FAQs About Counseling and Finding Child and Teen Therapy in Harrisonburg, VA
Finding a Counselor: Child Therapy or Teen Therapy in Harrisonburg, VA
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC
Bilingual Child and Teen Therapist
Your child and teen's mental health is important to you.
So, you have searched on Google and maybe Psychology Today and found a few therapists in Harrisonburg, VA that you think might be a fit for your family. You see the terms therapist, counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, and coach along with a list of letters behind their names. What do these letters mean? You ask “How am I to know which is the right fit for my child or teen who I know needs to talk to someone other than myself and who I know needs counseling in Harrisonburg, VA?”
Call Melissa Deaton Cook LPC,NCC,ACS,EXAT Harrisonburg therapist at 540-416-1628 for Child and Teen Counseling
Having questions about the different types of therapists and counselors is normal. After all your child or teen is one of the most important people in your life and you want to make sure they find the help they need.
Let me help you with understanding the “therapy language” when looking for counseling in Harrisonburg, Va
What is a therapy?
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC child and teen therapist in Harrisonburg, Va
When someone says they are a “therapist” there can be some confusion about what this means. “Therapy” is a treatment or course of action to help provide healing or wellness. A physical therapist provides treatment, instructions, support, or prescriptions to help heal physical injuries. A Psychotherapist provides treatment for mental health issues. They provide emotional support, guidance, and education to promote emotional and behavioral wellness. A psychotherapist who works with children or teens in Harrisonburg, VA would be referred to as a “child therapist”, “teen therapist”. Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Therapy are essentially used in the same way when referring to professional counseling in this instance.
What is counseling?
We frequently hear the word “counselor” in many different situations. For example, A “camp counselor” is typically someone who guides and ensures the safety of children and teens at day or summer camps. These counselors may be older teens or college-age youth. Sometimes the word “counselor” may be loosely used to designate direct care staff at residential schools or treatment centers. Schools have “guidance counselors” who help students navigate issues in school or help them consider different options and paths after graduation. A “Pastoral Counselor” is someone who uses spiritual and religious information to provide support and guidance.
A “Licensed Professional Counselor” (LPC) has a master's degree in counseling, has had a specific number of hours of supervision, has passed a state licensing exam, and has been approved to provide counseling or therapy to individuals or families. A Licensed Professional Counselor provides emotional and behavioral support and guidance for life and mental health issues. In short, the word counselor typically refers to someone who provides information, guidance, and support.
So are counseling and therapy in Harrisonburg, VA the same thing?
The terms “therapy” and “counseling” are used interchangeably. In this instance, they both refer to providing or receiving help with an emotional, mental, or behavioral issue. The important thing to consider when looking for a therapist or counselor is to look at their specialties and ensure that they are licensed, or licensed eligible in the state where you live.
Research indicates that the best outcomes in counseling are directly related to the client-therapist relationship, not the specific degree of the therapist.
As a child and teen therapist providing counseling in Harrisonburg, Va I aim to engage their curiosity and things they are interested in and love to use as a platform for healing, learning, and growth.
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC provides bilingual counseling in Harrisonburg, Va.
What does LPC, LCSW, LMFT, and LMHC mean when looking for counseling in Harrisonburg VA for child or teen therapy?
Should I hire an LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or Psychologist for my child or teen?
An LPC (licensed professional counselor), LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), LMFT (licensed marriage and family therapist), LMHC (licensed mental health counselor), or Psychologist can all provide counseling. They all learn the foundations of counseling for therapy but the overall view or theoretical perspective of study can be a little different. For example, counseling degrees may focus more on theories and interventions surrounding an individual, social work degrees may be a little more focused on social justice and social systems theories, and family therapists focus more on the complexities of family systems. Psychologists have a deeper knowledge of testing that provides direction and understanding of treatment for interested parties.
Once a clinician obtains their license, they begin to develop more specific skills that fit their interests. A good therapist will continue to learn techniques that match the theory, age group, presenting problems, or interests that they resonate with. This and personality are what truly distinguish a good counselor. A child or teen will have better outcomes with someone who specializes in child or teen therapy.
A good child or teen therapist will have completed additional training in the development and needs of children and teens. They will also learn different ways to engage with children and teens. Their office will be set up to welcome minors who come for counseling with games, toys, sand, instruments, and art supplies. Play is the language of children and teens. Studies show that the relationship between the counselor and the client predicts the best outcomes. Look for someone providing counseling in Harrisonburg that is relatable and engages the interests of your unique child or teen.
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC Bilingual Child and Teen Therapist uses games, sand tray, music, expressive arts, nature, and cognitive therapy when providing counseling in Harrisonburg.
Melissa Deaton Cook is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), NCC (National Certified Counselor), ACS (Approved Clinical Supervisor), and EXAT (Expressive Arts Trauma Informed). Although Melissa did not peruse a license in Marriage and Family Therapy her graduate degree focused on this. Post graduate school Melissa completed an extra 3 years of study with the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center, Inc (Marion Lindblad-Goldberg, Ph. D., Director) receiving a certificate in Echo Systemic Family Therapy. Melissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 30 years of study and experience working specifically with children, teens, and families. She integrates play, expressive arts, music, movement, sand, and nature, into the typical cognitive therapy (talk therapy) in her work with children, teens, and families in Harrisonburg VA.
Your young one is your heartbeat. You deserve to know that they will be well supported and guided by whoever works with them. Both your concerns and their pain are real. They deserve to be seen, heard, and believed in. Not all therapists work the same. I believe it takes special skills to work with children and teens. Finding the right therapist for your child or teen will increase a positive outcome and help them grow and flourish. You and your family warrant a child or teen therapist who can best support your child or teen during this difficult time. I hope this helps you understand a little more about the wording and the different types of therapists in Harrisonburg, VA so that you can make the best-informed decision for your child or teen.
At Spiral Roots LLC, Melissa Deaton Cook LPC specializes in child and teen therapy in Harrisonburg, VA. If you are looking for a child or teen counselor, call 540-416-1628 or email melissa@spiralroots.org Openings are currently available. Learn more and follow Melissa. @spiral roots counseling
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC works with ages 5-18 in Harrisonburg VA and the Shenandoah Valley
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC Bilingual Child and Teen Therapist
When hiring a therapist to provide counseling in Harrisonburg, Va for your child or teen you want someone who is knowledgeable. Someone who understands kids. Your Kid!
You want someone your family can relate to, feel safe with, and learn to communicate with.
You deserve support from someone who can help you and understand your child and teens development and mental health issues. Your child and teen deserve someone who “speaks their language” not just another mark in the schedule book.
Therapy isn’t just for chatting weekly, it is about reaching your goals, easing your worry, and getting real support for both you and your young person. I hope this helps you find the right child or teen therapist in Harrisonburg, VA. Someone who can help you and your loved one.
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC ~
child and teen psychotherapist
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC, NCC, ACS
Melissa is a bilingual licensed professional counselor in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Melissa helps kids feel safe, supported, & empowered to be their best unique selves! She helps struggling children and teens to know that they are seen, they are heard, and that they matter with the help of trauma informed expressive art, sand tray, play therapy, nature based, and cognitive therapy.
“Melissa is like a child and teen first responder” Jennie -First Responder.
Melissa helps dis-regulated children and teens struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, mental health issues, behavior issues, family separations and more to regulate and learn to function in their community. All are welcome! Melissa’s focus is to help kids learn to regulate, communicate, and strengthen their relationships in the home and community so they can develop the capacity to grow and become their best selves. Melissa may be contracted for child, teen, and family therapy, dynamic trauma trainings, expressive arts workshops, and team building events.Melissa also provides expressive arts workshops and drum circles through The Growing Space, in Dayton VA.Learn more about Melissa’s background, approach, and services here at spiralroots.org
Other Blogs In This Series: Searching for Counseling For Children and Teens in Harrisonburg, VA and the Shenandoah Valley? https://www.spiralroots.org/blog/searching-for-counseling-for-children-and-teens-in-harrisonburg-va-and-the-shenandoha-valley
Looking for a Counselor in the Shenandoah Valley? How to find a Child or Teen Therapist in Harrisonburg, VA Today. https://www.spiralroots.org/blog/looking-for-a-counselor-in-the-shenandoah-valley-how-to-find-a-child-or-teen-therapist-in-harrisonburg-va-today
Questions to Ask a Child or Teen Therapist in Harrisonburg, VA https://www.spiralroots.org/blog/searching-for-counseling-for-children-and-teens-in-harrisonburg-va-and-the-shenandoha-valley