Christian Counseling for Children Archives | Plano Christian Counseling

How to Navigate the Complex Waters of Divorce and Children

How to Navigate the Complex Waters of Divorce and Children

Bryan Ferguson, Kate Motaung2025-03-21T08:19:38+00:00March 13th, 2025|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Choosing to share the rest of your life with a person has a profound impact on the rest of your life. When a person gets married, they don’t know exactly what will come their way because life can be unpredictable. Ending a marriage is a big decision, and it can be one of the most painful decisions a person makes in their life. This pain is magnified when divorce and children mix. Dealing With Divorce as an Adult Getting divorced is complicated on several levels. This includes the social, legal, and moral dimensions and implications of the decision. When a person gets divorced, there is a lot they work through to get to that point, but beyond divorce lies other questions, feelings, and thoughts that need to be unpacked. Plano Christian Counseling can help individuals navigate these challenges with faith-based support and guidance. Dealing with a divorce in a healthy way requires several things. Take time to heal Marriage joins two people, two lives, together into one. When a man and woman are joined together in marriage, the two become “one flesh”, and they share life. (Genesis 2:24-25, Matthew 19: 4-6) God’s intention is for people to persist in this state of unity. If that unity is broken through a divorce, it is like tearing off a piece of yourself. Your marriage may have been a difficult one, and divorce opened up new vistas, but you should still take the time to heal. Getting a divorce brings an important part of your life to an end. With that is dealing with the absence and loss of a person to whom you had significant emotional and physical ties. Sometimes, what needs to be mourned is the loss of a dream and of the potential your relationship had. That includes the [...]

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How to Parent a Child with ADHD and RSD

How to Parent a Child with ADHD and RSD

Stephanie Kramer2025-03-21T08:32:45+00:00March 11th, 2025|ADHD/ADD, Christian Counseling for Children, Featured, General|

Your child comes home from school, their shoulders slumped and eyes brimming with tears. You ask what’s wrong, and they mutter something about a classmate’s joke or a teacher’s passing comment. To you, it might seem small, something that most kids would brush off, but to them – their world is crashing along with their self-esteem. They may have ADHD and RSD. Their pain is raw, mountainous, immediate, and consuming. You are left to figure out how to comfort them and prevent long-term damage. This is what parenting a child with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) can feel like. For a parent, it can create a helpless feeling, seeing your child crumble over things that wouldn’t rattle most people and not knowing how to protect them from a world that is sometimes too harsh. Plano Christian Counseling offers support and guidance to help parents navigate the challenges of raising a child with RSD. Why do so many children have ADHD and RSD? While it is possible to have RSD without ADHD, the two are most often linked. ADHD isn’t just about lack of focus or inattentiveness. Those are what most people talk about when they think of ADHD. It also affects emotional regulation. The part of the brain that helps to manage emotions, the prefrontal cortex, doesn’t always work efficiently in people with ADHD. This can lead to emotions that feel big and hard to control. Signs of ADHD and RSD RSD can show up in various ways. Here are some signs that your child may have RSD. Extreme emotional pain They might feel devastated by what other people see as only mild criticism or rejections. Fear of rejection Those with RDS may avoid situations where rejection is possible, like applying for jobs, asking someone out on a date, or [...]

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3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Child’s Mental Health in Plano, Texas

3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Child’s Mental Health in Plano, Texas

Michelle Lazurek2025-03-22T06:50:51+00:00February 11th, 2025|Christian Counseling for Children, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Because mental health issues are on the rise, it is important to protect your child’s mental health. In this article, we’ll look at three ways to help improve your child’s mental health, including specific ideas for addressing your child’s mental health in Plano, Texas. Children cannot always verbalize why they are feeling down or anxious about something. They might hide those feelings from their parent for fear of punishment or a lecture. Therefore, it’s more important than ever for a parent to be aware of their child’s mental health and make sure that they are well so that they can brave the circumstances of life. It may be difficult for you to discern what state your child’s mental health is. However, three easy ways exist to improve your child’s mental health today. Plano Christian Counseling provides faith-based guidance and support to help parents nurture their child’s emotional well-being. 3 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Mental Health in Plano, Texas Positive Affirmations Positive affirmations are a great way to boost your child’s mood and remind them of their identity and who they are. Affirmations can be done quickly while a child is getting ready for school. All they must do is either look in the mirror and say positive statements to themselves or say them to themselves while they’re getting dressed in the morning. These types of affirmations can be something like, “I am strong,” “I am beautiful,” or “I can do this.” Children are not limited to saying this in the morning but can say it to themselves throughout the day. Sometimes, they need a reminder of the good characteristics of their lives as they go through peer pressure, issues with their teachers, performance at school, extracurricular activities, etc. They can take it one step further and write it [...]

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Children and Emotional Behavior Disorders

Children and Emotional Behavior Disorders

Cyndi Kay Green2025-03-22T07:02:51+00:00February 5th, 2025|Christian Counseling for Children, Family Counseling, Featured|

Children can be affected by mental health issues that are related to emotional behavior disorders. These disorders make it hard for the child to regulate emotions. When this happens, they may not make the right choices for the proper behavior in certain situations. Understanding disorders that a child may have, such as emotional behavior disorder, can help caregivers choose strategies to manage behavioral issues. Plano Christian Counseling provides faith-based guidance and support to help families navigate these challenges with compassion and effective strategies. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27, NIV Causes of Emotional Behavior Disorders There are no defined causes of emotional behavior disorders in children. To properly identify these disorders, many factors are considered. The difference in brain chemistry and genetics are known to play a role in the presence of emotional behavior disorders when there are other mental health issues involved. Other causes connected with these disorders are traumatic experiences that result in behavior issues such as abuse and neglect. Types of Emotional Behavior Disorders Emotional disorders are related to mood disorders. When a professional refers to emotional behavior disorders, they are typically describing mental health conditions that affect a person’s mood. Children can suffer from emotional behavior disorders as well as adults. ADHD - Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder This is a neurobehavioral disorder that is typically diagnosed in childhood. Most of the symptoms are characteristic of inattention and impulsivity. Easily distracted. Restless. Interrupting others. Has difficulty following directions. Disruptive. Impulsive actions. Conduct Disorder Children with conduct disorder often express aggression toward others and violate normal behavior with peers. Bullying others. Cruel to animals or others. Destruction of property. [...]

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Easing Stress When Moving to a New House

Easing Stress When Moving to a New House

Jennifer Kooshian2025-03-25T15:44:04+00:00December 30th, 2024|Anxiety, Christian Counseling for Children, Depression, Family Counseling, Featured, Personal Development|

Relocating your whole life is not an easy thing to do. Moving house is one of the more stressful things that an average person goes through. That’s one of the reasons why one can read the biblical stories in Exodus and Numbers of the ancient Israelites grumbling on their desert sojourn with some sympathy. Imagine settling and uprooting yourself and your family so often! Unfortunately, moving house, while being extremely stressful, is one of the realities that we must contend with at some point in our lives. For many of us, we’d rather remain rooted right where we are. There is a sense of comfort, familiarity, and security in being in one place and building our lives there. And so, when a move needs to happen, it can be disruptive, unpleasant, and stressful. Plano Christian Counseling is here to help you navigate the transition with faith-based guidance and support, so you can find peace and stability in the midst of change. Why Moving House Is Stressful There are many reasons why moving house is stressful. Sometimes it’s the reasons behind the move that make it stressful, while in many cases the simple fact of moving itself is the issue. Each of us has our own level of tolerance for change and disruption to our daily routines. Often, it’s only when your routine is disturbed – when you don’t get that morning coffee or your morning commute is disrupted – that you see how out of sorts you are for the rest of the day. Moving house can be stressful for the following reasons: The circumstances behind the move There are many reasons why people move. Sometimes, those reasons are less than pleasant, and that can add to the stress one experiences. If you need to move because [...]

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Teaching Your Children Safe and Healthy Ways to Use Social Media Platforms

Teaching Your Children Safe and Healthy Ways to Use Social Media Platforms

Vanessa Gross, Kate Motaung2025-03-27T09:22:19+00:00August 8th, 2024|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

Parenting has always been a daunting task, but with the advent of social media platforms and hyper-connectivity changing the social landscape, parental guidelines are getting even blurrier. It has become imperative for parents to be vigilant regarding the challenges the younger generation faces each day online. Knowing the amount of time your child spends on social media According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids ages eight to eighteen spend, on average, a whopping seven and a half hours on a screen for entertainment each day, four and a half hours of which are spent watching TV. Over the course of a year, that adds up to 114 full days watching a screen for fun. Plano Christian Counseling can help families find balance, set healthy boundaries, and cultivate meaningful, screen-free connections rooted in faith and intentional living. In effect, this means that children spend almost half of their waking hours each year engaged in online activities. Networks like TikTok, X, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook are designed not only to grab your attention but also to maintain your continued interest. In these first few months of 2024, the American government has been up-in-arms with TikTok over its controversial new TikTok-Lite promotional incentive that seeks to reward its users with gift packs for spending more time on the site. That means people will be paid to spend more time online, with potentially catastrophic consequences for their mental health. Children spending even more time on leading social media platforms like TikTok means the problems caused by excessive use of the internet are only exacerbated. How social media platforms can endanger children’s well-being In this day and age, the long-held moral stance of simply forbidding kids from socially immoral places to keep them safe is no longer enough to [...]

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Are There Different Types of Autism?

Are There Different Types of Autism?

Brooke Turbyfill2025-03-27T09:48:43+00:00July 4th, 2024|Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

If you are not familiar with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, you may also be unaware that psychologists no longer separate different types of autism. Because they share diagnosis characteristics, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and Rett’s syndrome are all under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many psychologists shorten it to simply autism. While the diagnosis may be autism, the way different types of autism are displayed still resonates. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder believed to have genetic components. To specify various aspects of autism in this article, we will distinguish between the classifiers as different types of autism, even though they are given one diagnosis, Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. At Plano Christian Counseling, we provide faith-based support and guidance for individuals and families navigating life with autism, helping them embrace their unique strengths and challenges with hope and understanding. Level 1 autism Once the term Asperger’s syndrome was terminated from the DSM in 2013, level 1 ASD replaced it. Another way you may have heard this is high-functioning autism. However, there is little agreement among experts as to what exactly qualifies as high functioning. A level 1 ASD diagnosis is assigned to a person who exhibits similar cognitive development to peers but struggles with social development and mild repetitive patterns. Someone with level 1 autism may struggle: To interact with peers. To broaden his or her interests (only interested in a few fields of study). To maintain certain physical gestures such as eye contact, coordination, and specific bodily and facial cues. To switch gears when changing from one activity to the next. To understand what non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, mean in a social context. With enjoying or seeking out typical social situations. The level 1 diagnosis signifies that a person can [...]

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Is ADHD Anger a Thing?

Is ADHD Anger a Thing?

Sandra Stein2025-03-29T03:10:32+00:00April 23rd, 2024|ADHD/ADD, Anger Issues, Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Featured, Individual Counseling|

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties in self-regulation and impulse control. Although anger is not listed as one of its official symptoms in the DSM-5-TR, studies indicate that it is, in fact, inherent to the affliction, and people with ADHD are more prone to experiencing anger and irritability than neurotypical people. Emotional dysregulation is a major part of living with ADHD for both adults and children. It makes them feel emotions much more intensely than neurotypical people do and become disproportionately overwhelmed by things such as daily responsibilities, time management, sensory overload, having to switch tasks, rejection, or fatigue, all of which can make them feel stressed and frustrated, and trigger angry outbursts or meltdowns. Plano Christian Counseling offers faith-based ADHD counseling to help individuals and families develop emotional regulation strategies, manage stress, and build resilience Effect of emotional dysregulation on ADHD anger ADHD limits your executive functioning capacity by causing significant deficits in the rational thinking part of your brain located in the prefrontal cortex. This is the area that controls the mental processes that enable you to prioritize what’s important in your surroundings, filter out what might be harmful or distracting, regulate your emotions, control your impulses, and enable you to plan and direct your behavior toward achieving a specific goal. The amygdala, on the other hand, is the emotional center of your brain that controls your fight-or-flight response. When triggered, it floods your body with stress hormones such as adrenaline, bumping up the intensity of your reactions, overpowering your prefrontal cortex, taking over the running of your brain, and hijacking control of your ability to respond rationally to the situation. Emotional dysregulation clouds your judgment and causes angry feelings to escalate quickly and intensely. Instead of thinking before [...]

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Counseling for Children: 5 Principles to Bear in Mind

Counseling for Children: 5 Principles to Bear in Mind

Kate Motaung2025-04-01T16:10:53+00:00July 8th, 2023|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

There are many reasons why a family might want to make use of counseling for children. A child may have experienced a traumatic event, such as death or divorce in the family; or been a victim of abuse or bullying. Other less serious circumstances can be perceived as traumatic for a child, for example, a move to a new school or another unexpected change. While children may be less equipped to verbalize their feelings than adults, it is important to bear in mind that counseling for children is not all that different from counseling adults. Children are people created in God’s image and sinners in a fallen world. Plano Christian Counseling offers faith-based counseling for children, providing a safe space for them to express their feelings and work through challenges with the support of compassionate Christian counselors. The struggles and desires they face are not unique to those experienced by all people, and their only hope – as with adults – is the hope presented in Jesus Christ. This reality is encouraging when considering biblical counseling for children which can sometimes be deemed inappropriate or inaccessible for younger counselees. The following five principles are good to bear in mind. Involving parents in counseling for children is a priority. Where possible, it is important for parents as the primary caregivers of their children to be involved in the counseling process. In some circumstances, this might not be suitable. For example, if there is an incidence of abuse by a parent or if the relationship between parent and child is strained. It might be that the parents are immature in their faith. But if they are open to bringing their child to a Christian counselor, then it is a great opportunity for the whole family to be exposed to the redeeming [...]

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