Counseling for Families & Children in St. Louis
Here to Help You Navigate Whatever Challenges Arise
Our families and children are fundamental to who we are, and they are so precious to our experience of life. If you or a family member are experiencing distress, confusion, or hopelessness in any aspect of your life, we are ready to help. People can often feel like failures, or like they should be able to “just manage” this stuff, but life is complicated. Sometimes, there aren’t simple answers. The practitioners at the St. Louis Counseling Center can help you find solutions for family struggles, give you the tools to build meaningful connections, and help children and adults alike recover from serious life challenges and cultivate healthier lives.
Cultivating Loving & Safe Family Connections
All children and families need loving, safe connections where people are valued, protected, and heard. These dynamics support health and wellbeing for all, and our counselors know how to help you foster this healthy familial experience. Healthy and connected families are resilient, and members of these families feel the effects of a supportive environment. The video below introduces you to attachment theory, which underpins how families function and structures our family counseling work:
Does My Family Need Counseling?
Good question. If you’re considering family counseling, we could ask that you consider whether or not you long for more or different experiences within your family unit? If so, you would likely benefit from counseling. It is helpful not to analyze or scrutinize our families and their “wrongness" or “messed-upness,” but instead, just ask if we are feeling like something could change and be better. Each family has unique struggles and concerns, and families also get stuck in negative patterns or cycles. When your family is stuck in negative patterns, it is very hard to change without getting some perspective on what is happening, and often, this requires outside support. Our counselors would be happy to help if your family is experiencing any of following:
Limited relational contact between members
Fear or frustration centered around a specific individual
A lack of intimacy or care for one another
A child who is “rebelling” or “acting defiantly” with regularity
Your family seems to never be on the same page about anything
You have regular fights/conflict, or you could cut the tension in your house with a knife
You’re going through transitions and having difficulty adjusting
You have “no idea” what to do or feel like giving up on learning how to support your family members
Does My Child Need Counseling?
When children are really struggling with something, they don’t usually come right out and say so, but they may do all kinds of things to let you know something isn’t right. They may not seem distressed to anyone else, but a shift in their patterns, personality, play, appetite, etc., could mean that they could benefit from the help of a counselor. Parents often notice these things and have a “gut-sense” that something is going on. Try gently, non-defensively, and kindly bringing up concerns with children, and they might say more. Despite best efforts, your children still may not be willing to talk about their changing behavior, and you may have no idea why. If you suspect your child is struggling, letting them visit with an objective, safe, trained counselor can help. Still not sure your child could benefit from counseling? Consider the following questions:
Have they changed in personality, appetite, sleep patterns?
Have they developed “ticks” or “habits” or seemed to “get younger?”
Have they become defiant or angry and you’re not sure what is happening?
Have they been through stressors or transitions (moving, parent divorce, lost a family member, etc.)?
Have they been bullied?
We could list many more. We encourage you to “trust your gut.” If you are concerned, let us support you.
What Will Kids & Family Counseling Work Look Like?
That’s a great question! It will really depend on your needs and the situation. One thing we guarantee is to keep you informed, so you will never be alone in the process. Family counseling work can look like meeting with everyone together, or with separate individuals or pairs, depending on what we need to work on.
For children, we often meet with family members first, and depending on the age and needs of the child, we tailor our approach to best help them make the progress they need. Children will often do a combination of play, art, and talk therapies.
We Would Love to Work with You, Your Children, or the Whole Family
Contact us to set up an appointment with a counselor, or to discuss your family’s needs. Our team of St. Louis counselors is dedicated to helping families cultivate their healthiest lives and create the safe and supportive family units we all deserve.