Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents

The terms "psychotherapy" or therapy" refer to a number of different techniques used to help children and adolescents (teens) who are experiencing difficulty with behaviour or emotions. Although there are many different types of therapy all of them (art therapy, cognitive therapy, talk therapy, supportive therapy) rely on communications as first tool in bringing about changes. This means that the child or adolescent who is engaging in therapy needs to have a good relationship, rapport, with their therapist. He or she needs to feel safe, and unpressured in the therapeutic relationship.Building this kind of relationship can take time.

Psychotherapy / counselling might involve just sitting and talking, it might involve talking while the therapist and child/adolescent talk, it might involve more listening than talking and it might involve playing games, building things, reading something together, drawing, painting or many other activities that help the child / adolescent feel calm, safe and listened to.

Usually therapy starts with an initial evaluation involving the parents and the child. Some goals will be set, a problem picked out or an issue focused upon. A history is usually taken and a formal mental status examination should take place.  Child and adolescent psychotherapy often involves involving others in therapy beside the child or adolescent. That might include professionals from the school, other family members or a medical doctor if there is a need for medical intervention.

Child and adolescent therapy can help in a number of ways. It can help the child or adolescent receive emotional support they need, the therapist can model behaviours and emotional responses, they can learn skills to resolve conflicts with others. New solutions to old problems can be tried and tested in therapy. Therapy can serve as a bridge between the child/adolescent and his or her parents when their is a distance between them Goals might be very specific, a skill to learn and master, a behaviour to change, or more general such as reducing anxiety or depression (although these usually involve learning very specific skills as well).

Child therapy can be short or long term, and for those seeing me long term there is a sliding scale if costs restrict participation. In my own practice I offer you and your child not only my more than 30 years experience as a child and adolescent therapist, but also my experience as a classroom teacher, school psychologist and counsellor, administrator and as a parent.

For more information about obtaining child and adolescent counselling or psychotherapy services please visit my web page listed below, or contact me directly by phone at 1.778.998-7975

More information can be found about my services, which include comprehensive psychoeducational, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological assessments for the diagnosis of ADHD, Learning Disorders, Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorder at my web site: www.relatedminds.comOthers sites include:

http://www.relatedminds.com/assessment​http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/70682
​http://psychologists.bc.ca/users/jimroche
​http://psyris.com/drjimroche​​http://www.actcommunity.net/jim-roche.html