Mental HealthSigns Your Child May Need Counselling

It’s a tough thing for parents to admit even to themselves that their child might need some professional help from a counsellor. The idea of having to find a child psychologist based in Perth area is absolute anathema to some, who may either be in denial about their child’s needs, or just terrified of the many stigmas attached to the idea.

It’s a big step and takes a great deal of courage on the part of both parent and child, but it’s very important that you don’t ignore the signs that your child might benefit from a counselling session.

Sign 1: They Consistently Display Defiant Behaviour

The occasional “no” or a refusal of a child to comply with your wishes is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, but what if it becomes the default setting? An increased inclination for your child to argue with you, complain about your decisions, and putting up heavy resistance to even the most everyday and mundane requests like brushing their teeth, are all signs that there might be something else going on. That something could be a thing a child psychologist can determine and on which they can offer insight.

Sign 2: There are Signs of Regressions

Through your child’s early years, you may have helped through common problems like bedwetting, excessive temper tantrums during the terrible twos, and seen them develop improving language skills and growing confidence. This is the experience shared by many parents. One alarming thing for a parent to see is their child starting to regress in some way, either by a negative thing resuming in frequency such as bedwetting, or their confidence starting to wane into fearfulness and anxiety.

These things can happen suddenly and with no apparent reason that’s obvious to you. Even if you try talking to your child about it, they may be defensive or just clam up. The odds are that the child won’t have any insight into why it might be happening to them, either. This is where a child psychologist can offer a great contribution.

Sign 3: Your Child is Withdrawing Socially

Have you noticed that your child is spending less time with their friends? You might ask your child’s teacher if they’ve noticed who they are eating lunch with typically — or ask your child directly if you think it’s alright. Are they eating alone? Do they make excuses about going to playdates or friends’ birthday parties? Do they resist when it’s time to leave the house to attend any kind of social activity?

There could be something bigger going on here. If it’s just one bad day or even a rough week caused by something specific like an embarrassing incident at school, then it might be nothing to worry about, but if it goes on for longer and starts to become the norm, a psychologist may help unlock the reasons behind it, such as an ongoing bullying situation.

Sign 4: Your Child Has Mentioned Self-Harm

This is more typical in older children and teenagers, but if your child has ever talked about self-harm, even in an apparently jocular or ironic sense, then it might be worth paying more attention to how they’re doing. Depression and related issues can be well hidden behind masks of jovial amiability. Sometimes there are signs on their social media that things could be wrong, and if any content is talking about self-harm, suicide or anything like that, then consulting with a child psychologist is a positive step.

Sign 5: There’s a Sudden Shift in Their Interests

Losing interest in hobbies is fairly normal for kids as they grow up. They may start in one arena and evolve into other things over time, but if a long-held passion is suddenly dropped and they declare they now hate it, it can be a little disarming for parents. It’s not exactly typical for someone of any age to suddenly lose all interest in long-held hobbies and interests. It could be a sign of depression or another issue. At any rate, it’s not a bad call to consult with a counsellor.

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