5 Benefits of Summer Counseling for Kids

By: Kate Daley

Summer can be the perfect time to get your child into therapy.

While there are benefits to counseling no matter the season, the summer could offer unique benefits to your child. Here are five benefits of summer counseling for kids.

Scheduling

We all know how busy the school year can be. Once the school day ends, there always seems to be a laundry list of commitments: piano lessons, soccer games, homework, packing lunches, getting dinner on the table, and making sure everyone, including you, gets to bed at a reasonable hour. While you might still be working your nine-to-five, your child no longer has school all day. This leaves a lot of room for flexibility and a new routine. Counseling is one of many options to fill that time when it may not have been as accessible during the school year.

Structure

With all this extra free time and a sudden lack of structure, your child may have difficulty adjusting. It is important to continue some sort of structure into the summer months to keep your child engaged, learning, and growing. Lack of responsibilities may lead to boredom which counseling can both help to prevent and address.

Preparing for School

Every year, your child is faced with a transition. Even if the transition from one grade level to another seems lowkey (i.e., the child remains in the same school versus transitioning to high school), there can still be quite a bit of anxiety present. Each year, children are expected to be more independent, organized, and accountable for themselves. There are often increased academic expectations and social dynamics with their peers. While parents and teachers can offer support, sometimes a child needs a little extra support. Counseling can be a great option to navigate these changes, pressures, and expectations.

Less Pressure

Speaking of pressure, kiddos have pressure coming at them from all directions: academically, athletically, socially, and emotionally, just to name a few. After a long day at school, counseling is likely the last thing a child wants to engage in and, as a counselor, I don’t blame them! School can be mentally and emotionally taxing and unpacking these experiences and emotions can be further overwhelming. Summer can be the perfect time because children often feel more refreshed and ready to engage in this kind of work.

Social Interaction

School is where kids spend seven or more hours of their day. It is therefore the primary place for social interaction and fostering relationships with their peers. When summer comes along, it isn’t uncommon for kids to struggle with isolation and loneliness without their built-in social environment. Therapy, even individual sessions, allows for social interaction beyond what they may get at home. Counseling can also help kids collect tools to increase their social interactions and foster healthy relationships with their peers in preparation for the next school year.

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

Adjusting to Summer Schedules

By: Courtney Miller

As May turns into June school gradually turns into summer.

As everyone knows, summer can bring a lot of fun but is everyone always prepared for the stress and/or boredom that is often also brought along. One of the main importance is trying to have a basic plan (things can always change).

Working Up A Summer Routine

With children, it is important to have fun without having too many activities planned. Children just got out of school, so try to plan a good balance between good activities and healthy/fun downtime. It is also important to try as close as possible to keep anxiety as low as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to keep sleep and wake-up time as similar to school time as possible. Keeping this stability will introduce the children to stability which will keep them comfortable with sticking with plans.

Involve The Children

It has already been discussed how to try to schedule the activities around the children’s schedule, but it is also essential to try to involve them in their choices on what to do. It will help the children feel heard and often enjoy the activities. With this everyone will be able to lower the stress and boredom. Children will also feel heard, which during the school year, at least at school, they often feel unheard.

Plan A Mix Of Activities

No matter who decides the plans it is important to set up different sets to help please everyone, help with boredom, and help with exhaustion. A good example would be to try and mix structured and unstructured activities throughout the day. For children structured provides guidance and learning whereas unstructured provides more freedom.

*Structured-museum

*Unstructured swimming, park

Make Room For Downtime

Not only do children need to have time for “freedom” but they also need time to recharge. This can include:

*Reading

*Engaging in imaginative play

*puzzles

*watching movies

*calming corner

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

Children’s Awareness Month

By: Kariana Jude

The month of June is not only PRIDE month but Children’s Awareness Month too! Children’s Awareness Month focuses on the joy of childhood and bringing awareness to bigger issues relating to children.

It is important to celebrate the good that children bring to the world, but it is important to focus on the hardships they can face and what we can do to help as well. Some of the hardships that can affect children can include but are not limited to poverty, abuse, neglect, and trauma. 

5 facts about hardships that children could face:

  1. At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year. 

  2. In 2019, 1,840 children passed away from abuse and neglect in the United States alone. 

  3. Two-thirds of children reported at least one traumatic event by the age of 16.

  4. A traumatic event can lead to deficits in language development and abstract reasoning skills. 

  5. The United Nations estimates that 385 million children are living in extreme poverty. 

How can we help? 

There are so many different things that we can do to help our future generations! One thing we can do is to help empower the youth to be and learn about themselves. This can foster a healthy and supportive relationship with the child while letting them grow into themselves. Another way to help is by knowing local resources that can help and support children by building a community (schools, programs, clubs, etc.) Lastly, since children are the future, we can help foster and instill confidence, creativity, a support system and community, and positive self-esteem. 

How to participate in Children’s Awareness Month:

  1. Become an advocate for children 

  2. Donate to local or national causes to help children

  3. Volunteer in your community

  4. Educate yourself and others on Children’s Awareness Month

https://www.samhsa.gov/child-trauma/understanding-child-trauma

https://nationaltoday.com/childrens-awareness-month/#:~:text=Children's%20Awareness%20Month%20takes%20place,June'%20relates%20to%20'children%3F


OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

5 Covert Signs Someone Might Have an Eating Disorder

Refusal to Eat With Others/Making Excuses for Not Eating

One of the more noticeable symptoms of a restrictive eating disorder can be recognizing that a person isn’t eating as much as they should during normal meal times or making up excuses for why they can’t finish their meal. However, it’s not always that noticeable. When you’re beginning to suspect that a friend or loved one might have a restrictive eating disorder, notice how they engage with meal times and snacking.

“Body Checking”

Body Checking is “when a person seeks information about their shape, weight, or appearance”. Some of this is normal behavior and most people look at themselves and what they look like from time to time. Body Checking becomes a disordered behavior that might point to signs of a larger problem with an eating disorder when you begin to notice a person doing it much more frequently and obsessively.

Feeling Nervous About Not Exercising

Extreme obsession with whether they’ve gotten to the gym is another covert way that an eating disorder might be at play. If there’s general emotional distress around missing one day of working out — the compensatory behavior of an eating disorder, to control weight or shape by over-exercising might be another way this person is engaging in disordered behavior.

Wearing ClothingThat is Too Big/Doesn’t Fit

Sometimes people who are actively losing weight might try and hide this by hiding the true amount of how much weight they’ve been losing. Moreover, there’s also the element that people with an eating disorder may not really understand what their body size is. Additionally pointing to an eating disorder.

Not Being Hungry During the Day

Do you often notice that your friend is not eating during the day but notices their hunger cues at night? Restriction isn’t just something for a restrictive disorder. Those with Binge Eating Disorder often engages in restriction during the day which leads to binging at night.

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

Celebrating PRIDE Month: Embracing Love, Equality, and Inclusion

By: Jaime Thornley

Welcome to the colorful and empowering world of PRIDE Month! Each June, we witness a vibrant display of solidarity and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

While the rainbow merchandise and parades are delightful, it is crucial to recognize that PRIDE encompasses far more than what meets the eye. It is a time to celebrate the rich history, honor the pioneers who fought for our rights, and stand up for the beautiful diversity that exists within the LGBTQ+ community. As a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, I am thrilled to share with you the significance of PRIDE Month and why it matters now more than ever.

Let us journey back to the historic Stonewall Riots of June 1969 in New York City

where courageous LGBTQ+ individuals rose against the prevalent police brutality they faced. This pivotal event ignited a powerful revolution, inspiring the community to embrace their true selves and demand equality. From that point on, the seeds of PRIDE were sown. Since June 1970, pride marches and celebrations have flourished, symbolizing the progress made for LGBTQ+ rights worldwide while also serving as a platform to advocate for ongoing change and inclusivity.

PRIDE Month matters deeply because it provides an opportunity to shed light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and communities today.

This year, it is even more crucial for advocates and allies to raise their voices. The Human Rights Campaign's declaration of a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people within the United States signifies a pressing need for unity. With over 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills being passed across the nation, our collective action is essential to protect the rights we have fought so hard for.

Across various states, laws banning gender-affirming care, forced student outings, anti-drag regulations, and bathroom bans have emerged. These discriminatory measures not only infringe upon the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals but also undermine the principle of inclusivity and acceptance that our society should uphold. By celebrating PRIDE Month, we can bring attention to these issues, educate others about the importance of equality, and work towards creating a more inclusive future for all.

While progress has been made, we must not forget the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals around the world. Shockingly, approximately 67 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, and around nine countries penalize individuals for expressing their gender identity as transgender or gender nonconforming. By celebrating PRIDE Month, we amplify our message of love, acceptance, and solidarity to those who may be living in oppressive environments, reminding them that they are not alone.

But PRIDE is not solely about resistance and advocacy—it is also a joyous celebration of love and self-expression.

It is a time for LGBTQ+ individuals to honor their identities, embrace their uniqueness, and revel in the strength and resilience that define their journeys. PRIDE parades and events serve as beacons of hope, providing safe spaces for self-discovery and communal support.

This June, as we come together to celebrate PRIDE Month, let us remember that love knows no boundaries and that everyone deserves to live authentically and without fear. By supporting LGBTQ+ rights, we foster a society that cherishes diversity and embraces all forms of love. We must continue to advocate for equal rights, challenge discrimination, and promote inclusivity in all aspects of life.

As a counselor & a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I invite you to be an ally, to educate yourself and others, and to spread love and acceptance far and wide. Together, let us create a world where PRIDE is not limited to one month but permeates our daily lives, nurturing an inclusive and compassionate society for everyone, regardless of their sexual or gender identity. Happy PRIDE Month!

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services: