Anger management therapist for 8.5-year-old?
Hello, can anyone recommend an anger management therapist for kids? Our son (8.5) has a hard time with his anger and could use some support. Berkeley/Albany would be ideal, but we could go father if needed. Thanks so much in advance for your recommendations.
Feb 23, 2020
Parent Replies
I have a similar aged son and we tried talk therapy and lots of strategies that you have probably already employed - blowing out like you're blowing up a balloon, counting to 10, etc... We also have had some luck with Zones of Regulation, which is a color-coded naming system used in schools and also I've seen OTs use it. But despite all the strategies, in the moment my son can go the "red zone" pretty quickly and do things he regrets and that get him in trouble. After years of this, we have found success with an SSRI (Lexapro) - anger is often a secondary reaction, and for my son the primary emotion is actually anxiety. If that sounds familiar, I'd encourage you to see a psychiatrist (we have Kaiser). In my son's case, he also has ASD and ADHD, and the lack of impulse control with ADHD is also a big factor in the explosive behavior. I'd also recommend you read Ross Greene's work. For us, talk therapy wasn't really enough, although I think it's important for helping them cope with big feelings. Good luck!! If it's happening at school, hopefully you can get support there with counseling.