Child Therapy in Downers Grove, IL
Feeling worried about your child's emotions or behavior? Are you seeing them struggle with big feelings, facing challenges at school, or wondering how you lost the easy connection you once cherished? When your child is struggling, finding the right professional support is the critical first step toward healing and growth.
At Ascend Counseling, we specialize in providing expert child therapy for families in Downers Grove and surrounding Illinois communities. We help children navigate conflict, build resilience, and rediscover their confidence. Our licensed therapists provide a neutral, structured, and compassionate space where your child can stop struggling and start thriving.
Do You Recognize These Signs in Your Child?
While your child may encounter difficult challenges, recognizing these early signs of struggle can significantly ease the recovery process and avert more serious issues in the future:
Behavioral Challenges: Frequent tantrums, defiance, aggression, or difficulty following rules at home or in school.
Big Worries & Anxiety: Persistent fears, school avoidance, social anxiety, or phobias that interfere with daily life.
ADHD & Focus Issues: Trouble with concentration, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that impacts learning and relationships.
Social Difficulties: Struggling to make or keep friends, social withdrawal, or being impacted by bullying.
Life Transitions: Difficulty coping with parents' divorce, a move, a new sibling, or the loss of a loved one.
Sadness & Withdrawal: Persistent unhappiness, loss of interest in favorite activities, or changes in sleeping or eating habits.
Our Evidence-Based Approach to Child Therapy
Because every child is unique, our team of child therapists utilize personalized therapeutic methods that combine proven techniques with your family's goals and your child's specific developmental needs.
Our Core Methods
Play Therapy: Allowing children to express feelings and process experiences through their most natural language: play.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A form of behavioral therapy for kids that helps them identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
Family Systems Therapy: Involving parents and family members to improve communication and create a more supportive and harmonious home environment.
Strengths-Based & Solution-Focused Therapy: Practical, goal-oriented interventions that build on your child's inherent strengths.
Why Choose Ascend Counseling for Child Therapy in Illinois?
Licensed Illinois Clinicians: All therapists have specialized training and licensure in child and adolescent mental health.
Real-World Results: We've helped hundreds of Downers Grove children and families improve communication, behavior, and connection.
Flexible Options: We offer in-office sessions, including dedicated play therapy, and secure telehealth appointments to fit your family's schedule.
Insurance Accepted: We accept major insurers and offer sliding scale fees for qualifying families to make care accessible.
Comprehensive Child Counseling Services
Play Therapy
For younger children, talking directly about problems can be intimidating. Our play therapy services use toys, games, and creative arts to help children express their feelings, process difficult experiences, and develop problem-solving skills in a way that feels natural, safe, and even fun.
Behavioral Therapy for Kids
This is the cornerstone of helping children with challenging behaviors. We teach practical skills to manage emotions and make better choices. Our structured approach includes:
Identifying triggers for difficult behaviors
Developing effective coping strategies and emotional regulation skills
Creating positive reinforcement systems at home
Breaking cycles of defiance and opposition
Child Anxiety Treatment
If your child is struggling with excessive worry, fears, or social anxiety, our specialized child anxiety treatment can help. We provide a gentle, supportive environment where children learn to understand what anxiety is and develop concrete skills to face their fears, build confidence, and feel more in control of their thoughts and feelings.
ADHD Therapy for Children
Our ADHD therapy for children is designed to help kids with ADHD thrive. We work with both the child and parents to develop practical strategies for improving focus, organization, impulse control, and social skills. Therapy focuses on building self-esteem and channeling their unique energy in productive ways.
What to Expect: Your Child’s Therapy Journey
Beginning therapy can feel like a big step. We make the process straightforward, transparent, and centered on your child's and your family's comfort.
Initial Consultation (15 minutes): A free, no-obligation consultation with a parent or guardian to discuss your needs and answer questions.
Comprehensive Assessment (60 minutes): A thorough evaluation of your child's history, strengths, and challenge areas—sometimes involving just parents, just the child, or both.
Treatment Planning: Collaborative goal-setting with clear, achievable objectives. You'll always know what we're working on and why.
The Work: Engaging, age-appropriate sessions where your child will learn and practice new skills with therapist guidance. Parent check-ins are integrated to ensure progress.
Progress Reviews: Regular check-ins every 6-8 sessions to measure progress and adjust the approach as needed.
Typical Duration: Most families see significant improvement within 12-15 sessions, though some benefit from shorter interventions (8-10 sessions) while others need longer-term support.
Real Results from Our Clients
“We highly recommend Ascend Counseling. We have seen such a positive change in our child’s behavior and confidence. Our therapist created a safe space for our child to explore their emotions and learn how to manage big feelings.”
— M.C and S.C
Frequently Asked Questions
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The "best" type of therapy really depends on your child's age and the specific challenges they're facing. For younger children, Play Therapy is often most effective because it allows them to express complex feelings through their natural language of play. For older children and teens dealing with anxiety or behavioral issues, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a type of behavioral therapy for kids, is highly effective as it teaches practical coping skills. Our therapists are trained in various methods and will tailor the approach to what will work best for your child.
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"Child therapy" is the broad term for counseling children. Play therapy is a specific, highly effective technique used within child therapy, especially for younger kids. It uses play to help them communicate and heal, but we also use talk therapy, CBT, and other methods depending on the child's age and needs.
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Trust your intuition. A good time to consider therapy is when you notice persistent changes in your child's mood, behavior, or school performance that concern you, or when they've experienced a significant life event like a divorce or loss. If their struggles with anxiety, sadness, or anger are starting to interfere with their daily life, friendships, or family harmony, a therapist can provide crucial support. You don't have to wait for a crisis to seek help.
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This is a common concern. We recommend being honest and positive. You might say, "We're going to meet someone who is like a 'feelings coach' who helps kids with their worries and big emotions." We can help you find the right words during your consultation.
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Absolutely. While your child's sessions are confidential, your involvement is crucial. We work closely with parents to provide updates, share strategies, and ensure the skills learned in therapy are being supported at home. You are the expert on your child, and we are partners in their care.
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We accept most major insurance plans. Contact our office for specific pricing and insurance verification. Sliding scale fees are available for qualifying individuals.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
Your child's well-being is worth investing in. Don't wait until things reach a breaking point. Professional child therapy provides the tools, insights, and support needed to help your child thrive and restore peace to your family.
We offer both in-person sessions at our Downers Grove office and secure telehealth options for Illinois residents.
About the Author
Sara Reed, LCSW & Founder of Ascend Counseling
Sara has over 20 years of experience helping individuals, adolescents, and families navigate obstacles and identify barriers to living a meaningful and fulfilled life. She strives to create an environment for her clients that is collaborative, non-judgmental and supportive—a space to explore difficult topics, consider other perspectives, and learn new ways of coping with life stressors.
Sara received her B.A. in Psychology from Occidental College and her Masters in Social Work from Loyola University.