WELCOME.
Well-informed clinicians, educators, parents, and caregivers are vital advocates for a child's mental well-being.
At Child Therapy Guide, we create and provide resources that empower the community to recognize symptoms, seek guidance, and foster a nurturing environment for a child's development. Explore a diverse range of resources focused on topics from anxiety and depression to behavioral issues and emotional regulation.
Navigating the world of pediatric mental health can be overwhelming, let us be your guide.
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WORKSHEETS
Our worksheets are sorted into 4 categories: conversation starters, writing prompts, mindfulness practice, and therapeutic activities.
All Child Therapy Guide worksheets are designed to support pediatric mental and behavioral health and are used by child therapists, school counselors, teachers, and parents.
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INFOGRAPHICS
Our Infographics are tailored to support education, advocacy, and intervention in the realm of pediatric mental and behavioral health. These evidence-based resources offer valuable, digestible information to help the community learn about child and adolescent mental health.
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BOOK LISTS
Our book lists are sorted into 10 categories: feelings, behavior, anxiety, friendship, anger, family, perfectionism, loss, culture, and mindfulness.
These curated book lists help kids address common childhood concerns through engaging narratives.
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MATERIALS
Our materials lists are sorted into 3 categories: general therapy, play therapy, and art therapy.
Each list offers creative materials to support different therapeutic modalities. The materials include social-emotional learning tools, creative expression resources, play-based learning toys, and essentials for talk therapy with kids and adolescents.
One of the best ways to tame childhood anxiety is to demystify it. Explore the feelings, triggers, behaviors, and outcomes of anxiety through targeted story books and conversation, or bibliotherapy. Learn more and explore our recommended children’s books about anxiety.
There are lot’s of ways to “do” early childhood education. Learn about 5 common preschool philosophies: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, and Forest. The best predictor of social and academic achievement is confidence, so regardless of philosophy-specific approaches to academics, find a program where your kid will be comfortable and supported!
By regularly practicing empathy, children learn to recognize unique perspectives and exercise compassion for themselves and others. Empathy allows kids to navigate difficult situations, support others (and themselves) in need, and recover from setbacks. Empathy is a key component of resilience and a growth mindset—learn how to nurture it through 3 simple activities!
Parenting styles are often categorized into four main types based on the work of psychologist Diana Baumrind: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and disengaged. These styles reflect different approaches to parenting and have varying impacts on a child's development. Read on to learn about the different styles and print our free Parenting Styles Infographic.
Oobleck is a fun and easy demonstration of a non-Newtonian fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids are kind of like us—their behavior is variable depending on stress! This hands-on sensorial experiment can help kids understand that stress (anxiety, frustration, disappointment, failure, anger) can change our behavior.
Read on to learn how to make Oobleck and how to talk to kids about transformative nature.
Emotional literacy is an important piece of the holistic development of children. By deliberately modeling and exploring emotional literacy, we prepare kids to flourish through resiliency, empathy, and connection.
Effective communication during adolescence builds mutual trust, understanding, and respect. This kind of communication allows parents to better recognize cues and attend to the needs of their teenager. Learn more about parent-teen communication and checkout our free conversation starters for teens!
Both positive and negative reinforcement can be effective ways to shape and encourage favorable behavior, but understanding how to use reinforcement to support healthy growth and development is key! Read on to learn about what reinforcement is, common misconceptions about reinforcement, and how to use reinforcement at home or in the classroom!
Quiet Coping Skills are subtle but effective ways to privately regulate emotions without attracting scrutiny from others. These techniques aim to interrupt overwhelming feelings by focusing on specific physical tasks and simple mantras.
A perfectionist aims for the ideal version of a pursuit and has disproportionate feelings of disappointment if they fail to reach their goal. Perfectionism can have many roots, but it is generally tied to a person’s perception of their self-worth.
Play therapy encourages imagination, self-expression, and exploration through specially selected toys and materials. It offers a transformative pathway for children to explore their emotions, navigate challenges, and find healing through the power of play.
Guided by Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) outcomes, our free writing prompts exercise written communication and promote the development of introspection, self-confidence, creativity, problem solving, and emotional regulation.
Cooperative games help kids learn the significance of collaboration, integrity, and respect. Through shared objectives and collective problem-solving, kids build interpersonal skills while exercising ethical conduct and resilience. Read on for tips on how to foster positive sportsmanship through a social-emotional learning lens.
Reciprocal conversation is an active exchange of thoughts, ideas, curiosity, and attention. It’s a valuable skill and we can help cultivate it from a young age through engaged, thoughtful conversation.
Mindfulness practice offers a guided pathway for children (and adults!) to develop a sense of calm, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. Mindfulness is a holistic life skill that promotes mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Read on to learn about 6 mindfulness techniques for kids!
Art therapy empowers children to develop coping skills, build self-esteem, and find healing by using creativity as a means to communicate thoughts and emotions that words alone cannot express. Explore our art therapy prompts, ideas, and activities, and check out our recommended materials for art therapy with kids!
Play contributes to the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of children. It enhances motor skills, stimulates creativity, and cultivates social intelligence through interactions with peers. Play also serves as a natural learning platform, helping kids understand the world around them. Learn about five kinds of productive play and explore toys that support each kind.
Resilience is a dynamic skill set that empowers kids to adapt, learn, and thrive through life’s journey. By nurturing a growth mindset, parents, educators, clinicians, and caregivers can support self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and optimism in kids so that they can grow and persevere through setbacks.
In times of dysregulation, our breath can center us. Intentional breathing is a holistic life skill that promotes mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Read more to learn about different breathing techniques that are great for kids and adults!
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping is a gentle, evidence-based method that combines acupressure with positive affirmations to alleviate stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges. Read more about how it works, what it does, and how to do it!
Explore our simple breakdown of ADHD. By creating an atmosphere that embraces diversity and accommodates different learning styles, we empower children with ADHD to thrive!
Understanding what type of therapy is best for your child can be overwhelming. This comprehensible post breaks down 6 common modalities used by child therapists: play therapy, family therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Once you understand what might be the best fit for you child, you can search for an appropriate licensed child therapist near you!
Find answers to common questions about child therapy like: What is a child therapist? How do I find a pediatric psychotherapist near me? How do I afford therapy for my child? Would my child benefit from therapy? Will my child be labeled with a diagnosis? How do I support therapeutic progress?
Empower parents and caregivers to make informed decisions about their child's mental health care.
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What's The Plan?
Talking points to create collaborative game plans.
Parties or social gatherings often alter our daily routines. This can be especially disruptive to young kids. With anticipated disruptions in mind, these conversation starters promote social skills, confidence, problem-solving, and emotional regulation by helping kids feel heard, understood, and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Preparedness in kids (and adults!) contributes to overall well-being and can significantly reduce dysregulated feelings and behaviors.
Try these talking points on the commute to a birthday party or social gathering and observe the positive effects of collaborative preparedness!
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ADHD Inforgraphic
Recognizing and embracing the unique strengths and challenges associated with ADHD is the first step in supporting a child’s journey. Our simple infographic about symptoms, diagnosis, management, and advocacy of ADHD serves to cultivate open communication and collaboration between parents, educators, and clinicians to create an environment that celebrates and supports a child’s individuality.
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FAQ about Child Therapy
Find answers to common questions about child therapy like: What is a child therapist? How do I find a therapist? How do I afford therapy? Would my child benefit from therapy? Will my child be labeled? How do I support therapeutic progress?
Empower parents and caregivers to make informed decisions about their child's mental health journey.
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6 Types of Child Therapy
Understanding what type of therapy is best for your child can be overwhelming. This comprehensible infographic breaks down 6 common modalities used by child therapists: play therapy, family therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Once you understand what might be the best fit for your child, you can search for an appropriate licensed child therapist near you!
Accessible support for pediatric mental health serves as a protective buffer and offers intervention during critical developmental stages; but the significance of accessible support extends beyond crisis intervention, it lays the foundation for resilience. Children equipped with the tools to navigate social, emotional, behavioral, situational, and psychological challenges grow into adolescents and adults better prepared to cope with life's complexities.
Early intervention is not only an investment in the child, but an investment in society as a whole.
Featured Resources:
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Book Lists
Books play a crucial role in fostering social-emotional learning (SEL) in children. Through characters and their journeys, children can empathize with different perspectives, navigate complex emotions, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
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Instructional Materials
Therapeutic materials for kids are designed to provide a supportive and engaging avenue for emotional expression, healing, growth, and self-discovery. These resources offer children both verbal and non-verbal means of communication to express complex emotions in an accessible way. Our materials lists include general therapy tools, play therapy tools, and art therapy tools.
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Worksheets
Therapeutic worksheets for kids are structured, purposeful tools designed to support psychological well-being. These worksheets feature age-appropriate activities and prompts that guide children through introspective processes and reinforce coping skills. Through directed practice, children can develop self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and take new perspectives.
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Play Therapy
Play therapy is a specialized therapeutic approach that recognizes the natural medium of play as a means of communication, processing, healing, and expression. Play therapy provides a safe and supportive environment for children to explore challenging feelings, foster emotional healing, and build resilience. This approach is particularly effective for young children who may find it challenging to articulate their feelings verbally.
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Infographics
Our infographics serve as visual aids in the therapeutic process, distilling complex psychological concepts into clear and accessible handouts. Our printables are designed to enhance understanding and retention of therapeutic information by making it engaging and actionable. Whether illustrating coping strategies, childhood disorders, or counseling modalities, our infographics provide a visual roadmap for the community to navigate and support pediatric mental health.
"Alphabet Feelings" provide a framework for adults to help kids to systematically explore different emotions, scenarios, and coping skills. Print this FREE resource and check out our other recommended ways to exercise social and emotional learning.