PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR CHILDREN
FOR WHAT SORTS OF PROBLEMS DO YOU SEE CHILDREN IN YOUR PRACTICE?
Phobias
Anxiety
Aggressive behavior
Trouble Sleeping
Trouble with Eating
Problems in School
Slow Language Development
Bedwetting
Nightmares
Concerns about gender identity
GETTING HELP IS IMPORTANT IF:
• the signs and symptoms are more extreme than you see in other children,
• they last day after day or week after week, or
• you and the staff at your child's school have tried to work with the child, but the problems continue
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIRST SESSIONS?
In the first session I usually meet with the parents to get a sense of the child's history and current problems. In the next session I meet with the child, choosing a type of play or a way to talk based on the child's age and play preferences.

HOW DO YOU GET TO KNOW THE CHILD?
I ask the child to use a means of communication that best suits his or her temperament and age. Some children use drawing, painting or clay to tell me about themselves. I offer objects and materials for making collages and simple sculptures which some children use as a means of expression. I also have a collection of objects that less verbal children like to put together and take apart in order to communicate. Other children play with figurines and toys to create stories and characters. Others use gestures and of course most children talk as they play.
WHAT ABOUT DIAGNOSIS?
Diagnosis can be very tricky with children. Be careful about aggressive use of diagnostic categories that are tied to treatment strategies. My approach considers the child as a developing individual rather than a diagnostic category. For example, some therapists say they can diagnose a child with concerns about gender as "trans" or not "trans". When I see a child who presents with concerns about gender identity, I don't necessarily see their concerns about gender as the presenting problem.
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WHAT IF A CHILD REFUSES TO COME TO APPOINTMENTS?
This doesn’t happen very often but when it does I do not suggest that the parents try to force the child to attend sessions. Just as with an adult or an adolescent, a child’s psychotherapy will not be successful without the willing involvement of the patient. Though a child may be reticent in a first session, she or he usually leaves the first session motivated to begin psychotherapy.
WHAT ABOUT MEDICATION?
Medication is appropriate for some children, but I would recommend trying psychotherapy without medication first. Many clinicians and parents have become concerned about the over-medication of children. As a psychotherapist I do not prescribe medication but I work with the psychiatrist and/or pediatrician if medication is deemed necessary.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S "JUST A PHASE"?
As they grow, all children ‘’progress in sporadic surges, each one a developmental crisis. With each crisis, the child leaves a comfortable state that is no longer age-appropriate in order to launch new abilities, whether it is in the domain of emotions, intellect, motility or sociability. As such, each crisis is a leap ahead, a leap from an outdated state to a new one. Each child progresses, stabilizes, and sometimes even regresses, according to his or her own pace.” * During these kinds of normal transitions therapy is not necessary.
