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New Trends Develop in Mental Health Counseling for Preschoolers
Family counseling experts are available on Feel Good Austin.
It is no secret that the challenges of parenting during the early years of preschool can seem endless and thoroughly confusing.
At this age, children begin to experience mature emotions, but often lack the tools to process those emotions, or more precisely, explain or communicate them to parents or teachers. As a result, the temper tantrums of this age group are often explained away by parents and teachers as growing pains. However, as the Wall Street Journal blog The Juggle reports, the gap between early childhood behavior and adult understanding is beginning to narrow with the developing trend of including mental health consultants in preschool environments.
These consultants do not serve the traditional role of diagnosis or counseling, but serve as a source of coaching, insight, and advice for struggling parents and teachers. The need for this sort of support became evident with the 2006 Public Health Reports study which indicated that 9.5% to 14.2% of children under the age of six have emotional issues that compromise their functioning. The presence of a trained mental health consultant can aid adults in understanding these emotional issues and their causes. For example, one four-year-old boy in Connecticut seemed to be bullying and trying to start fights in the classroom. After he shoved a classmate, who in return gave him a bloody nose, an on-site consultant realized the boy was actually engaging in a clumsy attempt to make friends. The consultant explained this connection to the classroom teacher and parent, and helped to devise a plan to encourage the child's use of words instead of hitting.
Currently 29 states and a few cities are offering such mental health services in the classroom. If your child's school is not yet participating, family counseling with a professional licensed counselor can be a tool for achieving similar results. These sessions will take place outside of the classroom and will focus on the specific dynamics of your family as a unit. There are over 20 family counselors on Feel Good Austin, click here to browse their listings.
