Child therapy consists of a working therapeutic relationship between a therapist and child. Family therapy may also be prescribed by the therapist if she feels it will benefit the child. Psychotherapy can help children of all ages struggling with a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, social phobia, adjustment issues, academic problems, conflict with peers or family members, separation or divorce of parents, substance abuse, identity issues and sexual issues.

During the first step of child therapy the therapist works hard to build rapport with the child. Without good rapport it is highly unlikely that any real therapeutic progress will be made. Rapport building may involve talking, playing games, drawing or anything else that encourages the child to build a relationship with the therapist. Once this relationship is established, the therapist will begin encouraging the child to speak about the issues(s) at hand.

Multiple kinds of therapy are used in working with children. Some of these include narrative therapy, art therapy, solution focused therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy and family therapy. The therapist will use whatever therapeutic techniques and interventions s/he feels will be most beneficial to the mental health of that particular child. Over time, the child will identify and process feelings, as well as identify and implement solutions, to the presenting issue(s).

Adolescence can be a challenging time for individuals both physically and emotionally. Some issues adolescents receive psychotherapy for include anger or aggression, poor academic performance or other academic issues, conflict with peers, parents or other authority figures, anxiety or fear, depression, alcohol and/or drug use/abuse and inappropriate sexual behavior.

The therapist provides emotional support to adolescent clients, helping them to feel heard and understood. The relationship that develops between the therapist and adolescent is of the utmost importance. When an adolescent feels comfortable and safe, s/he is much more likely to express his/her feelings, which in turn makes the therapeutic process more likely to be successful. Over time, the psychotherapeutic process aids adolescents in identifying, understanding, and coping with their feelings in healthy ways. Adolescents are encouraged to identify and implement new solutions to reoccurring problems. Clients are taught skills that help them achieve and maintain emotional health during adolescence and ideally throughout the rest of their lives.

Adolescent therapy may involve an individual child, group of children, family or multiple families. Areas of exploration addressed in therapy include the adolescent’s current problems, history, developmental level, ability to cooperate with treatment and possible interventions. Adolescent psychotherapy is often used with other treatment approaches like behavior management and medication management. Working with school staff/personnel can also be helpful in adolescent treatment.