Psychotherapy helps children and adolescents in a variety of ways. They receive emotional support, an awareness and understanding of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, introduction to new emotional regulation skills and addressing conflicts with others.
The relationship that develops between the therapist and the client is very important. The child or adolescent must feel comfortable, safe, and understood. This type of trusting environment makes it much easier for the child to express their thoughts and feelings and to use the therapy in a helpful way.
As a clinician, I have specialized in working with children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and depression. In therapy, communication is the basic tool for bringing about change in a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In working with children and adolescents, playing, drawing, building, and pretending, as well as talking, are important ways of sharing feelings and resolving problems. The length of psychotherapy depends on the complexity and severity of problems. Accessing treatment early on can prevent anxiety and depression from increasing in severity or duration. When addressed early, many conditions can be managed or treated effectively.
