How KVC’s Outpatient Therapy Services Help West Virginia Children, Teens & Families

More children, teens and families in West Virginia are struggling with their mental health. Many people feel sad, anxious or stressed, and they don’t always know where to turn for help. KVC West Virginia offers outpatient therapy that’s easy to get and meets people where they are, whether that’s at school, at home or online. Our caring therapists help people feel better, solve problems and get through tough times.
In this blog, you’ll learn how outpatient therapy works, who it can help and read real stories from people who found hope and healing with our support.
Why is Outpatient Mental Health Therapy So Important?
A major barrier to mental health care is access. In West Virginia, over 18,000 youth ages 12-17 have depression. But more than half (55.6%) didn’t receive any care in the last year. Many communities in West Virginia simply do not have enough resources to provide care even for those who have the means to receive it.
Common Challenges Youth and Families Experience
Many mental health concerns go unnoticed for months or years before someone realizes a child or teen needs support. Why? Sometimes, we unintentionally ignore real mental health concerns, thinking it’s part of being a “typical teen.” Changing moods and behaviors come with normal teenage brain development. It can be easy to assume all of these behaviors are part of the typical teenage experience. But when negative emotions and behaviors persist or worsen, it may be time to see a professional.
It’s easy to assume that mental health challenges won’t happen to you, your family or the children or teens in your life. “There are kids that are going through things that I would have naively thought didn’t happen in my area,” shares KVC West Virginia therapist Emma S. “We’re seeing a lot of trauma-based mental health concerns.”
Common mental health challenges West Virginia youth and families experience include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Suicidal thoughts
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
If you or someone you love needs outpatient mental health therapy, there’s no shame in reaching out for support. Just like we seek medical care for physical injuries or illnesses, caring for our mental health is a vital part of overall wellbeing. Asking for support is a sign of strength, not weakness. You’re not alone, and healing is possible with the right care and connection.
Early Intervention Lays the Foundation for Lifelong Wellness
Mental health care is valuable at any stage of life, but early intervention during childhood and adolescent years can have a powerful impact in the long term. Therapy equips youth with a toolkit they can go to any time they’re struggling in the future, preparing them for future success and stability.
Emma points out that you’re working with multiple generations when it comes to child and family therapy as well. “You’re working with that child and their parents and sometimes their grandparents,” Emma explains, “You might be breaking barriers, so some of that compounding trauma is lessening.”
Hear From KVC Outpatient Therapy Clients
The stories of success and positive outcomes are what keep us encouraged and motivated in everything we do at KVC West Virginia! We love hearing from individuals and families who have seen their lives changed thanks to our outpatient therapy services in West Virginia. Here are a few testimonials that speak to the heart of what we do:
“Our therapist has gone above and beyond to help our family, and we couldn’t have asked for more from her. She has given us 110% of her skills to help us with our problems and give us the confidence to carry on and do our best.”
“My therapist helped me in the most extraordinary way. Thank you so much for helping me through one of the hardest times in my life.”
Steven’s Journey to Self-Love and Managing PTSD and ADHD with Outpatient Therapy
Most of the stories we hear come from our boots-on-the-ground therapists. Emma shared a recent success story of a teen boy named Steven (name changed to protect his privacy). When she first started working with Steven, he was struggling with PTSD and ADHD-related symptoms that made it hard to function at school and at home.
“Steven was at risk of being removed from the home that he was in and he wasn’t attending school. There were a lot of hard situations and negative consequences going on,” says Emma.
When Emma first started working with Steven, she focused on helping him feel comfortable in therapy.
“I would try to approach sessions making sure he knew that I’m a real person too,” Emma shares. “I may be the ‘professional,’ but it was important for him to know that I was there to learn too!”
As they continued their work together, Emma uncovered that beneath his PTSD and ADHD was a struggle with self-forgiveness. “One of the biggest challenges he was facing was being unable to forgive himself for things from his past, even things that weren’t his fault. He blamed himself for many things and didn’t feel he deserved forgiveness,” she remembers.
So Emma worked with Steven on tools and strategies to build his self-love, including affirmations. As a teen boy, he would often roll his eyes!
“But we had a fun banter! He would say, ‘You’re going to make me be nice to myself now, aren’t you?’”
Emma used many journaling techniques in outpatient therapy, especially writing affirmations after they had verbally processed. “I had him write a particular phrase: Tomorrow will be better because I am worth fighting for.”
After working with Emma as his therapist, Steven has made measurable improvements and was experiencing much better days and was able to function at school and at home with more confidence, focus and purpose. Steven’s caregiver was actively involved throughout this process and has also found KVC West Virginia’s outpatient therapy services very helpful.
“It was really heartwarming for me personally to be able to show him the progress he had made and the work he had done. His caregiver was also there to share that success, and it was really special. It’s been a wonderful journey with him for sure.”
These kinds of incredible stories inspire therapists like Emma more than any other.
“These are the wonderful cases where you can actually see it through from intake to discharge and see all the improvement that not only the client but the family makes,” Emma says.
How Mental Health Support Strengthens Communities
Lack of mental health support can lead to negative and even dangerous outcomes on an individual and community basis. Poor mental health has far-reaching consequences in schools, workplaces and the overall community. High school students with depression are twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers, and suicide was the leading cause of death among adolescents (age 12-17) across the U.S. in 2020.
The Benefits of School-Based and Community-Based Therapy
One of the biggest barriers preventing individuals and families from seeking mental health support is access to care. This is what makes our outpatient therapy services so impactful: You, your child or your teen can get care on a flexible schedule, even in school or a community setting! We meet you where you are.
Our therapists are equipped to meet the needs of their clients in the home, at school, out in the community and even virtually. Emma appreciates this flexibility when meeting with her clients. “It allows us to get a broad picture of what this child and their family are experiencing.”
Every KVC West Virginia therapist has access to transportation for sessions. Many schools choose to refer students to KVC over other providers in the area because of this accessibility, and we continue meeting with clients during school breaks.
School-based therapy also empowers therapists to help their clients build a stronger support network in their community. It makes it easier to incorporate trusted teachers or faculty into a youth’s support team as our therapists become the connecting piece between a child or teen’s school and home life.
Inside KVC West Virginia’s Outpatient Mental Health Therapy Services
KVC West Virginia is passionate about making care both accessible and impactful. Our trauma-informed services are designed to be strengths-based, child-centered and family-driven. With outpatient therapy services made accessible wherever you are and however you need them, KVC West Virginia therapists go above and beyond to ensure their clients can heal and recover while feeling safe and empowered.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, social worker, doctor, teacher or community member, you can make a referral to our outpatient therapy services by contacting your local KVC office.
A simple call to your local KVC office is all it takes to get started, and then we’ll confirm your eligibility, help you fill out a few more forms and assign you a therapist. From there, you’ll start the outpatient therapy process! There is hope, and we’re here to help.
