Child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy
Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a therapeutic treatment for infants, children, young people, and their families who may be experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties.
Child psychotherapists are trained to closely observe a child or young person and respond to what they might be communicating about their inner emotional world through their behaviour, play, or words. They are skilled at helping the child make sense of their feelings and put them into words.
Child psychotherapists focus closely on observing the relationship the child makes with the therapist and the therapy, using this to understand the child’s difficulties. Through this insight, the therapist seeks to help the child understand themselves, relationships, and their behaviour better. As the child learns and develops, they can make better use of relationships and opportunities at school and in the future.
Sessions take place in the same room and at the same time each week for ongoing therapy. Consistency is an essential component of the therapeutic process and the building of a therapeutic relationship.
Child psychotherapists also adapt their framework of thinking to work with parents, families, and carers. They also support other professionals who work with children and young people to help them gain a deeper understanding of the child's emotional world.
Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a core profession for the provision of mental health services in the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
Child psychotherapy is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of depression in children and young people.
It also recommends psychotherapy as a therapeutic intervention for children who have experienced abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse.
As a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I believe a child's behaviour is an important form of communication to the adult world about the nature of their inner, emotional world, which may or may not differ from their external everyday experience.
My approach is to seek to look beneath the surface of symptoms, difficult emotions, behaviours, and relationships to help children, adolescents, and their families unlock what lies underneath and understand themselves and their difficulties better, offering the potential for psychological growth and new beginnings.
