“All the teachers say my child is wonderful in school. However, they are a very different child at home. What am I doing wrong?”
If you have ever found yourself thinking this or saying this, you are not alone. Many children struggle with emotional regulation and have learned to “mask” or hold in all their emotions during school days. Later, they release all these emotions when returning home. This can be baffling, frustrating and downright overwhelming.
Alternatively, your child may struggle at home and school. Maybe it feels that no matter how hard they try or what techniques you use, your child continues to struggle when their emotions get intense. You can see these struggles daily with peers, teachers and family.
Children struggle for a variety or reasons. It may be due to big changes in the family, at school or with friends.
Or, it might be related to how their body and brain relates to the world.
This is where therapy can help.
What does child therapy look like?
Hi, my name is Leah. I am a licensed clinical social worker, an enthusiast of play, gamifier of therapy, and a weaver of stories.
Therapy is about meeting a person where they are at. Play is the language kids use to express and explore emotions. Through the language of play, a child can fight off a worry monster or discover hidden strengths. Therapy is a whole body experience where we play games, solve problems and learn new skills. Children often use their bodies to express their emotions.
Through play we can bring awareness to our bodies and how we use our bodies to communicate with the world.
Play also helps to establish a safe and fun environment for children to name and understand big emotions. Moreover, therapy can use play to tell stories. Indeed, stories are a way I connect to this world. As a lover of books, movies, and shows (really all things stories), I enjoy creating fantasy worlds that your child can use to process their emotions. With stories, your child can begin to create their own self-narrative to help them understand experiences such as anxiety, fear or worry. In addition, we will use stories to find hidden strengths and increase confidence.
Ok, but will my child come to therapy…
Maybe your child doesn’t want to come to therapy. Or you can’t imagine them just sitting and talking. That is ok. Having experience working with neurodivergent populations as well as anger, anxiety, and avoidance, I understand some children are hesitant for therapy. Oftentimes, children view coming to therapy as proof there is something wrong with them. This is the benefit of play. Rather than talk about frustration, let’s play a frustrating game. Filtering the traditional talk therapy through play, can provide your child an opportunity to work through challenging emotions in a fun and therapeutic environment. As an avid player of games in my personal life, bonding over a board game can be inviting.
Organized and creative play creates a unique and authentic space for your child to practice and digest complex concepts and emotions.
As a child therapist I understand the value of parents
Having spent a majority of my life gardening, I understand that change and growth take time and support from the environment. Parents and home life are the environment in which children grow. With this in mind, therapy is a space for you as a parent.
Think of the saying it is important to put on your own oxygen mask first. Not just a phrase for flights, it can also refer to parenting.
Parenting in today’s virtual world can induce a sense of doubt, inadequacy, anxiety, and shame. You are not alone. And it is important to have a space to express your worries and anxieties. We work together to identify the parenting your child needs to thrive. Whether it is working one on one in parent focused sessions or joining your child’s sessions, therapy is here to help you hone your voice as a parent. As a parent you play an important role in this process.
After all, you are the expert on your child.
A little more about me…
Having never reached five feet tall and living with chronic pain and illness, I understand what it is to feel like this world is not accessible to your body. I can understand and empathize when children express not fitting in or feeling settled in their bodies. I also understand that sitting still is not always an option. Being in the office means moving around, sitting in the most comfortable position for you, and playing with fidget toys as needed.
I have also spent years raising animals including bees and chickens. This work has taught me the value of different forms of communication. Working and caring for animals has helped me understand communication in a different way. If my chickens are upset, they can not tell me, I have to watch and understand. This translates directly to work with children. When children shut down, or throw objects, or act “defiant”, they are communicating a need.
I want to help your child safely communicate their emotions and needs to the world.
And I want to help you understand and meet those needs. And also play some really fun games!
Contact me
If you are ready for your child to dive into the playful and creative world of child therapy reach out and speak to on of our scheduling specialist today.
Credentials as a Licensed Therapist in New Jersey
I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker and received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Rutgers University. Since graduating, I have worked for private practice and outpatient providers as well as partial hospitalization programs. I have worked with people of all ages and have been focusing on children and neurodivergent populations for half a decade. I also focus on parent support and helping parents best parent their child.
Session work might include play therapy focused on skill building and emotional regulation. Additional modalities include narrative therapy, attachment work and building parent child bonds, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Leah Behar, LCSW, seasoned Child Therapist with services located in our Branchburg, NJ office serving Somerville, Bridgewater, Bedminster and surrounding areas.
NJ#: 44SC05756400