Children’s health: Innovative types of therapy options for children

If you've never experienced behavioral therapy for yourself or your family, your concepts of it might center on what you’ve seen in the media, for better or worse. But behavioral therapy can take many forms for some of our youngest patients.

“One of the joys of caring for patients at Ascension Illinois is that our treatment approach is multifaceted. Rather than exclusively relying on traditional medicine and therapies, we have the opportunity to best serve our patients by offering care that other facilities are unable to provide,” said Dr. Shubhrajan Wadyal, psychiatrist at Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital.

“This innovation and commitment to the highest level of care affords the physician the ability to care for the whole person. Subsequently, we are blessed with the ability to have an opportunity to provide better outcomes.”

Animal-assisted Therapy

Many children love animals, and we have found that they can feel calmer around them, especially dogs. The heart rate slows, the blood pressure decreases and they feel socially connected. A growing body of scientific research is finding a connection between well-being and animal companions.

Even spending a short time petting and playing with a pet can strongly help children experiencing anxiety, depression or even post-traumatic stress disorder. The presence of a dog creates a sense of security, which helps with panic attacks, meltdowns and seizures.

Art Therapy

Expressing ourselves with art also can be healing, especially for children. By pouring our experiences into a safe, unthreatening project, children are able to take their minds off their troubles. This gives them a way to process experiences and feelings that may be too painful to express verbally. Art therapy is often very effective with children who don't have the emotional vocabulary to articulate how they're feeling.

Music therapy has also been shown to help with the symptoms of anxiety. Music and artistic therapies have been shown to reduce stress and symptoms of compassion fatigue while also increasing a sense of purpose. It doesn't matter how skilled the young artist is. The process is what matters. Something like movement-based therapy helps with releasing trauma, stress and energy that a person's body might be holding onto after a painful event.

“Not all children, adolescents and adults respond to traditional therapeutic modalities. At Ascension Illinois, we are fortunate to have a rich Expressive Therapy department that provides art, music, drama and movement therapies,” said Dr. Cecelia Horan, director of Child & Adolescent Services at Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital.

“Our pet therapy is highly motivating for our young children, and it is rewarding and inspirational to watch the joy and hope return to our young ones' faces.”

Nature Therapy

There's a reason so many meditation approaches ask that we visualize pristine beaches, sounds of birdsong and other sensory touchstones of Mother Nature. Often, connecting with nature can restore people in a holistic sense, and an increasing amount of research suggests that it can help defuse anger and aggression, reduce symptoms of depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), lower stress levels and encourage calm and creativity.

Playing in a park, visiting a zoo or just appreciating the beauty in our backyard can help your young one. And experiencing nature as a family can strengthen the mental health benefits.

Therapy doesn’t have to be scary or daunting for children. There are plenty of benefits through creative therapy solutions like these

• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was provided by Ascension Illinois.