As a parent, it can be hard to know when your childs behavior is just a part of growing up or a sign of a bigger issue. There are several things a child and adolescent mental health professional will look at to determine if a child or teens behaviors are problematic:

Is the behavior more intense than it should be?
Does the duration of the behavior continue after the situation has passed?
Is the behavior typical for his/her age level?
Is the behavior upsetting to your child or other family members?
Does the behavior prevent your child from interacting with friends or performing well in school?
Is the behavior inappropriate to the situation?
Does the behavior happen for no obvious reason?
Does your child avoid important social, school or family activities because of the behavior?

All children are different, and even the most typical child or teen may engage in problematic behaviors from time to time, especially when they are tired, stressed or sick. However, if your child or teen repeatedly engages in inappropriate or unwanted behaviors, consider meeting with a mental health professional.

Learn More

What is Family Therapy?Family therapy is a form of treatment that views psychological problems and their treatment in terms of the interactions among family members. Families ar [...]

Therapy or medication? In both children and adults, evidence-based psychosocial therapies have been shown to work for a broad range of mental health disorders, as well as for many [...]

What is CBT?Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents usually are short-term treatments (i.e., often between six and 20 sessions) that focus on teaching you [...]