Children & Adolescents

General Information

Just like adults, children also face challenges in their lives from time to time. If they are experiencing persistent difficulties with mood or behavior, a psychologist can be a helpful person to talk to.

The first steps


Before commencing any therapeutic or comprehensive assessment work with a child or an adolescent, I first meet with the parent(s). This initial parent consultation allows me to gain a clear understanding of the concerns at home and/or school, as well as to gather essential background information in order to make appropriate recommendations regarding next steps.

When psychotherapy or assessment is indicated, a detailed developmental, medical, and family history is collected to explore the factors contributing to and maintaining the child’s difficulties. This information is typically gathered through interviews with the parent(s) and parent-completed questionnaires.

Child & Adolescent Assessment

Difficulties

I offer comprehensive psychological, psycho-educational, and neuropsychological assessments for children and adolescents presenting with a wide range of difficulties, including:

  • Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia)
  • Psychosomatic symptoms
  • Behavioural difficulties (e.g. aggression, oppositionality, defiance, impulsivity, withdrawal)
  • Emotional difficulties (e.g. sadness, worry, anxiety, fears/phobias, PTSD)
  • Feeding and eating difficulties
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Attachment and separation difficulties
  • Other childhood and adolescent concerns

Procedures

Depending on the nature of the presenting difficulties, an assessment may include a combination of the following procedures:

  • Psychometric testing (e.g. WISC-V, NEPSY-II, D-KEFS)
  • Academic assessment (e.g. WIAT-III)
  • Interviews with the child/adolescent, parents, and teachers
  • Standardised questionnaires (e.g. ASRS, Conners 4, BASC 3, Vineland)
  • School observation
  • Projective techniques
  • Play-based assessment
  • Review of reports from other medical or allied professionals/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Results

Following the assessment, a comprehensive written report is provided, along with clear, practical recommendations.

Treatment

I offer therapeutic interventions for a wide range of child and adolescent difficulties, including:

  • Behavioural difficulties (e.g. aggression, oppositionality, defiance, impulsivity, withdrawal)
  • Emotional difficulties (e.g. sadness, worry, anxiety, fears/phobias, PTSD)
  • Psychosomatic symptoms
  • Feeding and eating difficulties
  • Sleep and waking difficulties
  • Body image concerns
  • Adjustment difficulties (e.g. starting a new school, divorce, adoption, bereavement, or other potentially traumatic life events)
  • Stress
  • Self-esteem difficulties (low self-worth)
  • Social difficulties (e.g. challenges with interaction, relating, and making friends)
  • Separation-related difficulties
  • Other difficulties of childhood and adolescence

Parental Involvement

When working with children and adolescents, parental involvement is an important part of the therapeutic process. Parents are usually involved through regular Parent Feedback Sessions, which provide an opportunity to discuss concerns, review the child’s progress, and offer guidance on strategies that can be used at home to enhance the effectiveness of intervention.

In addition to feedback sessions, I offer parent counselling, parent training, and parent–child therapy, which may be provided as part of a child or adolescent’s treatment or as standalone services. These interventions focus on helping parents develop practical skills to manage behavioural and emotional difficulties more effectively, while also strengthening the quality of the parent–child relationship.

Therapeutic Approach

My choice of therapeutic methods is guided by current research and clinical best practice. I use an integrative approach, tailoring therapy to the individual needs and developmental level of each child or adolescent. Interventions may draw on techniques from:

  • Cognitive-behavioural therapy
  • Behavioural approaches
  • Humanistic therapy
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Attachment-based approaches
  • Play therapy
  • Other evidence-informed therapeutic models

Get in touch with me

(+357) 95 505 504

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