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Nutritional Therapy Services can be beneficial for people of all ages to develop healthy eating habits. Nutritional Therapists at Behavioral Nutrition are trained to help identify areas where your diet can be improved and new foods that can be introduced to make it more complete. We understand there is a stigma behind therapy of all types and work hard to make the experience a positive one. Nutritional Therapy involves consulting a nutritional expert on how to maximize your energy and overall consumption. Nutritional Therapy empowers its patients with powerful knowledge on how food affects the mind and body. This knowledge can be specifically helpful for children who need support to find a diet that works best for them.

Sometimes children will ask for therapy and there are other times when it is a battle to get your child to attend therapy. What do you do?

  • Say something like, “I wonder if it would be helpful for you to have someone to talk to besides me.” Make it sound as casual as possible.
  • Seek counseling on your own without your child. Often, parent-training can be one of the most effective ways to help children. A therapist may be able to teach you how to coach your child. If your child knows you’re going to counseling to talk about them, they might also be interested in going to share “their side” of the story. If you experience therapy yourself, considering sharing that with your child, which can normalize it and remove some of the stigma.
  • Speak with your child’s school counselor. Discuss whether there are any services available within the school system to help your child. A child won’t meet with a counselor outside of school may be willing to speak with a school counselor. However, if your child does not want to be seen going into the counselor’s office at school, the counselor should also have community resources for you to find a counselor in your community.
  • Create a contract with your child. If it’s a mild issue that you’re concerned about, create a contract with your child. Tell your child that you would like them to go to a certain number of sessions before they can decide about whether to continue treatment.
  • Talk to your child’s therapist about their resistance to attending sessions. Therapists can problem-solve and explore barriers. Plus, most are open to providing referrals if they’re not the right fit for your child or family.
  • Confidentiality can also be an issue for your child. It is important that you are part of the session when the therapist talks about confidentiality, so that you and your child will hear the same message about confidentiality at the same time. This piece is crucial. If this is handled correctly it will begin the process of trust between your child and the therapist.
  • If there are issues in the family, it is important to let them know that they are not the “problem”. Parents will sometimes drop their child off at the door and come back for them at the end of the session. It is important that you be a part of the counseling process.

Of course, there may be times when your child needs help regardless of whether they agree. If they’re at risk of hurting themselves or someone else, call 911 or take them to the emergency room. If they’re engaging in risky behavior, treatment should be mandatory.

Get Support with Nutritional Therapy

Nutritional Therapists at Behavioral Nutrition understand that everyone is different and strive to educate children struggling with nutrition and diet. We understand how difficult it is for younger individuals to tackle nutritional and dietary problems. Finding solutions to improve their diet that are sustainable is a great step in the right direction. We encourage the parents of children seeking help to reinforce their actions with compassion and understanding. They are on the right path and taking a proactive approach to improving their diet and overall health. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help a child develop healthy eating habits and improve their diet at Behavioral Nutrition.