3.
Child & Adolescent
Therapy
Children and adolescents, or 'teens', build social skills and emotional intelligence as they grow.
These things often lead to healthy, happy lives. But some children are struggling with emotions that they cannot explain nor understand and this disrupts many major parts of their life.
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Therapy can be a safe space for children to process thoughts and emotions and work out what is beneath their unhappiness or sadness, or anger. Young children often to not have the verbal language to explain how or why they feel angry or sad. Apart from offering time and support, whilst being mindful of safeguarding - a child may respond demonstratively toys, dolls, sand or pictures.
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A child may have experienced a bereavement but may have been excluded from the process and may feel angry, confused, vulnerable. Loving parents and family may act with best intentions, not always realising the child is left outside on the outskirts- every child is different and will glean their own message from their way of seeing the world.
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The list of possibilities of what 'might be wrong' is extensive.
Sometimes the reasons are historical and have only surfaced recently, or maybe they have had to figure it out and find the words or get beyond the fear.
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For teens - the most anticipated communication is talking therapy.
That in itself quite mundane and boring and "well, anyone can do that..." but it is very different than talking or chatting. There is a multitude of things happening in the stillness and silence of the room, for example; the awareness of looks, glances, responses to elements of the communication.
Body language, eye contact aversion. Deflection of subject detail or direction, etc.
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Therapy can be intense and emotionally and psychologically remarkable
as well as draining. Each session is based on the capacity of the child to
manage the content safely and for the process to promote a feeling of
warmth, safety,and increased self-awareness - and the promotion of healing.
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NB: Children over the age of 16 years old do not require parental consent for
therapy providing they have psychological capacity.
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Artwork courtesy Rory 25/7/18 www.counsellingtutor.com
(Reduced Rate for Schools & Colleges )