For many children and teens, school can be a source of significant struggle academically, socially, and/or emotionally. At Union Square Practice, we offer school-focused therapy for a range of school-related difficulties, with each treatment plan tailored to meet the needs of your child and family. With patience, empathy, and practicality, we work to understand the issues underlying school problems and coordinate with parents or guardians and the school to offer the child consistent, targeted support.
School can present issues in many different areas. Here are some broad categories of school-related challenges we address in therapy, with specific examples:
Often there is more than one issue, or the presenting problem points to another underlying issue to be addressed.
Some fluctuations in behavior and academic performance are normal, and peer relationships will also have their ups and downs. Here are some signs it’s time to seek professional help:
At Union Square Practice, our child and adolescent clinicians have extensive experience working with children and adolescents who may be struggling with school difficulties. We review report cards, conduct school-based observations, suggest further assessment, and collaborate with teachers and other school-based professionals, on an as-needed basis (with consent). Thus, our clinicians take a holistic and collaborative approach to better understand the underlying problem, and to come up with a tailored treatment plan that works for your child.
It can be challenging as a parent to try to help your child with school problems, or even get to the bottom of what’s going on. At Union Square Practice, our child therapists have extensive experience addressing these issues and take a thorough approach to assessment and intervention for school difficulties.
To get started, we’ll meet with you and your child to get to know you, understand each of your concerns, and gather relevant background information. Our objective is to understand the underlying issues driving the school difficulties. Depending on the presenting problems, we might review report cards and other documentation, ask to speak to teachers or school counselors, or, with your permission, conduct a school-based observation. Observing the child at school gives us direct insight into important factors such as social skills, behavior, triggers for anxiety or behavioral problems, and the classroom environment.
Based on the information gathered, we may suggest additional assessments, such as mental health screenings or neuropsychological evaluations for learning disabilities or ADHD. Once we have a detailed picture, we’ll propose a treatment plan. This plan is tailored to the individual situation, and might include any combination of these measures or others:
Our approach is deeply collaborative, with the objective of creating a cohesive support system where the child, therapist, caretakers, and school professionals are aligned to the same goals. With solid cooperation and consistent support, we see children and teens make great progress, learning to cope with the school experience better and even enjoying it.
If your child or teen is struggling with school-related difficulties, we can help. Intervening proactively to address root causes can prevent the issues from compounding. Our child therapists take an empathetic and solutions-based approach to empower kids with the skills, confidence, and resilience to navigate school more successfully. We’d love to meet you and your child and find out how we can help.
Reach out to us using any of the contacts below or our general contact form.
