Self-Harm Treatment for Children, Adolescents, and Families in Atlanta, Georgia
Self-harm is a significant mental health issue in youth, affecting one in five children between the ages of 10 and 18. As a parent, guardian or supervising adult, it's important to identify and address self-harm early to prevent further psychological harm.
Hillside® is passionate about helping young people and their families navigate mental health challenges, such as self-harming. We focus on self-harm treatment for teens, children and adolescents, designed according to their individual needs.
Recognizing and Addressing Self-Harm in Children, Teens and Adolescents
Children and adolescents face unique challenges that may be difficult for adults to understand, leading them to harmful choices. While self-harm is often referred to as “cutting,” it can take many forms, such as bruising, burning, scratching and picking.
In order to effectively provide treatment for self-harm, we must first identify it in our youth. Some signs to look out for in younger children include:
- Open wounds that don't heal
- Visible scarring
- Wearing long sleeves in warm weather
- Refusing to change in the locker room
- Changes in eating habits
- Sudden mood changes
Disorders We Treat at Hillside®
Hillside® is a leading provider of mental health clinical services to guide clients and their families through life-changing care. In most cases, one condition can lead to another, ultimately influencing harmful actions.
In addition to treatment for self-harm, we address the following conditions:
- Depression: Depressive episodes can create significant difficulty in a young person's life, impacting personal, social, family, physical and educational growth. We can help young people experiencing depression manage their symptoms with coping mechanisms and accountability.
- Anxiety: Anxiety creates excessive worry and leaves the body in a constant fight-or-flight state. As a result, young people can withdraw from social interactions, academic performance and their favorite activities. If you recognize these avoidant behaviors in your child, our team can guide them through their feelings and teach them to manage their symptoms.
- Suicidality: Young people with suicidal ideations should first be evaluated by a skilled mental health professional. Hillside® can safely address suicidality and offer effective treatment.
- Impulsivity: Impulsivity can cause young people to act without thinking and is often associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Hillside® can work with these individuals to address their thinking and help them control their behaviors.
- Emotional dysregulation: Emotional dysregulation impacts an individual's ability to manage their emotions, which can build up over time. The Hillside® clinical team can aid young people through understanding and healthily processing their emotions.
Our Self-Harm Treatment Programs
Hillside® is a self-harm treatment center that understands the complexities involved in a treatment journey. We design effective strategies tailored for young people to engage them in their own care, including individual and group opportunities. Explore our available programs below.
Residential Treatment
During our residential program, clients live on our campus throughout their treatment. This 24/7 supervised and therapeutic setting is specific to age, gender and symptom acuity. While here, clients and their families will partner with a multidisciplinary team to create a personalized adolescent treatment for self-harm, including psychotherapy, medication and monitoring, support groups and family therapy. Clients will attend classes on campus during the day and engage in therapeutic activities after school hours.
Day Treatment Program
Our specialized day treatment program is a partial hospitalization setting that offers therapeutic sessions during the day while allowing your child to come home at night. This 30-day program is grounded in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Social Emotional Ethical Learning (SEE Learning) to treat teen self-harm behaviors.
Virtual Intensive Outpatient DBT Program
This six-week virtual intensive outpatient program is designed for your child and the entire family. It offers structured mental health treatment through a HIPAA-compliant Zoom format and includes DBT, skills education, individual DBT therapy and family therapy. The online platform provides flexibility and greater access to Hillside®.
Intensive In-Home Therapy
Our intensive in-home therapy option provides treatment for cutting, burning or other self-harming actions in the client's own environment. Many families prefer this therapeutic option for younger children or to help ease their child out of more intensive residential care. An in-home therapist will visit your child at home and walk them through mindfulness and relaxation techniques, art and music therapy and journaling or expressive writing as coping strategies.
Contact Our Admissions Team to Get Started
When it comes to finding the right treatment center for your child, you want to choose one you can trust. Hillside® provides a youth-focused environment that fosters trust and safety through every step of the treatment process.
If you're not sure when to seek professional help, the answer is now. Addressing self-harm in children and teens as early as possible is crucial for their future health and development. We encourage you to take proactive steps toward seeking help. Contact our team today to get started.
