Blog - Engage Treatment Program, Inc

A child pauses on a winding path through open green hills, crouching to look at something on the ground.

Why teenagers need unstructured time, and what happens when it disappears.

A parent told me her son had eleven minutes between school and practice. She knew the exact number because she had done the math trying to find somewhere to put a therapy appointment. She was not complaining. She was proud…

Blake BrisboisAugust 10, 2026

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Building Emotional Intelligence: How Therapy Can Help Children Understand Their Emotions

"Emotional intelligence (EI) is described as the “capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” Building emotional intelligence can help children foster improved self-awareness and self-regulation skills, which can enhance…

Engage TreatmentJune 6, 2024

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Animal-Assisted Therapy for Children: The Benefits of Working with Animals

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), also referred to as pet therapy, is a type of therapy that involves animals as a part of the therapeutic process to improve physical, emotional, social, and cognitive functioning. Pet therapy is rooted in the Biophilia Hypothesis,…

Engage TreatmentJune 6, 2024

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The Power of Journaling: Helping Children Express Their Emotions and Thoughts

Journaling is a self-care technique that involves writing down and documenting one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is a simple and effective form of self-reflection that helps young people process emotions, relieve stress, and gain clarity. Journaling is a safe…

Engage TreatmentMay 9, 2024

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Building Positive Relationships: Using Therapy to Strengthen Family Bonds

The Mayo Clinic defines family therapy as “a type of psychological counseling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts.” Family therapy is deeply rooted in family systems theory, which is based on the notion that families…

Engage TreatmentMay 8, 2024

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Working with Grief and Loss: Supporting Children through Life’s Challenges

Loss is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as “the fact or process of losing something or someone.” Loss is a universal experience and an unavoidable part of being human. When a child experiences loss, it is emoted through…

Engage TreatmentMay 7, 2024

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Kids: Building Positive Habits and Patterns

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was developed in the 1960s by psychiatrist, Aaron Beck. CBT is a structured, short-term, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that “targets multiple areas of potential vulnerability (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, affective) with developmentally-guided strategies and traverses multiple intervention…

Engage TreatmentMay 6, 2024

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The Benefits of Group Therapy for Children: Building Connection and Support

Group therapy, as explained by Verywell Mind, “is a form of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists working with several people at the same time.” Group therapy began when physician Joseph Hersey Pratt who was treating individuals with tuberculosis,…

Engage TreatmentMay 3, 2024

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Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids: Techniques for Relaxation and Focus

Many people describe mindfulness as a form of meditation, however Positive Psychology explains that “mindfulness is a quality; mediation is a practice…mindfulness describes a specific way of living that can be cultivated through practice.” Meditation is the process by which…

Engage TreatmentMay 2, 2024

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Helping Kids with Anxiety: Tips and Techniques from a Child Therapist

Anxiety is a normal, emotional reaction to danger, and has been explained as “the body’s automatic fight-or-flight response that is triggered when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a challenging situation.” It is the body’s natural response to…

Engage TreatmentMay 1, 2024

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The Art of Communication: Helping Children Develop Strong Social Skills

Communication development for young children includes gaining the skills to understand and to express thoughts, feelings, and information, and encompasses both verbal and non-verbal cues. Language development expert, Lois Bloom, further describes communication development “as guided by the need for…

Engage TreatmentApril 14, 2024

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The Role of Play in Therapy: How Play-Based Approaches Help Kids Heal

”Play is a natural part of childhood and acts as a vital role in a child’s social and emotional development. Erik Erikson, an expert in human growth and development, defines play as a “situation in which a child can work…

Engage TreatmentApril 8, 2024

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The Importance of Self-Care: Teaching Kids to Take Care of Their Mental Health

Self-care is defined as “the ability to care for oneself through awareness, self-control, and self-reliance in order to achieve, maintain, or promote optimal health and well-being. Self-care practices involve both nurturing one’s physical and mental health, which can be accomplished…

Engage TreatmentApril 8, 2024

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Exploring Identity: Using Therapy to Support Children’s Sense of Self

Identity can be explained as a “person’s sense of self, established by their unique characteristics, affiliations, and social roles.” It is a complex concept that encompasses a range of factors, including gender, ethnicity, culture, family history, and personal experiences. Identity…

Engage TreatmentApril 8, 2024

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The Power of Storytelling in Therapy: Helping Children Make Sense of Their World

Storytelling is explained as a developmentally sensitive tool to elicit children’s thoughts, identify their distortions, and help to facilitate grasping a more accurate understanding of their inner word. It is recognized as one of the central methods of communication between…

Engage TreatmentApril 8, 2024