Oppositional Defiant, Conduct & Behavioral Issues
What Are Behavioral Issues?
Children and adolescents may sometimes display behaviors that are difficult for families, teachers, or other caregivers to manage. Frequent defiance, anger, aggression, rule-breaking, or other challenging behaviors can affect relationships, school performance, and family life.
Some behavioral patterns may be associated with conditions such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder, while others may be related to stress, emotional difficulties, developmental factors, family changes, or other circumstances.
Therapy can help families understand what may be contributing to challenging behaviors and develop more effective ways to respond.
How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy can help children and adolescents develop healthier ways to manage emotions, communicate needs, and respond to frustration and expectations.
Treatment may also involve parents or caregivers to support consistent strategies at home.
Depending on the situation, therapy may help with:
- Managing anger and frustration
- Developing emotional regulation skills
- Improving communication
- Reducing disruptive or challenging behaviors
- Building problem-solving skills
- Improving relationships with parents, siblings, teachers, and peers
- Developing healthier responses to limits and expectations
- Identifying triggers and patterns associated with difficult behaviors
- Strengthening positive behaviors and coping strategies
Who Can Benefit From Therapy?
Therapy may be helpful for children and adolescents who are experiencing persistent behavioral or emotional difficulties.
It may be appropriate when a child or teen:
- Frequently argues with or defies adults
- Has difficulty following rules or expectations
- Experiences frequent anger or irritability
- Has aggressive or disruptive behaviors
- Is having ongoing conflicts at home or school
- Has difficulty managing frustration
- Is experiencing behavioral changes following a stressful event or life transition
Parents and caregivers can also benefit from guidance and support as they work to respond effectively to challenging behaviors.
What Can We Help With?
Our clinicians can provide support related to:
- Oppositional or defiant behaviors
- Anger and irritability
- Aggressive or disruptive behaviors
- Conduct-related concerns
- Emotional regulation
- Family conflict
- Parent-child relationship concerns
- School-related behavioral difficulties
- Coping with stress and transitions
- Developing healthier behavioral patterns
Behavioral Support at Modern Me Psychology
At Modern Me Psychology, we look beyond the behavior itself to better understand what a child or adolescent may be experiencing.
Treatment is individualized and may include the child, parents or caregivers, or the family depending on the concerns and goals. Our clinicians can work with families to identify patterns, improve communication, strengthen relationships, and develop practical strategies for managing challenging behaviors.
Our Clinicians Who Work With Behavioral Issues
- Nahrain D. Tavolacci, Psy.D.
- Michael Tavolacci, Ph.D., LCPC
- Kristen Beeck, M.A., LPC
- Danielle Giovannetti-O’Halloran, LCPC
Related Approaches
Depending on the individual’s needs and treatment goals, approaches that may be incorporated into treatment include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Play Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Explore our Parenting Support, ADHD/Learning Disorders, and Anxiety pages for additional information.
Ready to Get Started?
Challenging behaviors can affect the entire family. Therapy can help children, teens, and families understand what’s happening and develop healthier ways of responding.
Services are available in person at our Roselle, Illinois office and through telehealth for clients located in Illinois.
We accept several insurance plans, and coverage varies by plan and clinician. Contact us to confirm your benefits and whether your preferred provider and service are covered.
