Children and teens face many unique challenges at each stage of development, and counseling is one solution to help them transition through the tough times while learning and growing. At Austin Mindfulness Center, we introduce individualized treatment plans that involve teaching kids that they are the bosses of their own bodies and have the ability to calm themselves down through mindfulness-based interventions and emotional regulation.  

Common reasons for bringing kids to counseling include the following:
 

• Bullying

• Anger Outbursts

• ADHD

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Behavioral Acting Out

• Body Image Issues

• Peer Pressure

• Learning Where They Fit In

• Life Transitions (Blended families, divorce, changing schools, moving to a new grade, etc.)

• Underachievement

• Procrastination

• Sibling Rivalry

• Substance Abuse

• Self Harm

• Suicidal Thoughts or Action

. . . Just to name a few
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How can we help your kids?

Through mindfulness training, emotional coaching, games, play therapy interventions, and learning coping and social skills with the support of a counselor, kids are able to slow down and develop tools that will help them make positive choices and grow into self-aware, compassionate adults.

Many people do not come to therapy until adulthood and marvel at how great it would have been to learn how to be present, watch their thoughts, accept their feelings, and learn how to be self-compassionate as children. They are often shocked at how much time they wasted shaming themselves about not being perfect, feeling afraid, anxious, or depressed without any tools for how to handle those feelings, and they wish for their children to have a head-start on becoming emotionally intelligent.

At Austin Mindfulness Center, we take a skillfully compassionate approach to helping kids and teens. We tailor our treatment to each individual child’s needs and take their family structure, prior diagnoses (if applicable), and parental concerns into account when planning therapeutic activities for each session. We assist kids through the process of self-acceptance, learning how to calm their bodies when they are upset, and teach them about the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through engaging activities. Parents are an integral part of the treatment plan, and we encourage parental involvement throughout the process for the most effective results.