Therapy for Children Experiencing Bullying: Healing and Building Resilience

Written By: Habeebah Abdus-Salaam LSW, CSSW

Bullying is a serious issue that impacts children’s mental health and overall well-being, leaving emotional scars that can last long after the bullying ends. Whether physical, verbal, relational, or cyberbullying, it can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Therapy is critical in helping children process their emotions, rebuild their confidence, and develop resilience to face future challenges.

This post explores how therapy for children can help those who experience bullying, practical therapeutic approaches, and how parents can support their child’s healing process.

The Impact of Bullying on Children

Bullying takes various forms. Physical, verbal, relational (social exclusion), and cyberbullying—and each has significant emotional effects:

• Anxiety and Depression: Children who are bullied often feel fear, sadness, and worthlessness, leading to long-term anxiety or depression.
• Low Self-Esteem: Bullying can cause children to internalize negative messages about themselves. Thus resulting in feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.
• Social Withdrawal: Fear of further bullying often leads children to isolate themselves, exacerbating loneliness.
• Academic Struggles: Emotional distress can make it difficult for children to concentrate, affecting school performance.
• Trauma Symptoms: In extreme cases, bullying can trigger trauma-like symptoms, such as nightmares, flashbacks, or heightened vigilance.

Given these effects, therapy becomes an essential tool in a child’s healing process. Allowing them to regain their mental health and emotional strength.

How Therapy For Children Can Help Those Who Have Been Bullied

Therapy for children offers a safe, structured environment to process emotions, rebuild self-esteem, and develop coping skills. Key benefits include:

1. Safe Space for Expression: Many bullied children struggle to express their feelings due to fear or shame. Therapy offers a confidential environment where they can share their experiences without judgment. Allowing them to begin healing by verbalizing their emotions.
2. Emotional Processing: Bullying triggers intense emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. By working with a skilled child therapist, therapy can help children identify and process these feelings in a healthy way, enabling them to understand their emotional reactions and learn how to manage them.
3. Rebuilding Self-Esteem: Bullying often damages a child’s self-worth. Therapy, primarily through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), helps children challenge negative beliefs about themselves and replace them with positive, more realistic thoughts. This process allows children to regain confidence and develop a healthier self-image.
4. Teaching Coping Skills: Children who face bullying feel powerless. But therapy teaches them practical coping strategies such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques to regulate their emotions. These skills help with bullying and are valuable for handling future challenges.
5. Improving Social Skills: Bullying can make children fearful of social interactions. Therapy helps children improve their social skills, such as asserting themselves, communicating effectively, and setting healthy boundaries, which boosts their ability to form positive relationships.
6. Building Resilience: Therapy fosters resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity. Children learn to view bullying not as a reflection of their worth but as a challenge they can overcome. This shift in perspective helps children become more adaptable and optimistic. Helping them develop the mental strength to face future challenges.

Therapeutic Approaches for Children Who Have Experienced Bullying

Several therapeutic approaches are effective in helping children recover from bullying, tailored to the child’s age, severity of bullying, and emotional needs:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is widely used to help children recognize and challenge negative thought patterns. It helps children understand how their thoughts influence emotions and behaviors, leading to healthier self-concepts and more balanced thinking.
2. Play Therapy: Play therapy allows younger children to express emotions through creative outlets like toys and art. This nonverbal approach helps children process their feelings when verbal expression is difficult.
3. Trauma-Focused Therapy: For children who have experienced severe bullying leading to trauma-like symptoms (e.g., flashbacks or nightmares), trauma-focused therapy helps them process the trauma and regain a sense of safety.
4. Group Therapy: Group therapy can be helpful for children who feel isolated due to bullying. It provides a space where children can meet others with similar experiences, share feelings, and practice social skills in a supportive environment.

How Parents and Caregivers Can Support Their Child’s Healing

While therapy is crucial, parents and caregivers play a vital role in supporting a child’s healing process. Here are ways parents can help:

1. Listen and validate: Create an open space for children to express their feelings without judgment. Listening to and validating their emotions helps them feel supported and understood.
2. Collaborate with the School: Work with teachers and staff to ensure the child feels safe and supported at school. Advocacy at school helps create a safer environment for children.
3. Encourage Social Interaction: Help children engage in activities that build confidence and form positive friendships. Activities like clubs, sports, or hobbies allow children to rebuild social connections.
4. Promote Positive Self-Talk: Encourage children to focus on their strengths and positive attributes. Helping them develop healthy self-esteem through affirmations and support can counteract the negative messages internalized through bullying.

Helping Kids Heal: How Therapy and Support Empower Children After Bullying

Therapy is an essential tool in helping children recover from bullying. It provides a safe environment for emotional expression, aids in processing feelings, rebuilds self-esteem, and fosters resilience. With the proper support, children can heal from bullying and emerge more substantial and more confident. Parents and caregivers play a critical role by listening, validating emotions, advocating for their child, and encouraging positive social interactions. Therapy and family support from DBT of South Jersey help guide children toward a brighter, more resilient future.

Overcome Bullying with Therapy for Children in South Jersey

If your child is struggling after being bullied, don’t wait—therapy for children in South Jersey can make a powerful difference. Reach out to DBT of South Jersey today to begin your child’s journey toward healing, confidence, and resilience. Follow these three simple steps to get started:

1. Contact us to book a free consultation with our intake team
2. Meet with one of our skilled child therapists
3. Start seeing your child heal and build confidence!

Additional Services Offered at DBT of South Jersey

At DBT of South Jersey, we offer more than therapy for children—we create a nurturing space where young people can recover, grow, and develop lasting resilience. Recognizing that each family is unique, our services extend well beyond child therapy. From our Voorhees and Moorestown offices, we support families and couples, provide trauma-informed care, treat OCD, and offer LGBTQIA-affirming therapy. We also incorporate holistic options, such as individual Reiki sessions. Visit our blog for valuable insights, resources, and more about therapy for children and teens.