Three surprising types of behavioral therapy for children

What do you picture when you hear the word "therapy?"

If you've never experienced behavioral therapy for yourself or your family, your ideas might center on what you've seen in the media, for better or worse. But behavioral therapy can take many forms for our youngest to our oldest patients, and they might surprise you.

Animal-assisted therapy

Most kids love animals and they typically feel calmer around our four-legged friends, 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.

Just a short time petting and playing with a pet can work wonders for children experiencing anxiety, depression, autism or even post-traumatic stress disorder. The presence of a dog creates a sense of security, which helps with panic attacks, meltdowns and seizures.

At Ascension Illinois Behavioral Health, we give patients plenty of one-on-one time with therapy animals through the Community Integrated Living Arrangement program. And visits from therapy dogs throughout our hospitals do the same for patients, young and old.

Art therapy

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

And art therapy can take many creative forms. Music therapy has been shown to decrease anxiety. Visual arts therapy has been shown to reduce stress and symptoms of compassion fatigue while also increasing a sense of purpose. Movement-based therapy helps with releasing trauma, stress and energy that a person's body might be holding onto after a painful event.

It doesn't matter how skilled the young artist is. The process is what matters.

Nature therapy

There's a reason so many meditation apps, videos and therapists ask that we visualize pristine beaches, sounds of birdsong and other sensory touchstones of Mother Nature. We're all a part of this world and the primal beauty of nature can ground us, fill us with a spiritual awe and get us out of our own heads, even for our little ones.

Connecting with nature restores us, mind, body and soul. An increasing amount of research suggests it can help defuse anger and aggression, reduce symptoms of depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), lower stress levels and encourage calm and creativity.

Illinois may be a little short on tropical beaches and stunning mountain vistas, but we can all still find connections all around us. 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.

So, you see, therapy doesn't have to be scary or daunting for children. There are plenty of benefits from creative therapy solutions.

• Children's Health is a continuing series. Today's column was provided by Ascension Illinois. For more information, visit Ascension Illinois at Ascension.org/Illinois.