I know it seems counter intuitive, but summer is actually the ideal time for your kids to start therapy.
When you or your kids are experiencing the stress of school, you might feel the urgency to find a therapist to help with that stress. And that’s totally valid. When the need is high, your motivation is high. But, if you think about it, the times when your kids are the most relaxed is when they are able to learn skills (that’s why learning games work so well) and open up. Same is probably true for you. If you are like so many of the families who come see us, you are the kind of person who is proactive, so you are looking for support BEFORE the crisis lands.
Let’s get into a couple more reasons why summer is a great time to start therapy:
Family Involvement
When your kid is in therapy, it’s important that everyone in the family is supportive and involved. It’s just like having a trainer at the gym. If you just do your 1 hour training session a week and do nothing else to support that, it’s not helpful. You want to do workouts outside of your time with your trainer, you want to support your body with healthy food. That’s how you see results, right?
Same thing with therapy. If your kid is learning how to say what they feel, it’s important they practice at home with you. For you to support them as parents, you want to make sure you are available to practice with them, connect with the therapist so you know what they therapist is teaching your child.
Also, if your kid senses that family members don’t think therapy is important or they don’t prioritize attending appointments and doing the work that is involved, then they will not give 100%.
“Summer often means more family time, which can be beneficial when starting therapy. Family involvement is crucial in the therapeutic process, and having more time to participate can lead to better outcomes.”
(“Reasons It Is a Good Idea for a Child to Start Therapy in the Summer from St. Louis Therapists.” Marble Wellness. July 1, 2024. https://marblewellness.com/post/reasons-it-is-a-good-idea-for-a-child-to-start-therapy-in-the-summer-from-st-louis-therapists/)
Everyone will be learning and growing together which can strengthen your bond and improve your communication skills.
As you spend more quality time together and work towards some common goals, hopefully you will be able to see the positive impacts of participating in therapy.
Sibling Issues
Although siblings typically argue and fight year round, it can come up more during the summer because they are not getting a break from each other like they do during the school year. So starting therapy during the summer is good because the need to work through sibling conflicts will be higher.
Summer break can be an important time to work on sibling relationships, communication, problem solving, and sharing… all of which will support them socially. Problems that come up between siblings can also come up with friends and learning how to navigate these issues with siblings first can lay the groundwork on navigating issues with friends in the future.
During the school year, siblings may be at different schools and be involved in different sports and after school activities, which means they don’t spend a lot of time together. So when there is conflict between them, they don’t have adequate time to address the underlying issues or establish boundaries. During the summer, kids can learn strategies to deal with sibling conflicts in a healthy way, and they will actually have time to practice using these strategies because they are spending more time together.
Structure
It’s natural to think that a vacation or summer break will help alleviate any stress or issues that your child is having, however, sometimes it can be the opposite. When you take away the consistency of school and a normal daily routine, your child may experience more stress or new challenges.
“For some teens who are prone to anxiety or depression, the lack of structure during the summer can even exacerbate moodiness and malaise.”
If there is nothing planned or no expectations, a kid can feel a little lost. Having some structure can provide a sense of being grounded and having some control. Beginning therapy can help your child feel productive and successful. They can set goals and start to plan for the new school year so that when they do start back to school they can transition back into that routine smoothly.
Starting therapy in the summer allows your kid a more relaxed pace and time to focus on building a therapeutic relationship with their therapist and setting some goals to work towards.
“A strong therapeutic relationship is key to successful therapy. Starting in the summer gives your child and their therapist time to build rapport and trust without the rush and pressure of the school year.”
(“Reasons It Is a Good Idea for a Child to Start Therapy in the Summer from St. Louis Therapists.” Marble Wellness. July 1, 2024. https://marblewellness.com/post/reasons-it-is-a-good-idea-for-a-child-to-start-therapy-in-the-summer-from-st-louis-therapists/)
By the time school is back in session, your child will have become comfortable with their therapist and can take any personal or new school-related issues to them without hesitation.
During the school year things can get a little chaotic with homework, projects, sports and other activities, and it’s hard to focus on starting something new right in the middle of all of those other things.
If you have determined there is a need for therapy you definitely want your child to be able to focus on doing the work that goes along with it. You don’t want them to feel overwhelmed by one more commitment which can cause them to go into it with a negative attitude.
If you are interested in having your child start therapy during the summer, or just have questions about whether therapy is right for them, contact us, we can help!
