Counseling for Kids and Teens

The Barnabas Center is committed to providing the highest quality of emotional and cognitive treatment through Christ-centered counseling for kids and teens, offering a safe and supportive environment where young people can explore their emotions, navigate challenges, and experience healing. Our goal is to work with the family to promote the health and well-being of each kid/ teen. Because the family relationship is of utmost importance to the development of a child/ adolescent, family sessions may be needed to foster deeper connections and healing for the whole family.

Kids: Ages 3-11

For young children, counselors utilize Child-Centered Play Therapy, which allows children to process their emotions and experiences through the natural language of play. In a safe and nurturing environment, children are free to express themselves through toys, art, and creative play, while the therapist provides support and guidance. This approach helps children explore their feelings, build emotional awareness, and develop healthy coping skills. Child-Centered Play Therapy fosters healing and growth in a way that is both age-appropriate and effective.

Through Child-Centered Play Therapy, we address:  
- Anxiety and worry  
- Behavioral challenges (e.g., defiance, tantrums)  
- Grief and loss  
- Adjustment to changes (e.g., moving, divorce, new siblings)  
- Social difficulties and peer relationships  
- Trauma and difficult experiences  
- Emotional regulation and self-expression  

Teens: 12+


Adolescents face unique challenges as they navigate the complexities of identity, relationships, and personal growth. Our counseling for adolescents provides a space where they can share their experiences, questions, and struggles, including  anxiety, depression, self-esteem, peer relationships, and family conflict. Through sharing, creative exploration, and faith-based guidance, counselors come along adolescents as they explore their emotions, develop resilience, and gain tools to make healthy decisions. We seek to support adolescents during this unique season in their lives and point them toward the hope and purpose found in Christ.

Through individualized counseling, we help adolescents navigate:  
- Anxiety and depression  
- Peer pressure and social challenges  
- Grief and loss  
- Family conflict and communication  
- Identity and self-esteem issues  
- Stress  
- Coping with transitions (e.g., moving, college preparation, blended families)  
- Spiritual concerns and faith struggles  

Ready to get started?

Counseling Inquiry form

Specialized Services

ADHD Assessment  for Kids and Adolescents

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or be overly active.
ADHD Symptoms
Signs and Symptoms include: unexplained under-achievement, wandering mind, trouble organizing and planning, high degree of creativity and imagination, trouble with time management and a tendency to procrastinate, strong will, stubbornness, refusal of help, restlessness, impulsiveness and impatience, high energy, and distorted negative self-image.

These are typically noticed at home and school. 

How is ADHD Treated?
Advocate Russell Barkley says that ADHD is “the most treatable disorder in psychiatry bar none.”  In most cases, ADHD is best treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For preschool-aged children (4-5 years) with ADHD, behavior therapy, particularly training for parents, is recommended as the first line of treatment.  

For many people, ADHD medications reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and improve their ability to focus, work, and learn. Sometimes several different medications or dosages must be tried before finding the right one that works for a particular person. Anyone taking medications must be monitored closely by their prescribing doctor.

In addition to behavioral therapy and medication, having a healthy lifestyle can make it easier to deal with ADHD symptoms including developing healthy eating habits, participating in physical activity, limiting daily screen time, and getting good sleep.
What is an ADHD Assessment?
An ADHD assessment will determine if you or your child qualify for an ADHD diagnosis. An ADHD diagnosis helps people better understand themselves, which includes gaining perspective on the reasons for their struggles. It can bring relief at finally understanding certain struggles and symptoms that have been overlooked for a long time.

An ADHD diagnosis can also serve to provide a more thorough treatment plan for symptoms, behavior strategies, and other comorbidities such as anxiety and depression.  
How do I receive an ADHD Assessment?
It can be difficult to watch your child or loved one struggle with their behaviors, emotions, and relationships. Please contact us to schedule a consultation to consider resources to gain perspective and find healing and hope.

The Barnabas Center offers ADHD Assessments as well as child and adolescent counseling, play therapy, and parent coaching. Please fill out our inquiry form for more information about ADHD Assessments, including assessment information, scheduling, cost, sessions required, and other pertinent information.  


Child Centered Play

Play therapy utilizes play, children’s natural medium of expression, to help them express their feelings more easily through play, toys, and creative expression instead of words.
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy uses play activities to help children express their emotions, process experiences, understand their feelings, and develop coping mechanisms, particularly when they might struggle to articulate their issues verbally.

Play therapy allows kids to "play out" their problems in a safe space to work through them. In a safe and nurturing environment, children are free to express themselves through toys, art, and creative play, while the therapist provides support and guidance. This approach helps children explore their feelings, build emotional awareness, and develop healthy coping skills. Play Therapy fosters healing and growth in a way that is both age-appropriate and effective.


What happens in Play Therapy?
Play is a child’s first language. It is a way for a child to express themself, engage with others, and explore when they are unable to fully communicate by talking about their thoughts and feelings. Through meaningful play, children can attempt to organize their experience, gain a sense of control, and learn coping skills they need to improve.

During Play Therapy, the counselor provides a space for the child to feel seen, heard, cared for and understood. Often, the child leads the play, allowing them to express themselves freely. While the child explores their experience through play, the counselor listens and reflects emotions and behaviors which enables children to learn to trust their inner direction, increase their self-understanding, and build self-esteem.
Who is Play Therapy for?
Play Therapy can help children deal with issues like:
- Anxiety and worry  
- Behavioral challenges (e.g., defiance, tantrums)  
- Grief and loss  
- Adjustment to changes (e.g., moving, divorce, new siblings)  
- Social difficulties and peer relationships  
- Trauma and difficult experiences  
- Emotional regulation and self-expression anxiety, depression, trauma, family conflict, grief, and behavioral problems. 

Play therapy is typically recommended for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old as this is when play is a primary mode of expression and processing experiences for most children. However, depending on the child's needs, it can be used with younger or older children as well.


Common Questions
– What are issues that a professional counselor could help with?
– When do I know if my child needs outside help?
– How does it benefit a child to talk to someone outside of our family?
– What does therapy look like for a child?

EMDR for Kids

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences..


What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for “Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing” therapy. The simple act of moving one’s eyes from left to right (bilateral stimulation) while thinking about upsetting information has a healing effect. This therapeutic technique was discovered 30 years ago by Dr. Francine Shapiro and its effectiveness as a therapeutic technique is endorsed by:
  • The American Psychiatric Association 
  • The American Psychological Association 
  • The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
  • The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) 
  • The World Health Organization (WHO)
 

How does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.

EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.

Once the block is removed, healing resumes. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. Clients feel empowered by the very experiences that once debased them.  Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed.
How long does EMDR Therapy take?
EMDR therapy involves attention to three time periods:  the past, present, and future.  Focus is given to past disturbing memories and related events.  Also, it is given to current situations that cause distress, and to developing the skills and attitudes needed for positive future actions.  With EMDR therapy, these items are addressed using an eight-phase treatment approach.

The number of sessions depends upon the specific problem and client history. However, studies have shown that a single trauma or memory can be processed within 3 sessions. While every disturbing event need not be processed, the amount of therapy will depend upon the complexity of the client’s history.
Why Kids Might Need EMDR
 For kids, when distressing, disturbing, painful things happen, they develop mixed-up feelings and mixed-up thoughts. Kids carry all these “bags” of mixed-up stuff and don’t have space in their hearts, minds, and bodies for good thoughts and feelings.

EMDR can help kids by making those bags smaller or even eliminating them. EMDR helps the brain put all the pieces together so the hard stuff can leave us and the good things we learned from it can stay so kids get stronger.


Parent Consultation

The Barnabas Center counselors seek to work closely with parents as a means to provide support to the entire family. Our goal is to provide support,  psycho-education, and helpful communication to guide parents as their children grow in the counseling process. Consultations will help parents learn how to support what their child is learning through counseling including communication, emotional regulation, and fostering healthy relationships. And offering encouragement to parents as they seek to love their children.