Children's Therapy at The Family Treatment Service

Children’s Therapy

Compassionate care for your child

Child Psychology

Child psychology is about supporting your child with their thoughts, feelings and behaviours that they are finding overwhelming, and that may be interfering with their life at home, school and within friendships. Childhood and adolescence are crucial times for developing a sense of self, personality and building self-esteem. We believe that a therapeutic space is essential to help young people thrive and to develop strategies that will support their future well-being.

Problems that may be impacting on a child/young person’s life could be, but are not limited to:

Low mood and depression
Anxiety (including phobias, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, panic, social anxiety, separation anxiety, OCD)
Trauma and post traumatic stress
Low self-esteem
Emotion regulation difficulties (managing big feelings)
Eating difficulties and body image difficulties
Friendship relationship difficulties
Self-harm and suicide

Who can benefit from child psychology?

Any child or young person between the ages of 6-18 years old, and who is struggling with any of the above concerns (if your child is younger than 6, please see our specialist Under 5’s section). If a child or young person could benefit from a space to talk about their thoughts and feelings, learn new ways of coping with difficult life stressors and/or think about their relationships and identity, then a child psychology service may be of benefit to them.

What to expect

In our child psychology sessions we would always be working with both the child and their family. Depending on the child’s age, they may have more or less sessions on their own with the therapist. In child-only sessions, a young person might expect to complete worksheets with their therapist, draw, paint and talk. In a parent-only session we would discuss ways they could support their young person at home, sharing ideas for strategies to help their child along. We would also have some parent and child sessions together, in order to review progress and create an opportunity for people in the family to share their point of view.

The number of sessions and how they are divided up would be discussed beforehand, and we would always review the arrangement as the therapy progressed.

Under 5’s – building strong relationships together

The Under 5’s service supports pregnant parents and any parents with a child under 5 years old. We support parents with a broad range of difficulties, such as:

Pre-natal feelings of anxiety or worry
Understanding toddler tantrums
Separation anxiety
Toileting
Developmental difficulties
Parental feelings of anxiety or low mood
Parent identity changes
Family relationships
Couple difficulties
Parent-child communications/relationship difficulties
Feeling stuck as a parent

We also focus on supporting parents in the perinatal period (i.e. in the first year of parenthood), as we know this is a time of huge transition and adjustment for many.

Who can benefit from child psychology?

Any parent and child who is Under 5 and may be struggling with the issues listed above. We understand that parenthood is not a straightforward journey and that parents may experience different hurdles at various points along their journey. Psychological research demonstrates that the first 3 years of a child’s life are the most significant; during these years they need as much support as possible to ensure that they thrive both socially and emotionally. Our services help parents and children build positive relationships and fulfilling futures.

What to expect

In our Under 5’s service, we can offer a combination of different therapy approaches. Depending on what the concerns were and what worked best for the family, we would then decide on how the sessions would be setup.

However, our sessions would always involve parent(s) and children together for some, and sometimes all, of the process. Other times sessions could just be for the parent themselves, without their child, to explore particular themes and difficulties. Our sessions always focus on reaching agreed goals, so we are continually working towards change. The number of sessions and how they are divided up would be discussed beforehand, and we would always review the arrangement as the therapy progressed.

School Avoidance/EBSA

Anxiety about school

Experiencing some anxiety about school is very normal for children and young people, particularly at transition points such as a new term or during exams. For some young people, this anxiety can become overwhelming and result in the avoidance of school. In the short term, avoiding school is an effective coping strategy for reducing anxiety, however in the long term, it maintains the anxiety and makes attending school even more difficult. Whilst avoidance is a normal response to stressful situations, it creates a cycle of anxiety and it is important to empower young people with the skills and tools to manage their anxiety and navigate difficult situations.

What is EBSA?

Previously, children who were absent from school were referred to as ‘school refusers’. There has been a move away from this term as it suggests that young people are choosing not to attend school, which is often far from the truth. In fact, many young people experiencing EBSA really want to attend school, but do not feel confident or supported to do so.

School anxiety and avoidance is now more commonly referred to as Emotionally Based School Avoidance / Non-Attendance (EBSA), which highlights the emotional factors underlying attendance difficulties. Various different factors can contribute to EBSA, including social anxiety, difficulties within the school environment, difficulties at home, Special Educational Needs, anxiety about learning or sensory needs.

What are the signs of EBSA?

Avoiding getting up in the morning
Child saying they cannot go into school
Physical symptoms and feeling unwell such as a headache or stomach ache
Disrupted sleep
Avoiding certain lessons or days
Changes in emotions e.g. increased frustration, upset, anxiety or withdrawal

How can we support?

An initial consultation will be offered to explore the factors contributing to school anxiety and avoidance. This will also be an opportunity to consider any further work with the child or young person. Additional sessions may involve further assessment to identify the functions of the EBSA, support to understand and manage anxiety, exploration of values and creating a stepped reintegration plan. Where possible, it is also helpful to share information with the school to ensure a collaborative approach.

Children’s Therapy

Initial Consultation: £200
An one hour initial appointment with a specialist child psychologist, psychotherapist, CBT therapist or other child therapist. This enables our clinicians to get a good understanding of your experience and goals, and to design a bespoke care plan.

Follow-up appointments: £180
A one-hour follow-up appointment with a specialist child psychologist, psychotherapist, CBT therapist or other child therapist.. Some of our clinicians offer £20 off per session if you book a package of 10 sessions. Speak to our reception team if you would like to find out more.

Book Now

Our Team of Child Therapists