CHILD PARENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
Child Parent Psychotherapy is type of psychotherapy that is geared toward children up to 5 years of age and it includes at least one main caregiver. It was designed for children who have experienced some early trauma, loss and/or are experiencing emotional, behavior, attachment, and/or mental health problems. This trauma can be trauma with a big “T” such as physical and/or emotional abuse, serious accidents, surgeries, death of a parent, exposure to domestic violence – to name a few, but it can be just as effective with small “t” traumas, such as emotional neglect, harsh parenting, chaotic home environment, bullying, etc. It can also be very useful in helping parents figure out and address several types of maladjusted behaviors or emotional problems that don’t necessarily have a very clear cause. Its primary goal is to strengthen the relationship between the child and his or her caregiver in order to repair the child’s sense of safety, improve the attachment bond, and restore appropriate cognitive, behavioral, emotional and social functioning.
Does my child need therapy?
Who can benefit from child-parent psychotherapy?
Children whose lives have been disrupted through experiences of separation and loss early on are at much higher risk for developing mental health/behavioral problems later on and can benefit from play help. Young children are unable to cope alone with moderate to severe grief and anxiety. Others may be suffering from emotional abuse or neglect or unable to play because they lack security of a familiar environment and the containment provided by a caregiver. They may suffer play disruption because of the strong emotions of anger and acute anxiety obstruct their ability to play unencumbered. The use of play, together with other forms of support, to repair mother-child attachment can help many children and their families. Some children may benefit from play in which they can re-enact events and play out their inner feelings in symbolic form in the presence of a safe adult. The sense of mastery which symbolic play provides, together with the containment offered by an adult, may help the child restore inner harmony and to be better prepared to cope with the inevitable stressor of life.
In addition, parents, who themselves have had difficult childhoods and feel anxious or overwhelmed by the enormous task of parenting and or see themselves stuck in unproductive or damaging patterns with their kids can also benefit from child-parent psychotherapy and or parenting consultation.
Consider therapy if your child is frequently:
- having relationship problems
- having behavioral issues at school or at home such as: over activity, poor
regulation of impulses, noncompliance, defiance or physical aggression
- having a hard time expressing his/her needs
- having a hard time dealing with frustration
- having excessive outbursts of anger, fussiness, or temper tantrums
- having difficulty making friends
- having increased fears and worries
- having uncontrollable crying, screaming and eating disturbances
- having irritability, sadness or lack of interest in activities and in play
- having insomnia or sleeping a lot
- having nightmares or night walking
- presenting with feelings of worthlessness and guilt
- having difficulty separating from parents during day activities or at
bedtime
- having difficulty adjusting to what is expected from him/her at the current
stage of development
- being consistently "moody"
- displaying aggressive behaviors or inflicting any kind of self-harm