Child Counselor - Family Counselor

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".

• 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.