Difficulties in this age group typically include:
Addressing difficulties in pre-school aged children usually involves working together closely with parents and carers involved with the child.
Moving into a more structured educational environment as well as negotiating relationships with peers and parents may raise a range of issues, including:
As adolescents move towards increased independence a range of difficulties may emerge:
Families faced with difficult circumstances such as parental separation, illness or financial difficulties may find that this leads to increased tension and conflict. When these experiences seem to dominate family life it may be helpful to seek some outside support and intervention.
Clinical Psychologists aim to provide a supportive environment, helping children and families to think about the nature and cause of their problems, as well as the most helpful approach to deal with these. The type of therapy offered varies from child to child and family to family. The most common treatment methods include cognitive, behavioural, and systemic approaches. Families may be seen together or parents and children may be seen separately, depending on the child’s age and difficulties. Occasionally, families may also like the Psychologist to make contact with the child’s school or day care facility, if this is likely to be helpful to assessment and treatment. Overall, the aim of treatment is to help children and families find new ways of understanding and dealing with their difficulties by talking and thinking together about them.
Treatment sessions usually last 50 minutes and range from a one off appointment to 6 – 12 sessions, depending on the nature and severity of the problem. Treatment length and progress will be reviewed regularly together with the family.
Clinical Psychologists have usually completed a 3-year undergraduate Psychology degree, followed by relevant clinical or research experience and a 3-year postgraduate training programme. The aim of the postgraduate training is to equip Clinical Psychologists with specialist clinical knowledge and therapeutic skills to work with children and adults across the life-span. Chartered Clinical Psychologists are regulated by the British Psychological Society (BPS). The BPS is governed by the Royal Charter and oversees psychologists in the public interest by setting standards of conduct and ethical practice.
Sirja is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist specialising in Child Psychology.....