FAQs

• Through a process of therapy, a young person can develop a deeper understanding of their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. This understanding can help individuals make lasting changes in their lives and feel more prepared for their future. 

• Working through and identifying the material in their conscious and unconscious mind, young people can increase their ability for emotional regulation and deal with difficult situations in a more appropriate way. 

• Young people can develop better relationships as they begin to understand their own minds and triggers, their patterns of behaviour and learn new ways of managing difficulty.

• By addressing what might be causing their symptoms through an understanding of internal conflict and traumas, anxiety, depression and other symptoms can subside. 

• By working through difficult situations and emotions, young people can increase resilience and an increase their sense of well-being which will in turn will be transformed into a greater capacity to deal with challenges in the future. 

• Through a deeper awareness of themselves, increased resilience and by developing better coping mechanisms, young peoples’ self esteem can improve. ​

Both child psychotherapists and counsellors can support children and young people with their mental health; the main differences between the two lie in their training and skills. Child psychotherapists have specialised training in working with children and young people, including knowledge of child and emotional development, attachment theory, trauma, play therapy and other ways of communicating creatively with young people. Furthermore, child psychotherapists have specialist observational skills, that allow them to understand and pick up on behaviours, attitudes and non-verbal communication. Their skill set allows them to support young people in working through their emotional and mental health difficulties; including trauma and abuse.

Counsellors may have more general training and may not have the same depth of knowledge and experience of working with children and young people. They use a range of therapeutic approaches often focusing on what a young person already knows about themselves and with what they are already aware of. Child psychotherapists, on the other hand, can work with unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Some people like to use the image of an iceberg to describe the differences between the levels at which child psychotherapists and counsellors can work. Whereas counsellors typically would work with the tip of the iceberg (or what is already in the conscious mind); psychotherapists are trained to look deeper into what is below the surface. This is why sometimes a counsellor might offer a more focused, time limited, goal orientated approach. A more focused approach would be most suitable for young people who are struggling with an issue that is well identified and known. In contrast, a child psychotherapist will be better suited to work with complexity, multiple difficulties and presentations, and when a young person needs to make sense of their experience. 

Child psychotherapists have specialist training and use different approaches to work with children under 5. Child psychotherapists use play and other non-verbal communication to help a child develop their capacity to express their feelings and experiences. This will gradually lead to a  decrease in their need to use disruptive behaviour to express themselves. Child psychotherapists have extensive training in attachment theory and trauma, and can address difficulties with attachment, anxiety, aggression, etc.

No, as child psychotherapists I am able to offer short term interventions as well as long term therapy. The duration of treatment will be jointly agreed by parents, the young person and the therapist. The duration of treatment will vary depending on the presentation and complexity of each case. If long term therapy is needed, reviews are carried out every term.

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