E Q U I L I B R I A
Child and Family Psychological Services
It is very common for parents with young children to experience difficulties in managing behaviour. This may relate to general behaviour or to specific situations. You may be concerned about your child’s:
Sleep pattern and/or bedtime/night-time behaviour
Mealtime behaviour or refusal to eat particular foods resulting in a limited diet.
Toileting behaviour-delays in toilet training or night-time wetting.
Emotional state - anxiety, fears, phobias, obsessions, low self esteem
Relationships with other children, including peers and siblings.
Child Development including cognitive, social and emotional
General behaviour including aggression, tantrums and defiance.
Adjustment issues related to moving from one country to another.
Approach to helping families with young children:
The initial appointment will usually be in a clinic.
Sessions may be only with parents, with parent and child together or, less often, just with the child.
The initial session will focus on collecting information from the parent and the child, if appropriate, to gain a full understanding of current areas of concern. Taken into account will be the child’s developmental emotional, behavioural and cognitive history, and any situational or family factors which may be relevant.
An observation of the child at school may be arranged to gain a better understanding of the presenting difficulties.
An initial plan of action will be discussed with the parents with an estimate of the number of sessions.
The plan of action may involve some advice and suggestions for behaviour management strategies for parents to carry out. There will normally be a follow up session a week or two later to review progress and help parents move on to the next stage of the plan.
For children between the ages of 6-12 years, it may be appropriate to work with them directly to help them develop skills and overcome difficulties they are experiencing. This work usually involves parents to ensure continued progress between sessions.
Nature of referred issues
The Psychologist has a great deal of experience working with a wide range of issues which typically arise during this stage of development. These might include:
Attention difficulties and over activity (ADD/ADHD)
Anxiety, fears and phobias
Obsessions, repetitions
Social withdrawal
Low self esteem
Autism/Aspergers Syndrome
Learning difficulties/disabilities
Oppositional/defiant behaviour
Attachment issues in adoption/fostering
Reactions to family stress
(parents’ separation/divorce, bereavement)
Coping with illness
(child’s own illness or illness in family)
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