Child therapy
Integrative Child Psychotherapy is a gentle and often non-directive treatment for children, young people, parents and families that can help with a wide range of behavioural and emotional difficulties.
How can child psychotherapy help my child?
The process of meeting with a child psychotherapist can help make sense of how a child is feeling and offer support for many issues and concerns, which can include difficulties with relationships, concerns regarding school, aggression, low self-esteem or a lack of confidence, as well as more serious mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm. Child therapists can also support children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, as well as young people who are suffering the effects of neglect and abuse.
How does child psychotherapy work?
Child therapists support children and young people by responding to what might be being communicated through talking, creativity, behaviour and play. Young children do not usually talk openly about their difficulties and will often communicate feelings and thoughts through play, the arts and by using the toys provided in the therapy room. Older children and young adults may also use the arts to explore how they feel or they may like to talk through experiences and any associated feelings. Over time, anxious, hurt, angry or upsetting feelings can be put into words rather than actions and the child or young person can be helped to make sense of their feelings and experiences.
The therapeutic process can be short-term or long-term with each appointment often lasting fifty minutes. More often than not children are seen individually, however sometimes children and parents are seen together or sometimes parents or carers meet with the therapist without the child being present. Child therapists can also offer support to other professionals working with children including teachers, learning mentors, social workers, health visitors, and youth workers as their skills can help make sense of more complex behaviour, as well as offer advocacy to children facing complicated and difficult life experiences.
Child therapists
We have a number of practitioners who are child therapists and highly experienced in working with children and teenagers. They are able to cover a range of issues.
Georgie Leake is a NVR UK accredited Advanced Level NVR Practitioner. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, a Master of Education (Special Needs and Inclusive Education), a Master of Arts in Social Sciences and QTLS. Georgie is available to provide NVR support to birth, fostering and adoptive families. Typically her work involves consultation with parents and does not require the direct involvement of the child, though the work is flexible according to the needs of each family.
Lucie Ramet is an experienced chartered psychologist and CBT & ACT therapist offering short- and long-term individual support to adolescents (16+). Her aim is to empower adolescents and young adults to walk their path, find purpose, and lead meaningful lives, fostering resilience and skills necessary for a successful transition into adulthood. She works in English and French.
Kirsty Toal is a HCPC registered art psychotherapist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist offering short- and long-term therapy to 16+ adolescents. Her background in art psychotherapy allows creative ways to communicate thoughts and emotions, supporting young people to share in whatever ways feel safe and helpful, at their own pace, as sometimes words can be difficult to find.
We have practices in Lewes and Hove and have clients from right across Sussex as well as London and further afield. To find out about the help Brighton & Hove Psychotherapy can offer get in touch with us today.
