Child psychotherapy
The organization and function of a child guidance and therapy clinic based on theoretical and pragmatic child and adolescent practices. It involves providing assistance to children and adolescents who are either facing some psychological or helps the child in the process of self growth, sometimes by providing them counselling about careers and relationship issues and sometimes by designing psychotherapeutic approach which might be necessary.
What to expect?
A child is an integral part of the family. But unlike the adults, they are not effective in communicating their needs and desires or articulate their feelings in the similar fashion like that of an adult, thus children deserve special attention.
How does it work?
The intake process, involves evaluation of treat-ability, and at the initial stages of therapy with children and parents is allowed for general information. However, if at all, the initial stages requires reporting of case history from the child and the parent separately, if all other factors permits, it is always advised that the child is interviewed first. This helps in building up rapport and winning of the child’s confidence. Later, the information received from the child can be cross verified with the information received from the parents or other family members. Treating a child is a team approach, where the clinician and the child’s family has to work as a team. History of child psychiatry is noted down and there on the treatment plan is devised by the therapist. The child in the process of growth, which is both a blessing and a challenge for the therapist to work with. In the process of growth and maturation, it is sometimes easy for a child to cope with certain problem, as the environment around them changes more frequently than that of an adult. However, if any significant problem is overlooked at this delicate age, the child might have to live with that with rest of his or her life or he or she might have to put in rigorous effort as adults to overcome the childhood traumas and avenge a life free from psychological distress and insecurities. Thus, diagnosis of child hood disorder is done carefully. The disorders broadly include, organic, psychoneurotic, and psychosomatic disorders of childhood and adolescence. Behavior disorders and delinquency.
Various techniques are employed in the psychotherapeutic process of a child. Play therapy techniques are globally used while dealing with a child client, creative media is also involved, like the art therapy. Therapeutic formulation differs if the child is non-verbal and non-communicative. There are problems of Transference and countertransference problems in initial, middle, and terminal phases of child psychotherapy, which the therapist has to deal with diligently. Conjunctive treatment of child and parent is often necessary. Family therapy in the treatment of the children has been found effective.
When is it used?
Child psychotherapy is fashioned to help with a wide range of issues and with human development in general. The employment of child psychotherapy or counselling can extend beyond just therapy and mental health. The main aim includes proper growth of the child so that he or she grows up into a disorder free adult.
Role of the therapist:
Clinicians or therapists dealing with children often approaches the child in manner which finds significance in the child’s world. As indicated by Piaget, children until they reach the age of 11 years are actively engaged in Make belief play, so it is necessary that the therapist makes an attempt to understand and become a part of the child’s world to establish a rapport and hence work through the problems that are being faced by the child.
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