Children, Teens & Parenting Counselling and Support
Helping Children, Teenagers and Families Understand What's Going On — and What to Do Next
Being a parent can be difficult when you know your child is struggling but aren't sure why or what will actually help.
Perhaps your child is anxious, angry or overwhelmed. Maybe behaviour at home has become difficult to manage. Your teenager may have withdrawn from you, lost confidence or started struggling at school.
Or you might be wondering whether differences in your child's attention, learning, behaviour, communication or sensory experiences could be associated with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another developmental or learning difference.
At Counselling & Therapy NZ, we support children, teenagers and parents with emotional, behavioural, developmental, learning and family challenges.
We focus on understanding what is happening underneath the difficulty, then helping your family find practical ways forward.
Children & Adolescents
Counselling and Support for Children, Teenagers & Their Families
Children and adolescents can experience many of the same emotional difficulties as adults, but they don't always have the words, confidence or understanding to explain what is happening.
Instead, parents may notice changes in behaviour, mood, sleep, school performance, friendships, confidence or family relationships.
A child who is struggling may become anxious, angry, withdrawn, emotional or unusually quiet. A teenager might stop talking to their parents, avoid school, lose motivation or spend increasing amounts of time alone.
At Counselling & Therapy NZ, we provide counselling and support for children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioural, social, developmental and family difficulties.
We Can Help With:
Anxiety and excessive worrying
Anger and emotional outbursts
Emotional regulation
Behavioural difficulties
Low confidence and self-esteem
School anxiety or school avoidance
Friendship and social difficulties
Bullying
Family conflict
Separation and family changes
Grief and loss
Stress and overwhelm
Difficulties associated with ADHD or autism
Learning difficulties and dyslexia
Parent-child communication
Teenage challenges and transitions
Our services can involve the child or teenager, their parents, or a combination of both, depending on what will be most useful.
You don't need to know exactly what is causing the problem before contacting us. Understanding what is happening is part of the process.
Counselling for Children
Children don't always have the words to explain what's wrong.
Stress and emotional difficulties can instead appear through changes in behaviour, sleep, school performance, friendships, confidence or family relationships.
Parents may notice:
Anxiety or excessive worrying
Anger or emotional outbursts
Frequent meltdowns
Withdrawal
Difficulty managing emotions
Behavioural problems
School refusal or anxiety about school
Friendship difficulties
Low confidence or self-esteem
Difficulty coping with change
Family conflict
Grief or loss
Separation or family changes
Bullying
Problems with concentration
Sleep difficulties
Increased frustration
Changes in their usual behaviour
Counselling provides an opportunity to understand what may be contributing to these difficulties and develop strategies appropriate to your child's age and circumstances.
Teen Counselling
A Safe Place for Teenagers to Talk
Adolescence can involve enormous social, emotional and developmental change.
Teenagers are navigating identity, independence, friendships, school expectations, family relationships and an increasingly complicated online world — often at the same time.
Some young people find it easier to talk openly with someone outside their immediate family.
Our counselling services can support teenagers experiencing:
Anxiety and excessive worrying
Stress
Low mood
Low self-esteem
School pressure
Exam stress
Friendship difficulties
Bullying
Family conflict
Relationship difficulties
Social anxiety
Emotional regulation difficulties
Anger
Grief and loss
Life changes
Problems with motivation
Difficulties associated with ADHD or neurodiversity
The aim isn't to tell a teenager what to think or do. Counselling can help them understand their experiences, develop coping strategies and find healthier ways to communicate and manage difficult situations.
Child Behaviour Support
When Family Life Has Become a Constant Battle
Sometimes parents contact us because they are simply exhausted.
Every instruction becomes an argument. Mornings are stressful. Homework creates conflict. Bedtime becomes a battle. Your child may have frequent meltdowns or react much more strongly than you expect.
You may have already tried rewards, consequences, reasoning, routines and being firmer — without seeing lasting improvement.
We provide child behaviour and parent support to help families understand what may be driving difficult behaviour.
Support may help with:
Anger and emotional outbursts
Defiance
Aggressive behaviour
Frequent arguments
Meltdowns
Difficulty following instructions
Impulsivity
Sibling conflict
Problems with routines
School-related behaviour
Emotional regulation
Parent-child conflict
Parenting Support
You Don't Have to Work Everything Out Alone
Parenting advice can sometimes make things feel worse rather than better.
One person tells you to establish firmer boundaries. Someone else tells you to focus on connection. Another says to ignore the behaviour.
The reality is that different children need different approaches.
Parent support focuses on understanding your child and your particular family circumstances.
We can help parents develop practical approaches to:
Setting boundaries
Managing challenging behaviour
Reducing escalating arguments
Responding to meltdowns
Giving effective instructions
Establishing routines
Supporting emotional regulation
Communicating with children and teenagers
Managing parent-child conflict
Supporting anxious children
Parenting neurodivergent children
Managing differences between parenting styles
Rebuilding connection after repeated conflict
Parents can seek support with or without their child attending counselling.
ADHD Assessment & Support for Children
ADHD can affect attention, organisation, impulse control, behaviour, schoolwork and emotional regulation.
Some children are noticeably active or impulsive.
Others may be quiet, easily distracted, forgetful or constantly daydreaming. Their difficulties can sometimes go unnoticed because they aren't disruptive.
If you're wondering whether ADHD may be contributing to your child's difficulties, assessment can help develop a clearer understanding of their needs.
Autism Assessment & Support for Children
Autism can present differently from one child to another.
Parents may notice differences involving:
Social communication
Friendships
Understanding social situations
Sensory experiences
Strong or focused interests
Routines
Managing unexpected change
Emotional regulation
Communication
Behaviour when overwhelmed
Some children also learn to mask difficulties in particular environments, meaning parents may see challenges at home that aren't as apparent at school.
Assessment can help families understand their child's developmental profile, strengths and support needs.
Dyslexia & Learning Assessments
Does your child appear bright and capable but struggle significantly with reading, spelling or writing?
Dyslexia and other learning differences can affect a child's educational experience without reflecting their intelligence.
Parents may notice that their child:
Reads slowly or with considerable effort
Avoids reading
Struggles persistently with spelling
Takes much longer to complete homework
Understands ideas verbally but struggles with written work
Becomes frustrated when reading or writing
Is losing confidence at school
Assessment can help identify areas of difficulty and inform strategies for supporting your child's learning.
Child Anxiety Counselling
Anxiety doesn't always look like a child saying, "I'm anxious."
It may look like:
Refusing to go to school
Constant reassurance seeking
Difficulty sleeping
Stomach aches or feeling sick
Irritability
Anger
Avoiding activities
Perfectionism
Fear of making mistakes
Becoming distressed when separated from parents
Withdrawing from social situations
Becoming overwhelmed easily
Counselling can help children understand anxiety and develop age-appropriate strategies for managing difficult thoughts, emotions and situations.
School, Friendship & Social Difficulties
School occupies a significant part of a young person's life.
When something isn't going well, the effects can extend far beyond the classroom.
We can support children and teenagers experiencing:
Bullying
Friendship problems
Social anxiety
Feeling excluded
School stress
School avoidance
Academic pressure
Exam anxiety
Low confidence
Difficulty adjusting to a new school
Learning difficulties
Problems communicating with peers
Sometimes the difficulty is primarily emotional or social. At other times, underlying anxiety, ADHD, autism or learning differences may be contributing.
Understanding the wider picture helps determine what type of support is most appropriate.
Does My Child Need a Diagnosis Before Getting Help?
No.
Your child doesn't need an ADHD, autism, dyslexia or other diagnosis before seeking counselling or behavioural support.
You can contact us because your child is struggling with behaviour, anxiety, emotions, school, learning, friendships or family relationships.
If there are signs that a specialised assessment could be useful, this can be discussed as part of determining appropriate next steps.
Should My Child Have Counselling, an Assessment, or Both?
You don't need to know the answer before contacting us.
Assessment and counselling have different purposes.
Assessment can help investigate why a child may be experiencing particular developmental, learning, attention or behavioural difficulties.
Counselling and behavioural support focus on helping the child and family manage the difficulties they are experiencing.
For some families, one is appropriate. For others, assessment and ongoing support may work alongside each other.
We can discuss your concerns and help identify an appropriate starting point.
Support for the Whole Family
A child's difficulties rarely exist in isolation.
If one child is struggling, parents can become exhausted, siblings may be affected and family relationships can become increasingly tense.
For this reason, support may involve:
The child — developing emotional, communication and coping skills.
The teenager — providing an appropriate space to explore what is happening.
Parents — developing practical strategies and understanding behaviour.
Parent and child together — improving communication and connection.
The wider family — addressing patterns of conflict or stress where appropriate.
Our approach depends on what your family actually needs.
Online and In-Person Child, Teen & Parenting Support
Counselling & Therapy NZ provides counselling and support across New Zealand, with online counselling available where appropriate and in-person services available in selected locations.
Contact us to discuss your child's age, what is happening and whether online or in-person support would be most suitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I take my child to a counsellor?
Consider seeking support when emotional, behavioural or social difficulties persist, are causing significant distress, or begin interfering with your child's everyday life, education, friendships or family relationships.
You don't have to wait for a situation to become severe before asking for help.
Can parents see a counsellor without their child?
Yes. Sometimes working with parents is an effective starting point, particularly when the primary concerns involve behaviour, boundaries, routines, communication or family relationships.
What if my child refuses counselling?
Contact us anyway. We can discuss the situation and whether parent-focused support may be an appropriate first step.
Can you help with child behaviour problems?
Yes. We provide support for parents and children experiencing challenging behaviour, emotional outbursts, anger, conflict, routines and emotional-regulation difficulties.
Can you assess my child for ADHD?
We provide assessment services for children experiencing difficulties that may be associated with ADHD. Contact us to discuss your child's needs and the appropriate assessment pathway.
Can you assess children for autism?
We provide assessment services relating to developmental and behavioural differences that may be associated with autism. Contact us to discuss the assessment service and whether it is appropriate for your child.
Can you assess children for dyslexia?
We provide assessment for children experiencing reading, spelling, writing and learning difficulties that may be associated with dyslexia.
Can ADHD, autism and dyslexia occur together?
Yes. Children can experience more than one neurodevelopmental or learning difference. Assessment should therefore consider the broader pattern of a child's strengths and difficulties.
Does my child need a diagnosis before receiving counselling?
No. Counselling and parent support can address the difficulties your child or family is experiencing without requiring a diagnosis first.
Can you help parents as well as children?
Yes. Parenting support can be provided separately or alongside work with your child, depending on your family's needs.
Not Sure Where to Start?
You don't need to decide whether your child needs counselling, behavioural support, an ADHD assessment, an autism assessment or a dyslexia assessment before contacting us.
Start by telling us what you're noticing and what you're concerned about.
We can discuss your child's needs and help you identify an appropriate next step.
Support for Children, Teenagers & Parents Across New Zealand
Whether your family is dealing with anxiety, difficult behaviour, emotional regulation, school problems, parenting challenges, ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another concern, Counselling & Therapy NZ is here to help you understand what is happening and find a way forward.