Children's Divorce Counseling – Cope With School NYC

Children’s Divorce CounselingAri E. Fox, LCSW-R2023-07-24T18:01:09+00:00

Could your child be struggling to cope with a divorce or separation in your family?

Does your grade-schooler, teen, or young adult express anger or sadness about changes in your family? Has their mood and/or behavior changed? Are they acting out or becoming more quiet and shutdown? Have their peer interactions change? Are they feeling in trouble in school or feeling less motivated in doing their school work?

Despite your concerns about how these changes may be impacting your son or daughter, do you fear you don’t know how to talk to your child about divorce? Moreover, is your child unwilling to discuss their feelings about the situation with you or other adults in their lives? Are you worried that your child feels like they are in the middle of conflict between you and your spouse? Is there a lot of tension in your home that is difficult to talk about?

Have the family dynamics started to impact your child’s grades? Their social life? Has their conduct at school changed as a result of increased stress, worsened mood or new living conditions? Are you and your partner struggling with how and what to tell your child?

Have the logistics involved with having separated or divorced parents made keeping track of schedules, homework, school supplies, uniforms and favorite clothes frustrating for the whole family?

Divorce can impact family routine, schedule, communication and stability. Divorce or separation can also impact a child’s motivation and focus at school and may even impact their overall grades. Moving through this challenging life change can impact children from a social, emotional and behavioral perspective. If your child is experiencing any of the mentioned frustrations, mood changes or behavioral concerns, you may be wondering how to help them.

Divorce and separation be can be very hard on children of all ages

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, about half marriages in the United States will end in divorce.

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-and-Divorce-001.aspx

Parents who are going through a divorce often worry most about how this change in circumstances and difficult time will affect their children. As parents are typically moving through their own grief, anger and changes, they often find it difficult to attend to their own needs as well as those of their children. Parents can also face feelings of guilt and shame during this time, and these feelings came make it difficult to be emotionally available to their children in the same manner as they typically are. Fortunately, divorce counseling for kids can provide the extra help your family needs during this difficult time.

Children’s Divorce Counseling

Counseling for kids going through divorce provides them with an important opportunity to process the changes occurring around them in a safe, unbiased environment. Skilled clinicians can help in supporting your child through this process as they establish comfort with their new normal and adjust to evolved dynamics and relationships.

Active listening and opportunity for emotional processing by our counselors will allow for a therapeutic space for your child to move the changes in their lives in a healthy and supportive environment. Individual counseling will help your child to think about the separation or divorce through their own lens, without being distracted by the nuanced dynamics at play. A therapist can also help to create strategies and foster coping to keep your child on track at school.

A divorce or separation is a challenging obstacle for a child to overcome, however, with targeted support and guidance during their developing years, your child can development positive coping strategies for their future. Our therapists have experience working with children of all ages and their families in navigating the multi-faceted life changes that often occur as the result of divorce or separation.

We know how to talk to children about divorce in a way that is supportive and honest but also age-appropriate. When you give your child the emotional processing, coping skills and tools they need to succeed by enrolling them in children’s divorce counseling, you set the groundwork for a happier and more independent adult life. Divorce therapy for kids witnessing a separation can help them stop feeling like outcasts and build the confidence to participate more fully in their lives.

Bring Out The Best In Your Child With Children’s Divorce Counseling

We offer divorce counseling for toddlers, young adults, and all ages in between. If you’re looking for a child therapist for divorce counseling in Manhattan near the Upper West Side, we offer a convenient location on West 74^th Street, near the American Museum of Natural History and many trains and bus lines. Contact us today for a free 10-minute phone consultation so we can discuss your child’s needs. One of our child therapists specializing in divorce can answer any questions you may have about our treatment center.

We offer individual therapy for grade school students, teens, and young adults. We also offer youth therapy groups to help your child acquire important social skills and parental counselling to teach you how to discuss divorce with your child.

“Seeing Ari Fox has had a very positive impact on our son. Ari is open to discussing whatever is bothering our son and he has offered many concrete strategies for handling the tensions that have arisen between our son and his schoolmates. We have seen significant progress as shown in higher self esteem and lower anxiety. Our son has formed a strong bond with Ari and feels that Ari is an advocate as well as an ally. In our own meetings with Ari we have been very impressed with how well he knows and appreciates our son’s character. Ari has a profound sense of human nature and a natural and practical therapeutic style. Indeed, he stands out because there is absolutely nothing studied or academic, distant or authoritarian about him. He has been great at helping our son and, compared to other therapists we considered, he is in a class by himself.” -Parent of a 10 year old

“Ari has been more than a kind, patient and relatable therapist for our struggling 12-year-old son with ADD. One time recently, our son bounded out of Ari’s office, and practically raced home to do his homework, a task that often overwhelms him. This was because Ari had mapped out a simple, yet detailed schedule for him, which included all the work he needed to complete, necessary breaks, and even a bit of computer fun. It was a winning strategyfor that evening. At other times, I see how our son comes away from a session feeling lighter and less burdened. Ari validates his feelings, so important, especially for someone like our son. In our son’s own words, ‘Ari is patient. He listens to me. So many grownups don’t want to listen to kids like me, but Ari does.” -Parent of a 12 year old.

"Having worked with Ari for many years, I can say with the utmost confidence that he is a caring, well-trained, and practical therapist who helps his patients through a variety of personal and interpersonal struggles and challenges. He is just that type of therapist that I would want a close friend or family member to be treated by." Joseph Cousin, M.D.

“My son has been diagnosed with Opposition Defiant Disorder and ADHD. After two years of being in the wrong school, he was unable to smoothly transition to the new (and appropriate) school. He would just lay down and refuse to attend classes and he would not attempt homework at all. Ari has been an important part of our team approach to get my son cheerful about school and engaging in class work. The school put the right people in place on-site but it has been very critical that my child has had a male authority figure who is outside the school setting. My son has been working with Ari for more than a year now and he has vastly improved his outlook and his behavior. Ari has a calm and relaxed personal manner that is genuine. My child trusts Ari. But what is important to me is that my son has someone who can support him emotionally and also model positive behavior. Ari’s gentle positive suggestions are a good counter to my son’s less thoughtful impulses. This fall, when all the teachers changed, Ari was an important consistent part of my son’s life so there were almost no transition issues at school.” -Parent of an 11 year old.

“I have known Ari Fox as a trusted colleague for many years. He is a bright, talented, therapist with expertise in treating children and adults of all ages. I recommend him highly for his ability to connect with clients, his humor, wisdom, and effectiveness.” Joseph Markowicz, LCSW-R

“Ari is a thoughtful and educated therapist who not only makes every effort to understand the child’s concerns, but to understand the child’s parents’ views on what is happening. This allows Ari to work better with the parent to help the child with whatever she or he is facing.” –Parent of an 8 year old.

“Ari was recommended to us by another mother. Our 5 year old daughter was struggling with some behavioral problems. From the moment she met Ari she bonded, felt at ease and really opened up to discuss her feelings. Ari has worked with her teacher and we have seen an amazing transformation. My daughter has been able to learn useful strategies to be able to deal with her issues.” -Parent of a 5 year old.

I have known Ari Fox, L.C.S.W. for many years. Mr. Fox is an intelligent, talented, conscientious, and ethical professional. Robert Gaines, Ph.D.

“I have had the opportunity to work alongside Danielle. She is a gifted social worker who has a special ability to build rapport with even the most introverted child. She is specially gifted with adolescents and young adults. She is able to work with patients helping them with tools to deal even with the most difficult of circumstances. She was even honored by a long time chronically ill young woman as her hero. It is not every day your treating therapist is your hero.” -Ilanit Brook MD, MSHS