Child and Behavioral Therapy in Florida
Child and behavioral therapy at Challenges Conquered Counseling helps children work through big feelings and behavior problems, with parent coaching built in so change carries over to home. We have offices in Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville and offer secure video sessions anywhere in Florida.
The week that keeps repeating
Parents usually call after the same week repeats itself a few too many times. The meltdown before school, the note from the teacher, the bedtime that turns into an hour-long standoff. It is exhausting, and it is easy to start wondering what you are doing wrong. In most families, the answer is nothing. Children are still learning to handle feelings that are bigger than they are.
How therapy works with children
Children do not process things the way adults do, so therapy with them does not look like sitting across a desk talking. Depending on age, sessions may use play, drawing, stories, games, and a great deal of watching. Younger children show you what is going on well before they can explain it. Older ones will talk, but usually sideways, and often while doing something else with their hands.
Your child's therapist meets them where they are. The goal is not to make a child sit still and talk. It is to give them a safe place to show what is going on, and then to teach skills they can use outside the room.
What we help with
We work with children on big feelings and how to handle them, worry and school refusal, defiance and power struggles at home, focus and impulse difficulties, friendship problems and bullying, sleep, grief, family changes like a divorce or a move, and adjusting after something frightening. Some children need a short stretch of support through a hard season. Others benefit from steadier, longer work. For a deeper look at how our approach changes with age, see teen and adolescent therapy in Florida.
Parents are part of the work
Parents are not spectators. You will have regular check-ins with the therapist, and you will leave with specific things to try at home: how to set a limit that holds, how to respond to a meltdown without joining it, how to notice and reinforce the behavior you want more of.
Most of the change happens between sessions, in your house, which is why the parent piece matters as much as the child piece. With your permission, we can also coordinate with teachers or your pediatrician, so everyone is working in the same direction.
Offices, video and cost
You can see us at 800 E Cypress Creek Rd, Suite 431 in Fort Lauderdale or 10163 Fortune Pkwy G40 in Jacksonville. Telehealth is available throughout Florida and works well for older children and for parent coaching sessions, which many families schedule around work hours. Local pages: Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Jacksonville.
We accept many major insurance plans. Call us and we will check your benefits before you book, so you are not surprised by the cost. If home has felt like a battlefield lately, it does not have to stay that way. Call (954) 600-9403 or request an appointment, and we will pair your family with a therapist who works well with children your child's age.
Frequently asked questions
What age children do you see?
We work with children across a range of ages and match the therapist and the methods to your child's age. Younger children often work through play and drawing, and older children talk more directly. When you call, tell us your child's age and we will suggest the best fit.
What happens in a first session?
Your therapist usually spends time with you and your child to understand what has been happening at home and school, and what you would like to change. With younger children, much of the learning comes from watching how they play and respond.
Will I be involved in my child's therapy?
Yes. Parents are part of the work. You will have regular check-ins and specific things to try at home, such as setting limits that hold and responding to meltdowns calmly. Most change happens between sessions, in your house. Your therapist will tell you what is working and what to adjust, without turning each session into a report.
Can therapy be done by video?
Yes. Telehealth is available throughout Florida. It tends to work well for older children and for parent coaching sessions, and some families use video for parent sessions and in-person visits for the child. Ask your child's therapist which format fits your child's age and attention span before you decide.
Can you talk to my child's school or pediatrician?
With your permission, yes. We can coordinate with teachers or your pediatrician so that the same approach is used at school, at home and in the doctor's office. We ask for your permission first, and we share only what is needed so everyone is working in the same direction on your child's behalf.