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Our Services for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults |
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 Children
Children come to therapy at the Samaritan Counseling Center because a caring adult like a parent, teacher, relative, pastor or friend has identified something in the child’s behavior or emotional responses or attitude that is of a concern. For example,
• experiencing reactive symptoms of stress or fear after experiencing a traumatic incident
• a pattern of problematic behavior at school that continues despite family and/or school intervention.
• regularly defying authority or shows a pattern of breaking rules
• experiencing significant loss as in the death of a loved one or going through parent’s divorce
• recurring anxiety or fears which are interfering with normal activities and routine
• chronic illness or serious injury
• attention/concentration problems or has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD
• depression or low self esteem
• high levels of anger or aggression, acting out against other children
• isolating, having difficulty building social relationships, or is being bullied
Children are sometimes seen by a therapist individually. Often there will be family therapy involving the parents and/or some of the other family members. Or there will be a combination of individual and family therapy. The goal is to help each child acquire the personal and interpersonal skills needed to be successful at home, at school, and in their social relationships and activities.
 Adolescents
Making the transition from childhood to adulthood presents unique challenges. Occasionally, a teenager will express a desire to get some counseling help, but more often it is a parent or teacher or coach or youth group leader who identifies this need in an adolescent. Many times parents are seeking information that would make a distinction between normal teenage behavior, and behavior that has crossed into something more and requires professional help. Adolescents struggle with similar issues as children, (see above list under “Children”) and also:
• exhibiting a significant drop in academic achievement
• binge drinking, abusing drugs, or showing signs of another addictive behavior
• showing signs of an eating disorder
• struggling with peer pressure or making a change in peer affiliation that is a concern
• intense mood swings or reoccurring anxiety or depression symptoms
• constant conflict with authority figures
• engaging in high risk behaviors or unhealthy patterns of relating to the opposite sex
• volatile, angry, or physically acts out anger against others
• engaging in self-harming behavior
 Young Adults
Young adulthood is a time when young men and women seek to establish themselves as adults in the world with a balanced and healthy lifestyle and to find both meaningful work and love for a lifetime. Young adults seek counseling for the above reasons and are seen in individual therapy, rather than family therapy.
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