| It can be daunting
to think that your child needs psychotherapy. Parents
may have many feelings – fear, guilt, anger, apprehension,
etc. – at the thought of seeking professional mental
health services for their children. Who will you be able
to trust with your child? How will you know your child
is getting what he or she needs? What may it mean about
you that your child needs help? As daunting as these questions
may be it can be equally difficult to go on without professional
services when you have a child in need.
Children and adolescents may benefit from psychotherapy
for a variety of issues: major transitions such as adoption,
divorce, formation of blended families, or chronic stress
of shared custody arrangements; illness or major injury;
loss of a parent or sibling; learning disabilities,
social skills issues or other school problems; communication
issues with parents; abuse or neglect in history; or
unexplained behavioral changes or problems. For teens
there may be struggles over issues of identity and independence,
fears of the future, feelings of pressure and self-esteem
issues.
In my work with young children I generally start out
by meeting with parents for as many sessions as it takes
to establish an understanding of the family, the child’s
history and the parents’ concerns. Depending on
the age of the child and the unique circumstances I
may then meet for sessions with the child and parents
together or with the child alone. Additional parent
sessions will be scheduled separately to go over the
initial assessment & treatment plan, update parents
on treatment progress, and address any new concerns
as the treatment proceeds. I may also consult and coordinate
with teachers, pediatricians, caregivers and other people
or systems involved in the child’s world to develop
a complete picture of each child’s resources and
challenges.
With young children I primarily make use of play and
art therapy techniques. Children communicate through
their play and art in ways they may not yet be able
to do verbally. Many conflicts and issues can be addressed
and resolved by working with the metaphors that emerge
in natural play and art.
With adolescents my approach may involve more verbal
dialogue, structured games and art work. Depending on
the age and issues of the teenager I may communicate
somewhat differently with the parents, giving general
reports on progress, listening to parents concerns and
helping with insight versus revealing the specific content
of the child sessions, in order to maintain the confidentiality
of the teen.
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