I am very worried about my 10 year old daughter. She says she feels miserable and hopeless and that her life is a disaster. She cries at school and can't focus on homework. She seems very sad most of the time.
I've had mediocre results with therapists in the past. Can anyone provide a name of a trusted, proven professional who is not scary to the child. I need someone creative who can possibly incorporate play therapy or group sessions or something more than the one-on-one twice a week. It's hard to just go through lists of therapists in the area and pick one. PLEASE HELP if you know someone good.
My son is 12 & has some of the same problems. He sees amanda owen at lifeworks in carrollton. Their number is ###-###-####. She does pet therapy with her dog dobby. I recommend her to the fullest!
I would actually suggest seeing a psychiatrist for her. Dr. Michael Woods has been excellent for my son's depression. He actually got so bad in 6th grade that he tried to hurt himself before we found Dr. Woods. He takes the time to really talk with you and your child at each session. He's in Plano near the DNT. He also suggested therapists at Heritage Behavioral Center in Plano at Spring Creek and Custer. Miles is one of the founders there and has worked a lot with kids; my son was seeing a play therapist before we started going to Miles, and he had refused to continue cooperating with the play therapist, but he liked and trusted Miles immediately. My daughter sees Mamoona there and she is also excellent but a different style. They have convenient appointments as late as 6pm, depending on which therapist your child is seeing, which is great when you have school age kids who need therapy. If your work has an EAP (employee assistance program) they also accept most of those, so w/ my husband's work each kid can get 3 free appts per year, and with mine we can get another 3 free. We had tried several different therapists in the Plano area who work with kids and this place is definitely the best!
Beckloff Pediatric Behavioral Center
Dr. Dean Beckloff
www.drbeckloff.com
____@____.com
###-###-####
at the corner of Preston and Campbell
Highly recommend!
We took our son to see someone for a couple of months and she did play therapy that was very effective. Her name is Sandy Allred, she is based out of Richland Hills (Family Christian Resources, or something like that, is the facility she practices out of). Even if you do consider some diet changes, I would still recommend an evaluation. She can give you, and your daughter, strategies to implement that will help in the meantime. She also works on a sliding scale for income, so even if insurance does not cover it, the cost should not be too burdensome. She saw my son a couple times a week for starters then we started decreasing frequency as he improved.
I want to second what Faithfulmom wrote....give dietary changes a try while you seek therapy. My daughter (7) has several chronic health issues and instead of continuing to throw medication at her symtpms, I put her onthe Specific Carbohydrate Diet (www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info).
I was very depressed and emotional and doctors thought it was because I was dealing with a lot of stress (my daughter's hospitalizations, diagnosis after diagnosis of illnesses attacking her eyes, joints and digestive tract, continuing to work full-time to pay half the bills, etc. They wanted me to go on medication for the depression. I said I wanted to wait and try diet and exercise first.
So when my daughter started the diet, I did it with her. My emotion rollercoaster ride came to an end. I was no longer having panic attacks, episodes of extreme sadness, etc. I really think there is something to the mind-gut connection and it is worth exploring as an option.
Check into the GAPS program by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (www.gaps.me). I heard her speak at the Weston A Price conference in Dallas a few weekends ago. So many attendees thanked her for her program because it helped them with their various illnesses. The diet portion of GAPS is based on the diet my daughter and I follow, but it is less restrictive. GAPS = Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Give it a try for 1 to 2 months and if she doesn't feel at all different, at least you can rule out diet.
Google '60 minutes episode flavor chemists' and watch the episode a few weekends ago about what major food companies are putting in packaged foods. A real eye opener....
Contact your insurance company and see if you can obtain a list of doctors. Try to google the names and see if there are any reviews on them. You can also call her pediatrician and see if they can refer you to one. Let them know your past experiences, see what they have to say.
Good luck to you and your daughter! Glad your seeking therapy for her.
I have to echo the recommendation for dietary changes. Research has proven exercise and diet to be the most effective sources of mental challenges help. You may want to look into the GAPS diet. Their website is www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com .
If you have more questions, I'd be glad to answer them at ____@____.com or you could call me at ###-###-####.
Finding the ROOT ISSUE instead of chasing symptoms will actually help the problem and not just be a temporary fix, like her previous therapy.
Best wishes!
This might be out of the way, but Lake ARlington Baptist Church has a counseling center called IMPACT. Their number is ###-###-####. They have wonderful counselors that are trained in play therapy that will help your child talk about what is bothering her. Take Care.
I would highly recommend you look into Lori Vann in Carrollton. She specializes in young, pre-teen, teen, and young adult depression etc. She is Christian if that matters. Also she has an amazing group therapy that I've heard has had amazing results. Sometimes a persons problems seem minimal when they hear about others. Good Luck.
http://lorivanncounseling.com/index.html
I am not answering your original question, although I am sure therapy is also a great place for some help.
PLEASE, PLEASE consider changing her diet. What you are describing to me sounds like her diet is probably a huge factor in her emotional balance.
As a society we do not realize that all the processed and fast food we are eating is killing our bodies. Over the past two years I have been researching healthy food choices and have transformed my kids.
I had a daughter who was on ADHD meds for 5 years. She was so tiny and couldnt gain any weight on the meds, but off the meds she was so unfocused and bouncy that she couldnt sit still for 5 minutes.
I had a son who was so angry and emotional all the time, I was to the point of pulling my hair out. Every little thing was a battle.
I heard about how dyes and preservatives take a toll on our bodies and how some people are more sensitive that others. Each person reacts in their own way, some are emotional, some are hyper, some get depressed.
I went through my home and took out everything and we changed the way we live. A year and a half later my daughter has been off ADHD meds and has finally gained 10lbs and is at a good weight. My son is the calmest and sweetest child on the block. No joke!
I am a huge advocate of sharing this info, because most people are just like me and just dont know how much food affects us. My best friend is an autistic therapist who now reccomends diet change to all her families, and she is seeing huge results in behavior compliance.
Please read info on this website and do your own research. I know it is a hard change, but it is SOOOOOOO worth it! Good luck!
