child Counselling - Geelong
Sometimes you just know something is going on with your child.
Maybe they are worrying more than usual. Getting angry over things that never used to bother them. Struggling with school, friendships or changes at home. Maybe they seem quieter, more emotional or simply not quite themselves.
And sometimes, when you ask what is wrong, the answer is:
“I don’t know.”
At Lumi Counselling, I work with children in Geelong who are having a tough time with their emotions, relationships or the things happening around them.
Counselling gives them somewhere outside of home and school where they can slow things down, feel understood and begin making sense of what is going on.
Counselling doesn't have to feel like counselling
Sitting across from an adult and answering question after question isn't always the best way to help a child open up.
So I don't expect them to.
Sessions at Lumi are relaxed and built around the child in front of me. We might talk, play a game, draw something on the whiteboard, build with Lego, kick a footy outside or use an activity to explore what has been happening.
There is still a purpose behind what we do, but we don't always have to get there by sitting in two chairs and talking.
Often, kids tell you much more when they don't feel like they're being interviewed.
What can child counselling help with?
Children come to Lumi for lots of different reasons, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Anger and big emotions
Difficulty managing frustration
School stress or school refusal
Friendship difficulties
Low confidence and self-esteem
Family changes or conflict
Grief and loss
Bullying
Emotional regulation
Adjusting to major changes
Feeling overwhelmed or stuck
Sometimes there is an obvious reason a child is struggling.
Other times, parents just notice that something has changed.
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
What if my child doesn't want to talk?
That's okay.
Children communicate in lots of different ways, and talking directly about feelings isn't always one of them.
I don't expect a child to walk into their first session and immediately tell me everything that is going on.
We start by building a relationship.
That might happen over a game of chess, kicking a footy, building something, drawing or talking about whatever they're interested in that week.
As trust develops, we can begin finding ways to understand what is happening underneath the worry, anger, frustration or behaviour.
Practical tools kids can actually use
Counselling isn't just about talking about problems.
I want children to leave Lumi with ways of handling things when life gets difficult outside the counselling room.
Depending on what they are experiencing, we might work on recognising emotions earlier, slowing down before reacting, handling anxious thoughts, dealing with frustration, understanding what they can and cannot control, or figuring out what matters to them when things get hard.
The tools are kept practical, age-appropriate and easy to remember.
Parents are part of the process too
You know your child better than anyone.
Where appropriate, I work alongside parents so that what we are doing in counselling doesn't stay inside the counselling room.
That might mean checking in about what you're noticing at home, helping you understand what we're working on or finding simple ways to reinforce new skills between sessions.
At the same time, children need to know that counselling is a place where they can develop their own relationship with me and feel safe talking about what matters to them.
Finding that balance is important.
What happens in the first session?
There is no pressure for your child to arrive ready to talk.
The first session is mostly about getting comfortable, getting to know each other and working out whether Lumi feels like a good fit.
We'll talk about what has been happening, what you would like some help with and what your child would like to be different.
Then we take it from there.
Lumi Counselling is based in Geelong and supports children and families from across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast.
If something hasn't seemed quite right with your child lately, or you've been wondering whether counselling might help, you can book a free meet and greet and we can talk through what has been happening and whether Lumi might be the right fit.