Many children find themselves feeling shy or unsure of how to join in during a social group or setting. For some, however, this may lead to social and emotional anxiety and they may feel unable or unwilling to make attempts at joining in with a group.
One common misconception about shy kids is that it doesn’t mean they don’t want to make friends! In fact, many children who struggle with social and emotional anxiety about group settings actually really want to make friends and join in groups, they just may need a little extra help in knowing how to do that. At Thera+Kids, we help kids with social and emotional anxiety through a variety of therapies to help them gain comfort and confidence in group settings.
Group Therapy for Kids
Thera+Kids offers a variety of group therapy options for kids and these groups are generally divided in ages and developmental stages. For example, a therapy group of 4-7 year olds may work on social and emotional learning by active learning through music, play, and theatre, while the therapist encourages them and leads them in how to engage with others. This age range may exhibit social and emotional anxiety around circle time or struggle with sharing toys or playing with others, and this experience can be great for becoming more socially aware of others, listening to their peers, and learning how to better communicate with one another.
A therapy group for 8-10 year old kids would build upon those types of social skills and also focus on self-regulation and awareness. Children who experience anxiety may have difficulty accurately interpreting and communicating in social situations. The therapists at Thera+Kids work with this age group to develop problem-solving skills in a group environment so they can act out their experiences and build upon these with newly learned skills.
