How to Create an Affirming Home Environment for LGBTQ+ Youth
Creating a safe, inclusive, and affirming home environment can make a life-saving difference for LGBTQ+ youths. But it can be confusing understanding how to do that, especially in a world that seems to be constantly changing. Read more about practical ways parents and caregivers can build that kind of supportive space within their own families.
Understanding Mental Health Needs of LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guide for Parents
LGBTQ+ youth face unique mental health challenges, often stemming from discrimination and lack of acceptance, not their identities. This guide helps parents understand how to provide affirming support at home and seek compassionate, identity-affirming therapy. With the right care and environment, LGBTQ+ youth can thrive emotionally and mentally.
What Do I Do If My Child Comes Out to Me? A Parent’s Guide to Providing Support
When your child comes out to you—whether as LGBTQ+, questioning, or exploring their identity—it can bring up a wide range of emotions. This post offers gentle guidance on how to respond with love, support, and curiosity, even if you’re feeling unsure or overwhelmed. You don’t have to have all the answers—your presence and openness are more powerful than you think.
Behind the Bickering: What Sibling Fights Are Really About
Sibling fights might sound like everyday noise in a busy home, but beneath the shouting matches and tattling, there’s often something more going on. In this post, a child and teen therapist unpacks what sibling rivalry is really about—hint: it’s not just about who had the remote first—and how parents can respond in ways that build emotional awareness, connection, and long-term relationship skills.
How to Help Your Teen with Time Management
No parent wants to see their teen struggling to manage their daily responsibilities and school work. Here at Reach Counseling, our therapists have experience helping family and teens learn helpful habits and tools to increase their ability with time management. Here is a brief guide we’ve put together of some ways that you can begin to help your teen!
Promoting Positive Self-Esteem in Children and Teens
Boost your child’s confidence with practical strategies! Learn how to foster resilience and a strong sense of self-worth in children and teens.
Mindfulness Activities for Anxious Children
Looking for practical advice for how to support your child struggling with anxiety? This blog post highlights how anxiety in children often presents, reviews how various techniques can help manage anxiety, and introduces new mindfulness exercises.
Teen Blues or Something More? Identifying and Tackling Teenage Depression
Adolescence is filled with emotional ups and downs, but how can parents distinguish between typical mood swings and clinical depression? At Reach Counseling, we understand that teen mental health is complex. This guide breaks down the differences, highlights key warning signs, and provides expert-backed strategies for supporting your teen. Early recognition and intervention can make all the difference—let’s navigate this together.
The Silent Struggles of ‘Good Kids’: Recognizing Hidden Anxiety and Depression
Some children appear to have everything under control, excelling academically, following the rules, and rarely causing trouble. However, beneath the surface, they may be silently struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, or depression. Learn how to recognize the hidden signs of distress in high-achieving kids and ways to support them in opening up.
Helping Kids Navigate Grief: What Every Parent Should Know
Grief looks different for every child, depending on their age, emotional development, and personal experience with loss. At Reach Counseling, we help parents understand how children process grief—from preschoolers to teens—and offer age-appropriate ways to talk about death, separation, and loss. In this guide, you’ll find research-backed strategies, creative activities to help kids express emotions, and local grief support groups in the Fort Worth area. Whether your child is struggling with the loss of a loved one, a pet, or a major life change, you are not alone. 💛
The Parent-Therapist Team: How We Work Together to Support Your Child
At Reach Counseling, we believe that therapy is most effective when parents and therapists work as a team. While therapy provides a space for children and teens to heal, lasting progress happens when support continues at home. This guide explores how parent involvement enhances therapy, what to expect in sessions, and practical ways to reinforce your child’s emotional growth.
Why Choose a Child & Teen Therapist? How Specialized Counseling Makes a Difference
Not all therapy looks the same—especially when it comes to supporting kids and teens. Young minds experience and process emotions in unique ways, which is why specialized child and teen therapy is so important. At Reach Counseling, we use developmentally appropriate approaches like play therapy, expressive arts, and teen-focused counseling to help young people express themselves, build resilience, and develop confidence. Learn how working with a therapist trained in child and adolescent mental health can lead to stronger, lasting outcomes for the children and teens in your life.
8 Common Misconceptions About Play Therapy
When people hear “play therapy,” they often picture children building LEGO towers or playing with dolls while a therapist simply observes. It sounds fun, but is it real therapy? Absolutely. Play therapy is an evidence-based approach that helps children process emotions, develop coping skills, and navigate life’s challenges in a way that makes sense to them. From reducing anxiety to fostering emotional expression, play therapy is so much more than just “playtime.” Let’s debunk some common myths and uncover the real power behind this transformative approach.
Why Play Heals: The Science Behind Play Therapy
Discover how play therapy activates key areas of a child’s brain to promote emotional healing, improve self-regulation, and support growth. Learn why play is more than just fun—it’s transformative!
How Group Therapy Helps Children and Teens Thrive
Learn how group therapy can empower your child to navigate challenges, build essential skills, and foster emotional growth. In a supportive and therapist-led setting, group therapy helps young people connect with peers, practice social skills, and develop strategies to thrive both personally and in their relationships. This approach creates a space where children and teens can gain confidence, find belonging, and work toward lasting emotional well-being.
6 Tips for Handling Your Moody Teen
Having a teenager at home can be… well, tricky, to say the least. With their quickly changing moods and strong opinions, it can be hard to know what to do when they are testing your limits. Below are six helpful things you can try at home to make it a better space for everyone!