At Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, we are proud to provide low-cost, high-quality mental health counseling and psychiatry services to children and families across the state. While these services are essential for addressing a wide range of mental health challenges, many people may not fully understand the difference between therapy and psychiatry. Knowing which professional to turn to when your child is experiencing a mental health issue is crucial for getting the right support at the right time. This guide will help you better understand these distinct yet complementary approaches to mental health care.

Counseling: A Therapeutic Approach

Mental health counseling focuses on addressing emotional, social, and behavioral concerns through talk therapy. Licensed therapists, counselors, or social workers provide counseling to help individuals understand their emotions, develop coping strategies, and improve relationships. Common therapeutic techniques include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, Play Therapy, and Family Counseling.

Counseling is ideal for addressing issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Stress Management, Relationship Challenges, Disruptive Behaviors and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sessions are typically held weekly or bi-weekly, fostering a continuous, supportive relationship between the counselor and the client. This process helps clients navigate life’s challenges and build resilience over time.

At LFCS, our counseling services are tailored to children and families’ unique needs, ensuring evidence-based care that promotes growth and healing. Learn more here.

Psychiatry: A Medical Perspective

Psychiatry focuses on the medical evaluation and treatment of mental health disorders. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, often through medication management and other medical interventions.

Psychiatry is particularly effective for managing conditions such as ADHD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Psychotic Symptoms, and Anxiety. Psychiatrists conduct comprehensive evaluations and develop personalized treatment plans, which may include prescribing medications to stabilize symptoms. Follow-up sessions are typically less frequent than counseling sessions and focus on reviewing and adjusting treatment as needed.

LFCS psychiatry services provide children and adolescents with access to specialized care, including evaluations, medication management, and care planning. Learn more here.

The post Counseling vs. Psychiatry: Knowing The Difference first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Albert loved coming to therapy, simply because there he felt safe and accepted for who he was. One week we talked about the solar system – the next how cool ants are. Another time he’d bring in one of his favorite dragon books to read to me, then we would analyze the differences between Dragons, Griffins, Wyverns, and which was the most awesome (Dragons, obviously). Another time he’d bring in cool looking rocks for us to look up and classify, and then we’d decorate the rocks.

These were not the only times, however, that Albert and I were meeting. Albert ended up in my office in tears on quite a few occasions. Sometimes on his own, sometimes brought by a teacher or the principal. Albert would be teased by a classmate, which might have ended there, just hurting Albert’s feelings. Or it might have ended with Albert lashing out, this time also physically hurting the classmate.

Albert’s mother left for good while he was in 5th grade, and his grandfather took custody of him. Then Albert’s birth father came back into his life, and started spending time with him. Albert was slowly making improvements with his anger management, self-esteem and social skills.

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Open communication.

Encourage honest conversations in a judgement-free zone where children can share their concerns.

Model diverse feelings.

Demonstrate a variety of healthy emotions to normalize the idea that everyone experiences different feelings.

Teach responsibility for feelings.

While showing emotions is healthy, avoid burdening children with responsibility for your feelings. Model coping strategies instead.

Practice healthy coping strategies.

If you practice healthy coping with complicated feelings, it will be easier for your children to do the same when they need it. Examples include walking, talking to a trusted friend, meditating, or journaling about your feelings.

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In 2022, 49,500 people took their own lives in the U.S., the highest number ever*. Suicide is currently the 2^nd leading cause of death for those ages 10-34 in Missouri. 1,177 Missourians died by suicide in 2021
(most current state data)**, while thousands more were treated for self-inflicted injuries.

It is difficult to know if someone is feeling suicidal and even harder to know how to help. LFCS put together a brief youth & teen suicide prevention video designed to give basic information about suicide prevention. One life lost to suicide it too many. Please take 2 minutes to see what you can do to help prevent a tragedy from happening in your community.

Crisis Hotline Resources:

Call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Text “MOSAFE” to 988 for the Missouri Crisis Text Line
Text “NAMI” to 741-741 for the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Crisis Text Line

For information about LFCS counseling services, call 866-326-LFCS (5327) or email help@lfcs.org.

* https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html
** https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm

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Jasmine’s mother Kim began noticing that she seemed more withdrawn and irritable than normal. While many teens experience mood swings, these behaviors were a drastic shift from the cheerful, caring girl that Kim knew. She feared that something was wrong but couldn’t get Jasmine to share what was upsetting her. Desperate for help, Kim reached out to LFCS and Jasmine began meeting with her therapist, Lisa.

Throughout the sessions, Jasmine began slowly sharing with Lisa her experience with debilitating anxiety. Every day, whether at home, school, work, or with peers, she continuously questioned if she met the standards of others. She only judged her achievements and feelings of happiness based on the reactions of other people. Through her work with Lisa, Jasmine learned to find her own happiness, success, and satisfaction for herself, independent of the approval of anyone else. This realization allowed her to discover new ways of coping with her fears and learn skills to reduce her overall anxiety

The results were a great boost to her self-confidence and self-esteem. As Jasmine became willing to try new experiences at school and advocate for her needs, she began to feel more comfortable in her own shoes. Today, Jasmine says she has the tools necessary to express her needs and feel satisfaction with herself without external approval. Jasmine is now attending college and thriving in her campus life. She credits her relationship with Lisa as a turning point in her life and is forever grateful for the skills she has learned.

Jasmine’s story is perfect example of how LFCS Behavioral Health services can improve the lives of those struggling with their mental health. Evidence-based practices, emphasis on building strong relationships, and teaching skills that build sustainable success are why LFCS is known as the place to go when the children of Missouri need help. For more information on our Behavioral Health services, please visit lfcsmo.org/counseling.

* https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/press-release/latest-federal-data-show-that-young-people-are-more-likely-than-older-adults-to-be-experiencing-symptoms-of-anxiety-or-depression/

** https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data

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The philosopher Aristotle once said, “Laughter is a bodily exercise, precious to health.” Charlie Chaplin believed that “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it”. We all love a good laugh, but did you know that laughing offers several health benefits for us? The Mayo Clinic recently shared the impact laughing regularly has at combating stress:

Short Term Effects:

• Stimulates multiple organs
• Soothes tension
• Calms our stress response

Long Term Effects:

• Improves immune system
• Relieves pain
• Improves mood and personal satisfaction

The post Using Humor first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

The kids have all been out of school for over two months, and we still have a whole summer to get through! Many of you have been working (or trying to work) from home. Some of you may not be unemployed because of the pandemic. Or you are working harder than ever – an essential worker when the rest of the economy is closed.

I don’t know about you, but I did not think that this is where we would be right now when we rang in 2020 on New Year’s Eve!

With all of this change, you may be feeling like you don’t know how much more “together” time at home you can handle right now or how you can go without a job for much longer or how you can keep working as hard as you have been without falling over, and you know what, that is OKAY!

It is okay not to be okay. It is okay to want things to go back to the way they were before. It is okay to have more screen time and less schoolwork time or to feel overwhelmed and grieve your life the way it used to be. It is okay to be uncertain and anxious about the future in this time of uncertainty. Someday, we will be able to go back to work and school and just regular life, or something like it. Truthfully, we aren’t likely to do things exactly how we did them before once this pandemic has run its course. However, that knowledge doesn’t help now on the hard days when we just don’t think we can live like this anymore. So, here are a few things that might help you get through the tough days.

1. Take time to breathe and breathe deeply. As you breathe, relax your shoulders, your face, and your arms. Let yourself sink into the floor a little bit. Clear your mind as you breathe out the stress. Repeat these steps throughout your day. I like to do 4 Square Breathing. Here’s an example. 
2. Step away from your desk or workspace and… Take. A. Break. Maybe you can go on a short walk outside or play a game on your phone. Whatever that break looks like, make sure it happens a couple of times a day.
3. Set work hour boundaries. When you are working from home, it is REALLY hard not to bring work home with you. Set some work hour parameters and stick to them. Don’t answer the phone, look at email or type out that memo outside of your designated work time. Trust me, creating that boundary will do wonders for your mental health.
4. Practice grounding techniques. They work well when you are feeling panicky, unfocused, nervous, or simply overwhelmed. Take the time to notice and describe five(5) things you see, four(4) things you feel, three(3) things you hear, two(2) things you smell, and one (1) thing you taste. If you have chocolate or a cookie, or, better yet, a chocolate chip cookie, now is the time to whip that out and savor the flavor.
5. Last, write out a list. Lists help when your brain is bouncing from one thing to another, and you can’t seem to get anything done. This process also helps when you need to feel a little better about your accomplishments. I like to add a few things in there like “check the mail” or “eat a snack.” It’s crucial to get what’s going on in your brain, out on paper. You will hopefully find that the tasks before you seem possible.

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Together we face uncertainty, worry, and sudden changes that affect both our personal and professional lives. We all feel the impact. How we react to these unforeseen disruptions will make a difference in our lives as well as those we love.

LFCS is adapting because children and families in Missouri remain our priority.

As leaders in the field of professional mental health services, we know that times of crisis are stressful and often traumatic for children and families. When unmanaged, the effects of stress and trauma can impact our mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

So we want to know, how are you doing?

If you need help, we understand. We are here for you. LFCS counselors are ready to address the challenges your family may feel during this time of uncertainty. We aim to provide ways for you to cope, help connect you with much-needed resources, and offer additional comfort during these difficult times. We are accessible through telehealth to protect your physical health and respect social distancing guidelines. This virtual approach to therapy includes counseling over the telephone or through video conferencing, such as Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. We understand these methods may be new to you. We will do our best to make you comfortable and to accommodate you and your family’s unique needs as we move forward together.

Call us today at 866-326-LFCS  or submit your request for services online.

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Maya was a typical elementary school student. She had a several friends, enjoyed going to school and spent two nights a week at the dance studio. Unfortunately, as the years passed, school shootings became a more common occurrence. Intruder drills had to be practiced and teachers regularly spoke with students to prepare for the worst.  These experiences overwhelmed Maya. School was supposed to be a place where she felt safe and it had quickly become the opposite.

Fortunately, Maya’s parents noticed the shift in her behavior and sought help from LFCS. Watch their story below.

Anxiety disorders affect 1 in 8 children.

If your child is struggling with anxiety or depression, let us help! Contact us today to set up a consultation.

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