A child's or young persons emotional wellbeing is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health and knowledge of how to take care of their own wellbeing helps them develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults
Most young people grow up to be mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago... and alarmingly, 75% of children and young people who experience mental health problems aren’t getting the support that they need.
What kind of issues may a child or young person be experiencing that they would need to seek therapy for?
Just like adults, experiencing traumatic events can trigger mental health problems for children, however, changes in their environment can also be a catalyst. Divorce, grief, transitioning from one school to another, complex familial relationships, illness, bullying, and premature social media exposure are just to name a few.
Teenagers often experience more intense emotional turmoil and self-identity conflicts as their minds and bodies develop through puberty, presenting them with much more complex emotions to understand, and process. Working out your self identity is such a crucial part of growing up, and of course they may struggle with this along the way, don't we all? Common issues faced by teens in therapy include depression, anxiety, bullying, family conflict, self-esteem issues, and substance abuse.
There are certainly some children and young people who are more likely to experience mental health problems then others, however, experiencing a traumatic event, or having risk factors like below in their life doesn't always mean they will become mentally unwell either.
​
Some common risk factors include:
​
Having a long-term physical illness
​
A parent who has had mental health problems, problems with alcohol, or has been in trouble with the law
​
The death of someone close to them
​
Parents who separate or divorce
​
Experiencing severe bullying or physical or sexual abuse
​
​
Experiencing discrimination
​
Caring for a relative, taking on adult responsibilities
​
Having long-lasting difficulties at school
​
Depression affects more children and young people today than in the last few decades., however, teenagers are more likely to experience depression than younger age children.
Self-harm is a very common problem among young people. Some people will attempt to release any emotional pain by causing physical pain to themselves.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause young people to become extremely worried. Very young children may present with separation anxiety.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can follow physical or sexual abuse, or any traumatic event such a a car crash, loss of a key figure in their life, severe bullying, being exposed to violence, or surviving any kind of disaster.
Children may also display significant markers of neurodiversity such as ASD or ADHD.
Eating disorders usually start in the teenage years and are more common in girls than boys. Even though the numbers of young people who develop an eating disorder is small, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa can have serious consequences on their physical health and development, as well as their mental health.
What will child and adolescent therapy sessions look like?
Psychotherapy can support your child, or one you care for, to heal from difficult experiences. It can be hard for them to open up to parents, or even close family (don't take it personally!) which is why therapists use specialist techniques.
They enter the world of a child through activities which are meaningful to them, using everything from drama and dance, to creative writing and puppets.
Psychotherapy can help children and young people to make sense of what they are experiencing, feel less distressed, become more self-aware, heal and develop stronger mental resilience.
​
Therapists use various techniques to address issues specific to the needs of each child and their family. The therapy technique may depend on the nature of the problem, the child’s age, and other factors.
​
Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is one play-based intervention. The clinicians environment acts as a safe space to help children process their feelings through drawing, games, and play. The therapeutic relationship can support healing and positive change, decrease negative behaviours, and improve overall cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning.
CCPT allows children to explore issues using toys and the play environment, enabling them to lead their own healing.
​
In cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), therapists teach children and young people how thoughts cause feelings that affect behaviours. They help children identify distorted and harmful thinking patterns and replace them with more appropriate ones to improve their mood and behaviour.
Trauma-focused CBT is a specialized form of CBT. It helps children cope with traumatic experiences.
Pros of child and adolescent therapy
Therapy provides a non-judgemental space for emotional expression. Often it can be unbearable for a parent or caregiver to hear that their child is experiencing difficult, destressing, or even frightening thoughts or emotions, so the clinical environment can become a safe place for the child or young person to do that knowing they will be met with a professional reaction, rather than an emotional one from people who love them. Children and young people can develop mental resilience, self awareness, learn about their bodies and emotions and practice coping skills. Therapy can help a child or young person change their negative thought patterns, they can learn how to conduct experiments to reduce fears and phobias and it will improve their communication skills, which will positively impact relationships and their own behaviour.
Being mentally well can also improve academic performance and social interactions, boost their self-esteem, self-worth and overall attitude towards oneself.
Cons of child and adolescent therapy
Private therapy can be expensive, on top of any other household costs, extra curricular activities, or child care costs.
​
It requires a parent to commit their time and resources taking the child to appointments, which will usually have to be done around school time.
​
If you child is extremely anxious, or suffers from severe phobias they may be introverted; symptoms, particularly behaviours, may get worse before they get better, even though the underlying issues are being addressed in the sessions. This can include nightmares, refusal to attend school, or leave their parents company.
​
In some cases with adolescents, you can't "force" them into therapy, even if you, and they believe it will be right for them. There can be some scary, complex emotions involved with mental health issues and some young people are too frightened to face them head on - which is understandable of course! Nearly all teenagers are "therapy hostages". Unlike adults, they often don’t choose to be in therapy; they are forced into therapy by their parents, or other adults. However, It’s the therapist’s job to convert them into willing participants.​​