How Can Psychotherapy Help Children


Article author:

Nessa Muller

Nessa Muller has a Master’s degree in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, a Higher Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy and a certificate year in Addiction Studies.She is a member of The Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland.

How can psychotherapy help children?

Many children need support in dealing with school stress such as homework, examination anxiety, bullying or peer pressure. Others need help to discuss their feelings about family issues such as the death of a family member, illness, moving house, divorce, or traumatic events in the family.
In some cases, it is unclear what causes a child to suddenly seem withdrawn, worried, stress, sulky, or tearful or aggressive. To paraphrase Winnicott: Behaviour is communication (Phillips, A., 2007, p.50, 139, 146). The child communicates to the environment that not all is well. Through his behaviour the young person communicates that he finds it difficult to understand or cope with the demands of everyday life.
Signs that a child may benefit from seeing a psychotherapist include:

  • behavioural problems (such as excessive anger, acting out, bedwetting or eating disorders)
  • a significant drop in grades, particularly if your child normally maintains high grades
  • episodes of sadness, tearfulness, or depression
  • social withdrawal or isolation
  • being the victim of bullying or bullying other childrena significant drop in grades, particularly if your child normally maintains high gradesoverly aggressive behaviour (such as biting, kicking, or hitting)
  • sudden changes in appetite (particularly in adolescents)
  • insomnia or increased sleepiness
  • excessive school absenteeism or tardiness
  • mood swings (e.g., happy one minute, upset the next)
  • development of or an increase in physical complaints (such as headache, stomach ache, or not feeling well) despite a normal physical exam by your doctor
  • problems in transitions (following separation, divorce, or relocation)
  • bereavement issues
  • custody evaluations
  • therapy following sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or other traumatic events

Play Therapy

Play therapy is generally employed with children aged 3 to12. Children often communicate their knowledge and experiences through play. Toys are like the child’s words and play is the child’s language. Play encourages and expands self-expression, self-knowledge and self-efficacy. It also relieves distressing feelings and connects people in a positive way. It stimulates creative thinking, it encourages exploration, regulates our emotions and boosts the ego (Landreth, 2002). Play therapy helps children to:

  • Become more responsible for behaviours and develop more successful strategies.
  • Develop new and creative solutions to problems.
  • Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.
  • Learn to experience and express emotion.
  • Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
  • Learn new social skills and relational skills with family.
  • Develop self-efficacy and thus a better assuredness about their abilities

How  does therapy with children work ?

1. As the child is a minor a first consultation with be with held with the parent/s or guardian of the child, without the child.
2. During this first consultation the therapist and parent will explore the family background and discuss the therapeutic process in general.
3. The therapist will then will see the child for 1-2 sessions followed by a review consultation with the parent/s or guardian.

This article was written by Nessa Muller, psychotherapist at Mind and Body Works. To read more about Nessa and her work please click here

 

 

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