Children's Mental Health - Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri

Counseling vs. Psychiatry: Knowing The Difference

david — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:08:42 +0000

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.

Counseling vs. Psychiatry: Key Differences

While counseling and psychiatry serve different purposes, they often complement each other. Counseling provides a supportive space for emotional growth and skill-building, while psychiatry addresses the biological and medical aspects of mental health. For example, a child dealing with anxiety might benefit from therapy to develop coping strategies, alongside psychiatric care to manage severe symptoms through medication.

LFCS: Comprehensive Mental Health Care

At LFCS, we are proud to offer a range of mental health services tailored to meet the needs of children and families. Our counseling services are available in most areas across Missouri, providing therapeutic guidance and support wherever it’s needed. Additionally, we offer psychiatry services, including medical intervention, exclusively in St. Louis County and Franklin County. Please call us at 866-326-LFCS (5327) for availability of our behavioral health services in your area.

If you or someone you know is seeking mental health support, LFCS is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and take the first step toward a brighter future.

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

Finding Confidence & Success Through Therapy: Albert’s Story

beanstalk — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 15:38:32 +0000

The following story was submitted by an LFCS behavioral health counselor.

I met Albert when he was in 4th grade. His teacher referred him to our school counseling program for anger and social skill issues. At that time, he and his mother were living with his mother’s father, Albert’s grandfather. However, his mother was rarely home. Albert never saw his father. Albert was struggling in school.

Social interactions were hard for him, so he did not have many real friends. It did not help that he was often angry, and wasn’t able to control his temper very well. Albert had reasons to be angry – one of which was he had been physically abused by two of his mother’s boyfriends.

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.

He found a small group of like-minded friends. At the end of his 5th grade year, he was encouraged by a few school staff to apply for membership on a school leadership council for his 6th grade year, and he was accepted.

Albert’s 6th grade year began with him as a member of this council, as well as 4 inches taller. It was quickly evident that his self-esteem and social skills were still improving. He was rarely getting in trouble. He could be seen moving through the school hallways in the middle of a pack of students, talking and laughing. On Track Day, he won several medals, including 1st Place in the 3-mile event. He was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society for his grades and his character. Albert transitioned out of counseling at the end of the school year.

I’m happy that I will still get to see Albert in the halls of the school next year, and see what his 7th grade year brings him. So I do think it might be time for me to consolidate my enormous display of Albert’s painted rocks in my office. I’ll just keep a few of my favorites. The Dragons, obviously.

The post Finding Confidence & Success Through Therapy: Albert’s Story first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Children’s Mental Health Checklist for a Happy, Healthy New Year

beanstalk — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:59:34 +0000

As the New Year unfolds, ensuring children’s mental health should be a top priority for every parent. To assist families in addressing this important issue, Lutheran Family and Children’s Service offers a concise Children’s Mental Health Checklist

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.

Use “I Statements”.

Employ “I Statements” to promote productive conversations about feelings, needs, and the impact of events.

Build positive routines.

Children thrive on structure and predictability. Create consistent routines to provide structure, predictability, and a sense of safety for children.

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.

Encourage play and exercise.

Engage children in play and light exercise to boost positive energy and counteract prolonged computer screen time.

Manage stress.

Teach your child various stress management techniques, including deep breathing, counting slowly, coloring, music or a short walk.

Seek professional help.

If the symptoms or issues that your child is experiencing are interfering with their daily activities, seeking a mental health professional to help would be advised. LFCS offers tailored behavioral services for children and evidence-based approaches to help your child overcome their challenges. For more information about our mental health services or to schedule an appointment, please visit lfcsmo.org/counseling.

The post Children’s Mental Health Checklist for a Happy, Healthy New Year first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Mental Illness in Children

beanstalk — Mon, 01 May 2017 16:17:13 +0000

By appearances, she seemed so innocent with bright green eyes and curly brown hair. An only child of a well-educated, successful couple, Lexi had access to opportunities that others dream of. She attended a private school, lived in a gated community, and was surround by affluence. Mental illness, however, didn’t care about any of it or that Lexi was just six-years old.

Since she could walk, Lexi had frequent erratic outburst and displayed aggressive, sometimes violent, behavior. At three years old, she was expelled from daycare for multiple attempts to hurt her teacher. At home, she often punched holes in walls or broke household items. In kindergarten, Lexi threatened to commit suicide. That was when her parents knew they needed help and called LFCS.

It was not an easy road, but through regular, intensive therapy sessions, Lexi made progress. She learned how to respect boundaries and that behavioral expectations were not optional. Her parents changed too. They learned strategies to manage her outburst more effectively and how to hold Lexi accountable for her actions.

Lexi will continue to face challenges as she and her parents manage her mental illness, but through counseling services offered at LFCS, this family has picked up the pieces of their life and found a way to make it whole again.

Are you afraid of what it could mean if your child is diagnosed mental illness?

Mental illness, especially mental illness in children, is a topic with a lot of stigma attached. However, it is important to be aware of the prevalence of mental illness in children, the effects of leaving mental illnesses untreated, and the treatments available to children.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, one in five children suffers from a mental disorder. Despite the prevalence of mental illness in children, only twenty percent of children with mental disorders are identified and receive appropriate mental health services. The effects of leaving mental disorders untreated in children can leave them at a higher risk for suicide, school failure, involvement in the justice system, and higher use of health care services.

Early intervention is vital in minimizing the long term effects of mental disorders in children. A good place to start is at your child’s pediatrician and they can provide you with counseling and psychiatric resources.

Contact LFCS today to speak with one of our counselors.

The post Mental Illness in Children first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.