Children face many stressful situations, from home to school and other places in between. Consequently, a child facing emotional issues or problems is not an isolated concern, according to "Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Young Children," by Gretchen Gimpel Peacock and Melissa L. Holland. If you are a parent, caretaker or an adult in a position of trust or authority, understanding how to find or provide emotional help to a child helps to ensure that young people regain and maintain optimal psychological health.
Types
A variety of resources exists to provide emotional help for a child, depending on the severity of her needs and the root cause of her issues or problems, according to "Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Young Children." A primary source of emotional support for a child must be a parent or other primary caretaker. Indeed, absent this type of support, a child's emotional issues tend to magnify. Other sources include professional out-patient therapy or counseling, in-patient treatment and medication.
Function
The function of emotional help for a child is three-fold. First, assistance for a child is designed to directly deal with immediate problems associated with emotional issues, to stabilize the child's situation. Second, assistance is designed to attempt to prevent a recurrence of emotional problems in the future. Finally, a function of this type of help is to provide a child tools necessary to better deal with a relapse of emotional issues, if there is a recurrence.
Time Frame
Interceding on behalf of a child with evident emotional issues in as proactive a manner as possible is crucial. The front line defense for protecting a child developing emotional issues is his home. Keep in mind, however, that children do develop emotional problems that exceed the remedies and support available through untrained professionals. Obtain professional intervention and assistance before an emotional issue becomes a crisis.
Misconceptions
Despite community-based educational and informational programs, a stigma still attaches to a child in need of professional emotional assistance and support. The reality is that a parent or guardian can obtain appropriate professional assistance for a child in a private, confidential manner. Ultimately, no need exists for anyone outside the child's immediate family to know that she requires professional help.
No-Cost Assistance
Some parents balk at seeking professional emotional help for their children due to cost considerations. Private therapy is expensive. However, this is not the only resource available to children in need of professional emotional or psychological help. Community mental health centers provide a range of services for children. In addition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is a clearinghouse for supportive services and information useful to a parent of a child with emotional issue.
References
- "Help Your Child or Teen Get Back on Track"; Kenneth H. Talan; 2007
- "Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Young Children"; Gretchen Gimpel Peacock & Melissa L. Holland; 2003
- "Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions"; Pat Harvey & Jeanine A. Penzo; 2009
