Being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.

Mental health is not simply the absence of a mental disorder. Children who don’t have a mental disorder might differ in how well they are doing, and children who have the same diagnosed mental disorder might differ in their strengths and weaknesses in how they are developing and coping, and in their quality of life.

During this time of the Covid pandemic, many children might go through phases of anxiety and depression. If they had been previously well-adjusted and well-functioning kids, chances are they will be at a loss to explain to parents what is really going wrong or why they feel “not quite right”. They might simply withdraw to the computer without trying to resolve these new emotions they are feeling. It is important for parents to be extra-vigilant during this time and talk to the children and offer them the opportunity of counseling.

Adolescent counseling is counseling aimed at young people to help them make sense of their feelings, emotions, behaviors and thoughts. We use techniques that help to draw out the expressive nature of adolescents and children like art therapy or talking therapy. This form of counseling is important in guiding kids to transition into adulthood and to understand themselves better.

The adolescence stage is the period when a child transitions from being a child to becoming an adult and it is usually between the ages of 10 and 19. During this period, adolescents experience a great deal of mental and physical changes. They see changes in their bodies, a process referred to as puberty, and this is a time that leaves them confused as the changes in hormones start affecting their moods and thoughts.

Adolescent counseling focuses not only on the young client but also on the client’s family. Counselors may need to involve the family as they have a crucial role in the adolescent’s life and will determine how well the young adult will cope with the changes they are experiencing. As such, parents should be ready to get involved in the counseling of their young adults. At the same time, this form of counseling involves the counseling of the parents to ensure that they understand how to handle an adolescent during this stage.

In addition to helping them cope during the teenage years, The Wellness Center offers help to children and adolescents for the following:

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder- ADHD
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – OCD
3. Learning Disabilities, such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia
4. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
5. Phobias & Panic Disorders
6. Eating Disorders
7. Anxiety
8. Depression
9. Down Syndrome