Fostering Better Friendships: How Therapy For Children Helps Kids Develop Interpersonal Skills

Written by: Habeebah Abdus-Salaam, LSW, CSSW

Friendships are a vital part of a child’s development. They provide opportunities to learn, grow, and navigate the complexities of social interactions. However, not every child finds it easy to form and maintain healthy relationships. Challenges such as shyness, social anxiety, impulsivity, or difficulty understanding social cues can create barriers to meaningful connections. Therapy for children can play a transformative role in helping children develop the interpersonal skills needed to foster better friendships.

Child therapists work collaboratively with children to teach them critical communication and social skills, helping them build confidence, empathy, and emotional resilience. This blog explores how therapy empowers kids to develop the necessary tools to create and sustain healthy, fulfilling relationships with peers.

Understanding Social Challenges in Children

Several factors, including temperament, environment, and past experiences, can influence children’s ability to form friendships. Some children may struggle with verbal communication, while others might find nonverbal cues—like body language and facial expressions—hard to interpret. Neurodiverse children, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may face unique challenges in navigating social interactions.

Other common difficulties include:

Social Anxiety: Fear of rejection or embarrassment can make initiating conversations or joining group activities daunting.
Impulsivity or Aggression: Struggles with self-regulation may lead to conflicts, making it harder to maintain friendships.
Low Self-Esteem: A lack of confidence can prevent children from seeking out or maintaining peer relationships.

Therapy addresses these challenges by creating a safe space for children to explore their feelings, practice new skills, and gain confidence in interacting with others.

Building Communication Skills Through Therapy

Effective communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship. Therapy helps children develop this essential skill by teaching them how to express themselves clearly, listen actively, and interpret social cues.

Teaching Emotional Expression

Children who have trouble expressing their feelings may act out by withdrawing or having outbursts. Therapists use techniques like role-playing and emotion identification games to help children find the words for their emotions. For example, a therapist might show pictures of different facial expressions and ask the child to name the emotion. This helps expand the child’s emotional vocabulary.

Active Listening Skills

Many children find it difficult to listen without interrupting or becoming distracted. Therapy emphasizes the importance of active listening by teaching children to maintain eye contact, wait for their turn to speak, and ask clarifying questions. These skills help children demonstrate a genuine interest in their peers, strengthening their connections.

Nonverbal Communication

Understanding body language, tone of voice, and personal space is crucial for successful social interactions. Therapists often use games, stories, or videos to teach children how to interpret and respond to nonverbal cues, making them more attuned to others’ emotions.

Developing Conflict Resolution Skills

Friendships inevitably involve disagreements; how children handle these conflicts can make or break their relationships. Therapy equips kids with strategies to navigate conflicts healthily, teaching them how to:

Use “I” Statements: Instead of blaming others, children learn to express their feelings constructively, such as saying, “I felt upset when you didn’t share with me.”
Problem-Solve Collaboratively: Therapists encourage children to brainstorm solutions, fostering teamwork and mutual respect.
Regulate Emotions: Managing anger, frustration, or sadness during conflicts is key. therapists teach techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, or using a calm-down corner to help children approach disagreements more rationally.

By practicing these skills in therapy, children gain the confidence to address conflicts without fear of losing their friendships.

Fostering Empathy and Perspective-Taking

Empathy—the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings—is a cornerstone of meaningful relationships. However, developing empathy requires practice, especially for children who may naturally focus on their own needs and experiences.

Therapists use creative methods to build empathy, such as:

Storytelling and Role-Playing: By imagining themselves in someone else’s shoes, children learn to see situations from different perspectives. For instance, a therapist might ask a child to act out how a friend feels when left out of a game.
Group Therapy: Children can practice empathy by sharing their experiences and listening to others in a group setting. They learn that their peers also face challenges, fostering a sense of connection and understanding.
Emotion Matching Activities: Therapists use tools like emotion cards or scenarios to help children recognize and validate others’ feelings.

As children develop empathy, they better support their friends, resolve misunderstandings, and build deeper connections.

Boosting Self-Confidence in Social Settings

For many children, social struggles stem from a lack of confidence. They may fear rejection or worry about saying the wrong thing, which prevents them from taking social risks. Therapy focuses on building self-esteem by:

Setting Achievable Goals: Therapists help children set small, realistic social goals, like greeting a classmate or inviting a friend to play. Celebrating these achievements reinforces positive behavior.
Encouraging Self-Awareness: Children gain confidence in their unique abilities by recognizing their strengths and interests, making them more likely to engage with others.
Providing Positive Reinforcement: Therapists highlight and praise children’s social successes, helping them feel proud of their progress.

A confident child is likelier to initiate friendships, persevere through social challenges, and bounce back from rejection.

The Role of Parents in Supporting Social Development

While therapy provides a structured environment for skill-building, parents play a crucial role in reinforcing these skills at home. Therapists often collaborate with parents, offering guidance on how to:

Model healthy communication and conflict resolution.
Encourage playdates or group activities to practice social skills.
Provide constructive feedback and praise when children demonstrate positive social behaviors.

By working together, child therapists and parents create a supportive network that helps children thrive socially.

The Long-Term Benefits of Therapy on Friendships

The skills children learn in therapy extend far beyond childhood. As they grow, their ability to communicate, empathize, and resolve conflicts will serve them in various relationships, including those with family, romantic partners, and colleagues. Additionally, the emotional resilience they develop in therapy equips them to handle life’s inevitable social challenges with grace and confidence.

Moreover, early intervention can prevent more significant difficulties later in life. Children who struggle socially and receive no support may experience loneliness, academic struggles, or even mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Therapy acts as a protective factor, setting children toward healthier, happier relationships.

Building Lifelong Friendship Skills Through Therapy

Friendships are vital to childhood, but they don’t always come quickly. Therapy at DBT of South Jersey provides a safe, supportive environment where children can learn the communication, conflict resolution, and empathy skills they need to build meaningful connections. With the guidance of a skilled therapist—and the support of caring parents—children can overcome social challenges and thrive in their relationships.

By empowering children to foster better friendships, therapy doesn’t just improve their social lives; it lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy, fulfilling relationships. After all, every child deserves the joy and support that come with true friendship.

Therapy for Children in South Jersey: Helping Your Child Build Lasting Friendships

If your child is struggling to form or maintain friendships, they don’t have to face it alone. At DBT of South Jersey, our compassionate therapists help children develop the social skills they need to build meaningful connections and thrive in their relationships. Through personalized support, we empower children to overcome social challenges with confidence. Give your child the tools they need for lasting friendship success. Contact DBT of South Jersey today to learn more about how therapy for children can make a difference. Follow these three simple steps to get started:

Contact us to book a free consultation with our intake team
Meet with one of our skilled child therapists
Start seeing your child thrive with their friendships!

Other Services Offered at DBT of South Jersey

At DBT of South Jersey, we provide more than just therapy for children to help them strengthen their friendships. We understand that you may have other concerns you’d like support with, which is why our services address a range of needs. At our Voorhees and Moorestown locations, we also offer couples and family therapy, trauma therapy, OCD treatment, LGBTQIA-affirming therapy, and holistic options such as one-on-one Reiki. To learn more about therapy for children and teens, visit our blog for helpful insights and resources!