Children and Counseling

When families are experiencing relational distress, children are often the ones affected the most, as they have less ability to process and manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. We are happy to provide counseling services to children as young as 6 years old. We find that children are helped the most when the parents maintain an active role in the therapy process, including attending sessions with and without the child.

Play Therapy is a well-researched counseling approach that allows children to safely explore their life challenges, problem solving skills, and emotional regulation skills. Play Therapy also promotes self-esteem, trust, and better communication within children. Rachel Birkeland offers play therapy at Hill City. She has completed a large portion of the required classroom training and is currently under supervision to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). For more information on Play Therapy, please visit the Association for Play Therapy.

Please let us know when scheduling your first appointment that you desire counseling for a minor; this will help us connect you with our counselors who are experienced in this area. Virginia laws provide special provisions for the confidentiality of minors and for the rights of parents.

If we will be counseling a minor without a parent or guardian in the room, we will review these provisions with you and complete the appropriate forms. Our goal in these cases is to maximize trust with all parties and minimize surprises as we comply with state law.