Emmaus Christian Counseling

Emmaus Christian Counseling Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Emmaus Christian Counseling, Therapist, 302 North State St, Caro Mi and 6 Lexington Street Sandusky as well as 6417 Marlette st Marlette, Caro, MI.

01/25/2024

HOW TO HELP IF YOU ARE NOT THE PARENT

Your role is to support the child in the moment and share your observations and concerns with the family.

You can respond by simply reflecting back what you hear/see and giving it an appropriate label – not a diagnosis. This gives the child information and a way to talk to someone about what is going on. You can say things like, “It sounds like you’re really feeling awful,” “I can see and hear how sad you are,” “It looks like you feel out of control,” “You’re telling me you feel so bad you don’t want to live.”

Then, follow with comfort and reassurance like “We can get you help for those feelings,” “I’m taking you seriously and want to help,” “Let’s talk to someone about that right away.”

Your next step is to share what you observed with the parents, unless you have a serious reason to believe this will be harmful. In that case, share it with a mental health professional, a teacher, the school social worker, etc.
I cannot overemphasize how important this is. Many children will talk to their friends or someone else about how they’re feeling but not share this with their family. With 8% of 9- and 10-year-olds experiencing suicidality, this may save

01/24/2024

HELPING A YOUNG CHILD

Those on the mental health front line for children can be parents or any family member, pediatricians, teachers, coaches, church members, a parent of the child’s friend, nannies/babysitters, school social workers, etc. It is anyone who sees SIGNS of suffering.

Suicidality among young children is rising. We need to listen to what they are trying to tell us and respond accordingly. Never disregard a chid’s expression of pain or wanting to die.

01/23/2024

BELIEVE THE CHILDREN

Very young children can suffer from a diagnosalbe serious mental illness when they are very young. For example, pediatric bipolar disorder can be diagnosed as young as 3 years old. So, it’s incredibly important to pay attention to signs that may mean a child is suffering.

When I was a third-grade Girl Scout leader, one of the girls came to me after a meeting and told me she wanted to die. She told me she had a plan. She’d sit on the steps leading out of the school and be trampled to death by the students as they left. Because of my experience with mental health disorders, I understood I needed to believe this child was in pain and needed help. I told her I heard how sad she was and that I would help her talk to her parents. After we did so, her parents took action.

01/22/2024

Signs of temperament

Frequent negative mood

Withdrawing from new situations/experiences

Slow to adapt

High intensity of reactions

Low rhythmicity of physical states, which should cycle reasonably easily between deep sleep; light sleep; drowsiness; quiet and alert; active and alert; and crying.

01/22/2024

Running away from authorities

Stealing from other children

Lying repeatedly

Telling elaborate and untrue stories while insisting they are real

Exhibiting no empathy

Rudeness

Picking verbal fights

Demanding attention through negative behavior

Excessive silliness

Repeatedly acting out a scary event during playtime

Hurting other children – biting, pinching, hitting, pushing, etc.

Harming, torturing, killing insects/animals

Not recognizing or disregarding dangerous situations or behaviors

Excessive swearing

Skipping classes

Obsession with video gaming

Bullying

Inability to control impulsive, angry, violent, self-harming behavior – sometimes, even despite wanting to do so

Being bullied

Persistent school avoidance

Social withdrawal – staying in bedroom, not engaging with family or friends

Confused thinking

Drop in school performance

Running away from home

Saying “I want to hurt (you, him/herself, someone else, a pet).”

Seeing, hearing, believing things that aren’t real

Violently attacking someone

Saying “I don’t have any friends” repeatedly

Saying “I don’t fit in” repeatedly

Saying “Nobody likes me” repeatedly

Expressing a wish to die

Describing a method to hurt him/herself or dying – “I want to jump out the window, jump in front of a train, run into the street,” etc.

01/21/2024

DIFFICULT TEMPERAMENT

“Temperament Is Your Baby’s Behavioural Style Which Determines How He/She Reacts To Situations And Expresses And Regulates Emotions. Characteristics Of Temperament Include Activity Level, Distractibility, Adaptability, Sensitivity And Quality Of Mood.”

From About Kids Health

Having a difficult temperament predisposes children and adults to mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, beginning as young as preschool age. Temperament characteristics are relatively stable over a lifetime, however, they can be influenced by the environment such that characteristics will become more or less pronounced. A “difficult” temperament is defined by the following characteristics. No one characteristic alone is a sign of a difficult temperament, just as no one sign means a child will develop a mental health disorder.

01/20/2024

SIGNS / SYMPTOMS IN INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD

Extreme separation anxiety

Complete lack of separation distress

Prolonged crying – other than colic

Difficulty self-soothing

Constant thumb sucking

Oversensitivity to sound, smell, touch, or taste

Breath-holding

Head-banging

Prolonged poor or irregular sleep or eating

Lack of weight gain/failure to thrive

Failure to meet developmental milestones as expected

Inability to potty train

01/19/2024

INFANCY THROUGH MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (BIRTH TO 12 YEARS)

Mental health disorders can begin in very early childhood – even infancy. Most young children haven’t learned how to talk about their thoughts and feelings, but we can observe their behaviors.

This is critical because even serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, OCD, and depression can be present in very young children causing them to struggle or fail in school and have poor lifelong outcomes if they are not diagnosed and treated.

01/19/2024

Practice Prevention

Individuals who grew up in a home with a mentally ill parent need to be highly aware of the signs of mental illness. Taking preventative measures to control any issues is vital. Creating daily self-care rituals can help individuals be mindful of any mental health changes they may experience. Some self-care rituals include:

Exercise

Journaling

Meditation

Therapy

Building a healthy and happy life when you are a child of a mentally ill parent is a process. The damage was not done overnight, nor will it be repaired overnight. Be gentle with yourself and with your parents. Remember, mental illness is a disease; your parents didn’t ask to be sick. What your parents can choose is whether they get help or not.

Remember, your parent’s mental illness is not your fault. How you choose to deal with mentally ill parents is a personal choice that can only be based on your mental health. But, approach the topic of mental health from a place of compassion, understanding, and respect.

01/18/2024

Educate Yourself

It is very empowering to be educated about the mental illness your parent battles. This helps a person understand the causes, triggers, and the best treatments available. This also helps the children of parents with mental illness know what to look for in themselves.

Believe in Yourself

Many children who grow up in homes with mental illness are told they are worthless, damaged goods, and blame for everything. Even though it is not true, it is what they grow up believing. These thoughts keep many individuals from growing into healthy adults.

You are not those words. It is crucial to be gentle with yourself as you work through the traumas and negative moments of your life. It is possible to break-the-cycle of the negative effects of mental health.

Supportive People

Research has shown that children of mentally ill parents survive childhood by having supportive teachers, friends, and other adults. As an adult growing up with mentally ill parents, people may find themselves picky about their friends. A strong support group can make dealing with a mentally ill parent less of a mental toll.

01/18/2024

negatively impact a person’s future. Meditation is a wonderful tool to help clear these thoughts out of mind and restore peace and balance.

Acceptance of Parents with Mental Illness

Accepting a mentally ill parent does not mean accepting the way they treat their children. As they grow up, some children do not keep in regular contact with their parents for their mental health. And some children grow up and find healthy ways to stay in touch with their parents. This is a personal choice. It can be difficult for children, even as adults, to not feel responsible for their parent’s actions.

Boundaries

To break the cycle of mental illness in a family, there must be boundaries. Most parents with mental illness have a difficult time listening and upholding boundaries that are set. Stick to your boundaries; be clear that it is for your mental health.

01/17/2024

Create Positive Factors When You are a Parent with Mental Illness

An unpredictable and inconsistent home environment can increase the chances of mental illness in children. Mental illness puts added stress on marriages and the ability to parent. All the added stress can harm children in the home.

Protective factors that parents can put in place to protect their children include:

Open communication – Children should know age-appropriate information about their parent’s mental illness. Children should also know that they are not at fault.

Outside support – If possible, a strong family support system is crucial to raising well-rounded children. Sometimes family is not able to be supportive on a daily basis, but there are other options. Neighbors, friends, and even community resources such as the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters can be a great support system for children.

Therapy – Individual therapy for children and family therapy can help establish a healthier household and mentally healthy children.

Reinforce positive self-esteem

Build healthy coping skills

A strong relationship with a healthy adult

Keep children involved with friends

Healthy interests outside of the home

Unfortunately, parents with mental illness require a lot of attention. This leaves families and society ignoring the children in the house. It is vital for parents with mental illness to provide extra attention and support to the children and for therapists to also treat the children when treating the parents.

Address

302 North State St, Caro Mi And 6 Lexington Street Sandusky As Well As 6417 Marlette St Marlette
Caro, MI
48726

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+19892863600

Website

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