Fairfax and Loudoun Mental Health Therapy Provides Social Skills IQ for Children

In Step, PC's Northern Virginia Stepping Stones program is an extremely unique, successful program offering Loudoun and Fairfax mental health group and individual therapy for children and families.

Positive peer relationships offer a critical buffer against daily stress and psychological difficulties. Rejection by peers is especially devastating to children and can be associated with long-term problems including low self-esteem, poor academic performance, feelings of aloneness and loneliness, and juvenile delinquency.

Without the friendship of peers, children feel alone, confused, and out of sync with the rest of the world, including school and family. These feelings can also have serious repercussions for their growth and future success. Research has found that peer rejection can furthermore lead to problems including depression, failed relationships, poor parenting skills, and troubled careers. Being able to make and keep friends clearly plays a vital role in a child's emotional health and well-being.

Social issues are especially problematic for children with AD/HD, social anxiety, learning disabilities, and Asperger's syndrome. There is good news, however, for children who struggle in social settings with their peers—poor social skills can improve with coaching, and children learn social skills best in the company of other children.

For nearly 20 years, In Step, PC's Northern Virginia Stepping Stones mental health program has been helping children of all ages "raise their social IQ." Stepping Stones is unique in that it follows a step-by-step approach to teaching children of elementary school age how to make and maintain friends, as well as how to increase the child's awareness of the impact of his or her behavior on other children, their friends and family. A strong team approach is emphasized throughout the program by maintaining consistent contact with all professionals (school personnel, physicians, mental health professionals) as appropriate.

In Step, PC is a leading, private, Northern Virginia mental health practice - with offices in Fairfax and Sterling, VA—providing therapy services for children, families, adolescents, adults and couples. Fairfax and Loudoun mental health counseling expertise includes assessment and group therapy for social skills training, AD/HD and Asperger's disorders, depression, anxiety, anger issues, and parenting problems.