child responsibility
for and control of the successes.
Play therapy especially benefits children
3-12, and helps children take responsibility for behaviors,
establish creative solutions to problems, accept themselves
and others, experience and express emotions, learn respect
for feelings of others, cultivate relational skills
with family, gain pride in their abilities, and more!
Each play therapy session lasts about
45 minutes and is usually held weekly. The average length
of time for a child to receive play therapy is 12 -
20 weeks, although some children need fewer or additional
sessions.
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Childhood
Depression
Do
you know that the most common symptoms of childhood
depression are not what most people think. Parents often
associate depression with symptoms like extreme sadness,
crying, and withdrawal . . . the kinds of behaviors
we think of when we think of depression in adults. But,
many children react differently to depression than adults.
The most common signs of childhood
depression are anger, irritability, aggression, and
sleeping and eating problems. Even worse, too often
what's driving your child's depression if left untreated
can also lead to self-medicating . . . substance abuse.
Does your child seem angry too much
of the time? Does he or she seem to go raging out of
control over seemingly insignificant events? Do they
get into fights a lot or challenge the teachers at school?
Are simple requests or rules answered by screaming,
throwing or hitting things? Does your child want to
stay up all night and sleep all day? Are they eating
too little or too much? Do you suspect they're using
drugs or alcohol? If so, then depression may be part
of the problem.
Treatment
And Therapy
Counseling can help . . . or a combination of counseling
and medication. Understanding what a child is depressed
about and changing either what's happening or how they're
looking at it can make a big difference. Sometimes just
their being able to talk about it with someone who's
not as emotionally involved as a parent can help a child
feel a lot better about what's going on in their life.
Does the word "drugs" scare you? Don't
let that get in the way of considering medication for
your child. The new antidepressants are not like the
old style antidepressants. The new ones, called SSRI's,
are non-addictive and won't turn your child into a "zombie."
In certain situations, if it looks like counseling won't
work alone or quickly enough, I can refer you to a good
child psychiatrist who will be very careful about the
medications they prescribe for your child. I never advocate
medications, but our ethics require that I provide you
with as much information as you need to make good choices
for yourself and for your child.
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ADHD
- ADD - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder
While
ADHD shouldn't be used as an excuse for unacceptable
behaviors, understanding why and how a child's particular
brain influences perception and behavior can help
parents and teachers help the child . . . and help
the child help themselves. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder, better known as ADHD, is a complex neuropsychological
symptom set - usually characterized by a combination
of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors
in children and adults. ADHD is often accompanied
by sleep disorders, learning disabilities, obsessive
compulsive behaviors, poor peer relationships, explosive
temperament and substance abuse.
ADHD
is a different kind of brain, not a character flaw!
And, it does not necessarily need to be medicated!
It is greatly effected by stress. Simply put, when
the ADHD brain becomes stressed or anxious, certain
parts of the brain become overactive while other
parts, particularly the parts involved in self-management
and control, shut down. Which part does "what
and when" dictates the kind of ADHD reactions
that follow.
ADHD
Symptoms
This is important! There is a world
of difference between "a kid just being a kid" and a
child suffering from ADHD. The ADHD child cannot help
behaving they way they behave. The behaviors of a child
with ADHD can cause marked problems in social and academic
functioning. Furthermore, they may not be able to perceive
their behaviors as being any different than the other
kids in their class. No amount of scolding, disciplining
and punishment will change what they do. In fact, these
kinds of negative responses often increase the child's
frustration and anxiety and, therefore, escalate the
symptoms.
This is also important! The ADHD brain
may not be disordered! It may be just one kind of brain
out of several. There is no one-size-fits-all approach
to diagnosing or eliminating ADHD as the single cause
of the problem behaviors.
Other
Ways Of Looking At The ADHD Brain
This
is even more important! ADHD is officially estimated
to affect only 3-5% of school age children. But
many teachers report that children diagnosed and
medicated for ADHD often make up one quarter to
one third or more of their classrooms! How can this
be? Sometimes children can be mislabeled ADHD by
schools and, solely upon that recommendation, are
prescribed medication by a general practitioner
without being fully evaluated by professionals trained
in the diagnosis of ADHD. Too often there are other
factors causing or exacerbating the child's behaviors
which, left undiagnosed, may actually worsen after
treatment for ADHD alone.
Other
Problems Which Can Look Like ADHD
What causes true ADHD - that complex neuropsychological
brain disorder? Nobody knows for sure, but improvements
in electromagnetic imaging techniques, such as functional
MRI's and SPECT scans, have been helping researchers
zero in on the brain systems involved in ADHD and
related behaviors. There are indications that we
inherit brains types just like hair and eye color,
but things like childhood trauma or neglect, attachment
problems, high fevers, even minor head injuries
can make a huge difference in whether or not those
genetic tendencies make an appearance.
Why does the rate of ADHD seem to be drastically
increasing? Again, there are only good solid opinions
in place of proof. Premature birth resulting in
prolonged hospitalization seems to result in a higher
incidence of ADHD. There is a possible association
between steroid or steroid-type medications prescribed
for early childhood asthma and allergies and ADHD
symptoms. Children are being exposed to more hours
of television than ever before resulting in less
physical activity, poorer roles models, and possible
brain chemistry "melt-down.". Family diets have
changed considerably over the past decade with an
increased dependence on too much and the wrong kinds
of carbohydrates and fats. Schools present information
and learning in increasingly regimented ways which
don't necessarily fit with all the brains in the
classroom.
Better understanding and diagnostic
tools may account for some of the increase, too. Also,
behaviors which used to be written off as "just a kid
being a kid," are no longer acceptable in crowded classrooms,
resulting in more teacher referrals.
What May Be Contributing To The Increase In ADHD
What
may be contributing to the increase in ADHD diagnoses?
Ultimately, ADHD is an emotional and impulse control
self-management problem. Human beings are not born
knowing how to identify and appropriately express
feelings and impulses; that is learned. Throughout
the child's maturation, it is their caretaker's
job to help them identify what they are feeling,
put a name to it and choose from appropriate options
on how to express it. Rather than punishing an impulsive
behavior, the parent or teacher could wait until
the child is done being emotional, then review the
feelings and thoughts he or she had leading up to
the outburst to find places where they might have
taken an "exit ramp" before the collision happened.
What about medications for ADHD? I
normally do not recommend medication. It is usually
the last thing that I would suggest. First, I take the
time to gather information about all the possible variables
effecting your child's emotions and behaviors. I work
closely with the child's parents to make sure they have
all the tools they need to make better decisions about
how to help their child. I often refer to other specialists
for additional feedback. When necessary, I help the
child receive the services they need to do better in
school. If along the way I begin to form the opinion
that your child may benefit from medication, I will
share that opinion with you and offer the appropriate
referrals.
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When setting up an appointment
for your child - every effort will be made to provide
after school appointments for school age children and
to fit the schedule of working parents.
Contact
Questions? Please contact
me for further
information.
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