Helping Children become the Best Versions of Themselves.
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Specializing in Serving Children 3-13 and Their Families.
The CCC offers a unique child-focused experience. Individual therapy for the child is combined with parent/caregiver coaching to promote connection, healing, and growth.
Meet the Owner, Denise Maxwell, LPC
I created The Child Counseling Center of Tidewater because I am passionate about serving children and families. I have been loving and supporting children in a myriad of settings for over 30 years. I specialize in a unique child-focused non-directive model of therapy, and I believe a child will grow in self-enhancing ways given the time, tools, and space to do so.
Our Values
Children feeling seen, understood, and important. Children experiencing connection and autonomy. Parents finding hope and developing confidence.
Our Goal
To provide children and their families opportunities to connect, heal, and grow.
Why Play Therapy?
Decades of research shows that when children work with a trained, child-centered play therapist, they improve in four key areas.
- Children are better able to self-regulate. This means fewer and less intense outbursts or a reduction in somatic symptoms including headaches, stomach upset, nightmares, and school refusal. Stress is more manageable.
- Children improve in their ability to name their feelings. This deepens connections with parents, family members, teachers, and peers and lessens power struggles.
- Children exhibit an expanded worldview. This includes an awareness that actions have consequences and is a necessary developmental building block of taking personal responsibility. Another positive outcome is the development of authentic empathy for others and self.
- Children’s self-esteem is boosted. They feel more confident. There is less negative self-talk and less bragging.
Benefits of Play Therapy
- Play therapy is the most effective form of therapy for children 3-13.
- Children are feelers. They feel their way through experiences and challenges. Children’s brains have not developed abstract thought yet. This doesn’t mean they are not intelligent! They are developing.
- Play is a natural, developmentally sensitive approach to understanding a child’s internal world. Older children sometimes play less and like activities that explore their interests such as art, crafts, Legos, chess, or strategy games.