In this episode, Melinda sits down with a children’s therapist to explore how counseling can support kids through divorce and major life changes. They discuss the benefits of play, art, and activity-based therapies at different developmental stages, and why early intervention can make a lasting impact. The conversation covers everything from emotional regulation in parents, to recognizing signs a child may need support, to navigating the “loyalty bind” children often feel during separation. They also address common concerns around cost, stigma, and how to make therapy feel safe, even fun , for kids. All of this and more on this episode of The Melinda Eitzen Show.
Dr. Dean Beckloff is a child therapy counselor in north Dallas who specializes in play therapy. To contact Dr. Dean Beckloff visit www.drbeckloff.com or call (972) 250-1700
Key takeaways about child counseling and play therapy
Therapy by Age Matters: Play therapy helps young children express themselves in their own language, while art and activity therapy give older kids a creative, low-pressure outlet to process complex emotions.
Know When to Get Help: If a child shows signs of ongoing sadness, anxiety, or withdrawal, therapy may be essential, not just for parents, but for kids too.
The Loyalty Bind Is Real: Children often feel torn between parents during divorce; it’s the parents’ job to ease that tension and avoid placing them in the middle.
Parents Set the Emotional Tone: Kids take their emotional cues from caregivers — staying calm and steady helps them feel safe and secure.
Stability Makes a Difference: When big changes are unavoidable, try to space them out; too much at once can overwhelm a child’s ability to cope.
Therapy Can Be Accessible: Many children counselors accept insurance, and early support is far more effective than addressing emotional issues later in life.
Normalize Their Experience: Divorce can make kids feel isolated, remind them they’re not alone and that other families go through similar experiences.
Resilience Is Built Early: With the right support, children can process change in healthy ways and grow stronger through the experience.
Notable Quotes About Child Counseling and Play Therapy
“Ducks swim, birds fly, kids play” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
“Play is their language, it’s a way to communicate what’s happening on the inside.” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
“Play therapy, there’s a magic to it” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
“The parent’s job is to loosen the bind” / “There is a bind that immediately happens, and your job is to lower it” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
“Lowering the temperature between the two parents has the best change of kids having success in life – have low conflict.” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
“Children’s counseling can be expensive, but they can go down the wrong path, so pay now or pay later and I don’t just mean money” – Melinda Eitzen
“We have to be careful about our adult emotions, it’s not that kids can’t know we’re emotional beings, but we can’t put that on them, our own pain, anguish and sorrow” – Dr. Dean Beckloff
