Child Psychotherapy Across The North East

Child psychotherapy is a specialist form of support for children and young people, typically up to the age of 25, who are experiencing more complex or long-standing psychological difficulties. A child psychotherapist uses play, drawing, and conversation to help young people understand their feelings, process difficult past experiences, and express emotions more freely. It is particularly suited to presentations where the causes of distress are unclear, or where previous support has not been enough.

Child psychology focuses primarily on assessment and structured, skills-based interventions adapted to a child's developmental stage. Child psychotherapy is more exploratory and longer-term, often drawing on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic thinking to understand how past experiences and underlying patterns are contributing to current difficulties. The Pathway Team can help decide which is the better starting point for your child.

This depends on your child's age and the nature of the work. For younger children, parents are closely involved, particularly at the assessment stage. For older young people, individual sessions may be confidential, but the therapist will work with you to ensure you understand how to support your child outside sessions. The balance is always discussed openly.

It is natural for a young person to have reservations about starting therapy. Involving them in choosing a therapist and thinking about what they would like to change can help. If a young person is firmly opposed, it can still be valuable for parents to attend sessions and work with the therapist on how best to support them at home.