What We Do

Integrative Child Psychotherapy offers children and young people the chance to talk through difficult thoughts and feelings about life at home or school. It may be a particular problem or more general difficulties. It provides a special time just for them, to talk and play about what it’s like being them. A time to share feelings and worries, a time to talk about growing up, and about what happens at school, home and with friends. This time can mean that your child will often feel happier and more confident, and will also work better in lessons at school. This is because strong feelings and worries can sometimes really interfere with a child’s ability to have fun and concentrate during lessons to learn.

We know that persistent mis-attunement, neglectful or abusive parenting for extended periods of time and unresolved trauma affects the hardwiring and psychobiochemical balances in the child’s brain and can prevent the healthy internalisation of necessary developmental stages. Through providing a nurturing relationship and a secure base, child psychotherapists work alongside a child to help them explore their inner worlds. Exploration aided by the arts of painting, sand tray, play, bodywork, clay and music can help the child work through their experiences by using metaphor, which is the natural language of children. In some children somewhere in their development there may has been a missing area and without developmentally reparative work they are likely to stay stuck or create defences to manage the gap.

An Integrative Child Psychotherapist will be holding in mind different psycho-analytic, humanistic and cognitive behavioural therapy theories to support the nature of their work with the child. We also use neuro-science to support their thinking, and help the child to cognitively process what is happening for them emotionally.

We recognise the huge importance of their child’s relationship to his or her main carers and will hold in mind ways to best nurture these relationships.

What can we help with?

Brighton Child Psychotherapy is able to offer support for the following cases:

  • Abuse
  • Adopted or fostered children
  • Alcohol and drug problems
  • Anger management
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment
  • Bed wetting/toileting issues
  • Behavioural problems
  • Bereavement
  • Bullying
  • Confusing sexual feelings
  • Cultural issues
  • Depression
  • Eating issues
  • Family turmoil/divorce
  • Illness
  • Learning disabilities
  • Night terrors/sleep issues
  • Obsessional behaviour
  • Phobias
  • Physical disabilities
  • Relationship struggles/friendship issues
  • Self-esteem
  • Self harm
  • Separation anxiety
  • Sibling rivalry
  • Somatic illness
  • Trauma

Child Psychotherapy

The feelings and experiences of the child’s parents/carers are integral to the therapists work with the child and are highly valued. For this reason the therapist will welcome a communicative relationship with parents/carers at the start of the therapeutic work.

  • Firstly the therapist will meet with the child’s parents/carers to discuss the child’s needs and behaviour, and an initial therapy contract will be made
  • The child will start psychotherapy by having three to six sessions as an assessment of their emotional needs.
  • The therapist will meet with the child’s parents/carers to discuss the potential direction of the child’s therapy and how best the parents/carers can support the child at home.
  • The therapy will begin, with regular review meetings between the therapist and the child’s parents/carers negotiated to best support the child
  • Our aim is to enable the client to have a safe space to express themselves, a place to be heard and develop a greater understanding of themselves and their relationships, we do not tell the clients what to do.
  • The content of psychotherapy sessions is confidential, with the usual Child Protection requirement to pass on information as appropriate if someone is unsafe or being hurt.
  •  Clients are usually seen weekly. Each session lasts 50 minutes.  Parents/ carers are met first for the parent interview.
  • There is a waiting area so parents are able to stay on site while the child is in a session.

Parent/Child Psychotherapy

It is sometimes beneficial to offer psychotherapy sessions with both a parent/carer and child. This can be particularly beneficial if there are attachment issues in the relationship and the parent and child need support with bonding and developing their relationship. This is a common need in families where there is a child who has been adopted or fostered or there has been a trauma in the child’s early years.

The parent/child psychotherapy process

  • The integrative child psychotherapist will first meet with the child parent/carer to discuss the child’s needs.
  • After this discussion it may be appropriate for the therapist to suggest parent/child psychotherapy.
  • There will be regular assessment of the progress of this therapy.

 

We recognise the huge importance of their child’s relationship to his or her main carers and endeavour to nurture these relationships. Parenting is hugely challenging and we can all need help at times.

Counselling

Counselling offers people the chance to talk through difficult thoughts and feelings about life at home or work. It may be a particular problem or more general difficulties. It provides a special time just for them, to talk or use art materials and metaphor to express what it’s like being them. A time to share feelings and worries, a time to talk about what it feels like to be them, and about what happens at work, home and with friends.

A counsellor will be holding in mind different psycho-analytic, humanistic and cognitive behavioural therapy theories to support the nature of their work with the client. We also use neuro-science to support their thinking, and help the client to cognitively process what is happening for them emotionally.

We recognise the huge importance of the clients relationships and will hold in mind ways to best nurture these relationships.

Therapeutic Groups

Group child psychotherapy can be a highly rewarding experience for the individuals involved, giving them a chance to explore their identities and their challenges with their peers in a contained and confidential environment.

Common child psychotherapy group themes are:

  • Managing anger
  • Managing anxiety
  • Transitions and change
  • Bereavement and loss
  • Bulling
  • Self-esteem
  • Sexuality and identity
  • Exam support
  • Difference
  • Relationships and developing friendships

We also provide groups for parents and carers who may need support in managing their children’s behaviour and emotions which can be an incredibly supportive and life-changing experience.

Mother/father and baby groups are also available for mothers with post-natal depression or those who may need help with bonding and attachment with their child or baby.

Training

We can provide the following training courses:

  • Attachment theory
  • Working with children to give emotional support
  • Helping children access learning
  • Building a therapeutic school
  • Supporting yourself to work effectively with children
  • Helping children with loss and bereavement
  • Helping children with overwhelming feelings of anger, fear, sadness and anxiety
  • Managing transitions (e.g. primary to secondary school)
  • How arts and play access feelings
  • Understanding behaviour as a means of communication

These trainings can be tailored to meet individual’s needs.

Please contact us for further discussion on you training needs.

Supervision

Working with children can be very demanding and can evoke powerful feelings in the practitioner.

We can provide support and supervision for teachers, social workers and support staff or any professional working with children or adolescents.

Supervision can be provided on a one-to-one or group basis depending on your requirements. Please contact us for further discussion.