CHILDREN
Kirstin uses play to engage children in therapy. Children’s difficulties are viewed in the context of their family, school and social environment. Along with the child who is experiencing difficulties, parents and siblings are invited to be a part of the initial therapy appointment. Both parents are invited to the first appointment so that Kirstin can gain an understanding of both parent’s concerns and the ways they have already tried to help their child. It is also helpful to have two parents present so that one parent can supervise the children in the waiting room while Kirstin speaks to the other parent about material that may not be appropriate to be discussed with the child present. Some parents decide to come to the first appointment without their children if a lot of background information is relevant and/or two parents are unavailable to attend the first appointment. At least one parent is asked to attend all future therapy appointments. Parent involvement can also help the child feel at ease and helps to reinforce any skills and experiences gained in therapy appointments. Where appropriate, (and with written consent obtained), Kirstin will also liaise with the child’s school or preschool. Kirstin is able to provide assessment and treatment for the following difficulties:
· Anxiety
· Phobias
· Panic
· Worry
· Stress
· Depression
· Separation anxiety
· Anger
· Behaviour problems
· Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD and ADD)
· Oppositional and defiant behaviour
· Conduct problems
· Difficulties with adjustment to school and school refusal
· Perfectionism
· Sleep difficulties
· Exam stress
· OCD
· Hair pulling
· Friendship problems
· Adjustment to divorce
· Adjustment to blended families
· Bullying
· Grief and loss
· Low self-confidence
WHAT CAN CHILDREN EXPECT
Kirstin uses play to engage children in therapy. Families are very important in the emotional wellbeing of children. The emotional or behavioural difficulties of children often effect the whole family. For this reason the child along with their family are invited to the first appointment.
Typically in the first appointment Kirstin will meet with the family together for the first 10 minutes. To help the children understand Kirstin’s role she introduces herself as a “feelings doctor” and explains that people of all ages come to talk to her and learn about feelings. Family members are each asked to share a little about themselves (school or work and hobbies). Family members who do not want to talk are not pressured to speak until they feel comfortable. Toys are provided for all family members to play with. Problems are not discussed at this point with the whole family present. Helping all family members to feel comfortable and accepted is very important to Kirstin.
After the family time together, Kirstin separately sees each parent to discuss their concerns. The child with the difficulty may also been seen alone if they feel comfortable. When the child is seen alone the focus of interaction is on building rapport through play. The child is given space to play and engage at their preferred level. Some children want to discuss their concerns at the first appointment some do not.
The assessment process may also involve parent and child questionnaires, teacher questionnaires, interviews or school observations. Depending on the complexity of the difficulties, assessment may take 2-3 appointments. At the end of the first appointment Kirstin will be able to provide a timeframe for assessment. After assessment is complete Kirstin will meet with parents alone to discuss the therapy plan. In most cases therapy occurs weekly for at least 10 appointments. The number of therapy appointments varies considerably depending on the nature of the problem. At least one parent is required to attend every appointment.
For some difficulties therapy may involve parents being seen without the child present. For assistance with child behaviour, therapy sessions will mostly involve seeing parents alone as it has been demonstrated by research that parent training in behaviour management is the most effective psychological treatment for many behaviour problems. Pre-schoolers are generally not seen alone as children this young are unable to engage in reflection in the same way that an older child can. Instead parents of pre-schoolers are seen to discuss ways they can support their child or facilitate behaviour change.
For school age children with difficulties with anxiety and depression, therapy will involve the child being seen alone or with a parent. Therapy sessions with children involves play, drawings or other age appropriate activities to teach children cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy principles at a level they can understand. There may also be tasks that the child and/or parents are asked to complete between appointments.