Therapy for Children & Adolescents
At Healthy Little Minds Psychology, we provide psychological therapy for children and adolescents experiencing a range of emotional, behavioural, social, developmental and everyday challenges.
Our approach is warm, collaborative and strengths-based. We work with children, adolescents and their families to better understand what they are experiencing, build practical skills and support positive development.
Therapy is tailored to each child or adolescent. We consider their age, developmental stage, individual strengths, personality, relationships, environment and the things that are important to them.
How Can Psychology Support My Child?
Children and adolescents can experience periods when emotions, relationships, behaviour, learning or everyday demands become more difficult to manage.
Sometimes there is a specific issue you would like support with. At other times, it may be less clear what is happening, but you may notice that your child is finding things harder than usual.
Psychological therapy can provide a supportive space for children and adolescents to:
understand their emotions and experiences
develop strategies for managing big or difficult feelings
build confidence and self-esteem
develop coping strategies for anxiety and stress
strengthen social and communication skills
develop strategies for attention and executive functioning
navigate friendships and relationships
manage changes and transitions
develop greater independence
work through challenging experiences
build on their existing strengths and interests
We also work collaboratively with parents and caregivers to help translate therapeutic strategies into everyday life.
Areas We Can Support
Our therapy is individualised to each child or adolescent. Areas of support may include:
Anxiety
Support for children and adolescents experiencing worries, fears, avoidance, physical symptoms of anxiety or difficulties managing anxious thoughts and feelings.
Attention & Executive Functioning
Support with organisation, planning, task initiation, time management, working memory, flexible thinking and other aspects of executive functioning.
Autism & Neurodivergence
Neuroaffirming support that recognises and builds on the individual strengths, communication style, sensory experiences, interests and needs of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent children and adolescents.
Social & Friendship Skills
Support with friendships, social communication, navigating social situations, understanding relationships and developing confidence in social environments.
Behaviour & Everyday Challenges
Understanding what may be contributing to challenging experiences and supporting children, adolescents and parents to develop practical strategies that work within everyday life.
Emotional Regulation
Helping children understand and navigate strong emotions and develop strategies that support regulation, coping and recovery following difficult moments.
ADHD Support
Practical psychological support for children and adolescents with ADHD, including strategies for emotional regulation, executive functioning, self-understanding, confidence and everyday participation.
School Avoidance & School Anxiety
Support for children and adolescents experiencing difficulties attending school, including anxiety, avoidance, overwhelm, transitions and other factors affecting school participation.
Self-Esteem & Confidence
Helping children and adolescents develop a more positive and compassionate understanding of themselves, recognise their strengths and build confidence in areas that matter to them.
Sleep
Psychological support for children and adolescents experiencing difficulties with sleep, bedtime routines, worries at night or other factors affecting sleep and wellbeing.
Stress & Life Changes
Support during periods of change, uncertainty or increased demands, including family changes, transitions, school changes and other significant life experiences.
Therapy for Children
Children may communicate their experiences through play, behaviour, emotions, relationships and everyday interactions rather than being able to explain exactly what they are experiencing.
Therapy is therefore adapted to the child’s developmental stage and individual communication style.
Depending on the child, therapy may incorporate conversation, play-based approaches, activities, visual strategies, psychoeducation, mindfulness, cognitive and behavioural strategies and practical skill development.
Parents and caregivers are an important part of the therapeutic process. Where appropriate, sessions may include parent involvement or parent consultation to support the use of strategies at home.
Therapy for Adolescents
Adolescence brings increasing independence, changing relationships and new academic, social and emotional demands.
Therapy provides adolescents with a confidential and supportive space to explore experiences that may be difficult to discuss elsewhere.
Depending on the adolescent’s individual needs, therapy may support areas such as:
anxiety and worry
emotional regulation
self-esteem and identity
friendships and relationships
school stress
attention and executive functioning
coping with change
perfectionism
social confidence
managing strong emotions
developing practical coping strategies
We work collaboratively with adolescents and aim to ensure they have an active role in identifying what they would like support with.
Working With Parents & Caregivers
Parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting children and adolescents.
Where appropriate, therapy may include parent consultation to help caregivers understand their child’s experiences and develop practical strategies that can be used outside the therapy room.
Parent support may include:
understanding your child’s emotional or behavioural experiences
learning strategies to support emotional regulation
responding to anxiety and avoidance
supporting attention and executive functioning
navigating challenging everyday situations
strengthening connection and communication
supporting changes at home or school
identifying ways to build on your child’s strengths.
The level of parent involvement is individualised according to the child’s age, developmental stage, needs and therapeutic goals.
Working With Schools
With appropriate consent, collaboration with schools may form part of psychological support when this is helpful and relevant to the child or adolescent’s goals.
This may include communication with teachers or relevant school staff, sharing recommendations or discussing strategies that may support participation and wellbeing at school.
Any communication with a school is discussed with parents or caregivers and occurs with appropriate consent.
Our Approach to Psychological Therapy
Our therapeutic approach draws from evidence-informed psychological therapies and is adapted to the individual child or adolescent. Depending on the presenting needs and therapeutic goals, this may include approaches such as:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT can help children and adolescents develop an understanding of the relationship between thoughts, emotions, behaviours and physical experiences, and develop practical strategies for managing challenges.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT can support children and adolescents to develop psychological flexibility, connect with their values and learn ways of responding to difficult thoughts and emotions.
Mindfulness-Based Strategies
Mindfulness strategies can help children and adolescents develop greater awareness of their thoughts, emotions and physical experiences and practise responding in helpful ways.
Solution-Focused Approaches
Solution-focused approaches build on strengths, existing skills and times when things are already working well to identify practical ways forward.
The approach used in therapy is tailored to the individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.
What Does Therapy Involve?
Initial Consultation
We begin by learning more about your child or adolescent, their strengths, experiences and the reasons you are seeking support.
We discuss what you would like therapy to help with and gather relevant background information about your child’s development, relationships, learning, emotional wellbeing and everyday experiences.
Understanding Your Child
The early sessions provide an opportunity to develop a shared understanding of what your child is experiencing and what may be contributing to the difficulties they are having.
We consider the child’s individual characteristics alongside their family, school and broader environment.
Individualised Therapy
Therapy is tailored to your child or adolescent and their therapeutic goals.
Sessions may involve developing emotional awareness, learning coping strategies, practising new skills, exploring thoughts and feelings, working through experiences or building confidence and self-understanding.
Parent & Caregiver Support
Where appropriate, parents or caregivers are involved in the therapeutic process.
This may include parent consultation, feedback about progress and practical strategies to support the use of therapeutic skills at home.
Reviewing Progress
Therapy goals are reviewed over time to ensure that support remains relevant and useful.
The frequency and duration of therapy varies depending on the child’s needs, goals and circumstances.
A Neuroaffirming & Strengths-Based Approach
At Healthy Little Minds Psychology, we recognise that children and adolescents experience and interact with the world in different ways.
Our approach is neuroaffirming and strengths-based. Rather than focusing only on behaviours or difficulties, we aim to understand the child as a whole person.
This includes considering:
their strengths and interests
their individual ways of thinking and learning
communication style
sensory experiences
emotional experiences
relationships
developmental stage
family and school environment
the demands placed upon them
strategies they already use to cope and participate.
Therapy is not about changing who a child is.
Instead, we aim to help children and adolescents better understand themselves, develop skills that are meaningful to them and access environments and supports that allow them to participate and thrive.
How Do I Know If Therapy Is Right for My Child?
You do not need to have everything worked out before making an enquiry.
If you have questions about your child’s emotions, behaviour, development, relationships, learning or everyday functioning, an initial consultation can provide an opportunity to discuss what is happening and consider what type of support may be appropriate.
For some children, psychological therapy may be helpful.
For others, assessment, parent support, educational support or collaboration with other professionals may be more appropriate.
We can discuss your circumstances and help determine an appropriate next step.
Freqently Asked Questions
-
We provide psychological support for children and adolescents, with therapy adapted to the child’s developmental stage, communication style and individual needs.
-
The level of child, adolescent and parent involvement varies depending on age, developmental stage, therapeutic goals and individual circumstances. Parent consultation may form an important part of therapy, particularly for younger children.
-
Yes. Parents and caregivers are often an important part of the therapeutic process. The nature and level of involvement is discussed according to the child’s age, needs and therapy goals.
-
The frequency of appointments depends on your child’s individual circumstances and therapeutic goals. This can be discussed during the initial consultation.
-
There is no fixed number of sessions that is appropriate for every child. Some children may benefit from a relatively brief period of support, while others may require longer-term therapy. Progress and therapeutic goals are reviewed throughout the process.
-
Where appropriate, communication with a school may form part of therapy with parent or caregiver consent. This may involve consultation with relevant school staff or sharing recommendations to support the child’s participation and wellbeing.
-
Yes. Where appropriate and with consent, psychological support may occur alongside care from other professionals such as paediatricians, GPs, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers or other relevant providers.
Considering Psychological Therapy for Your Child?
If you would like to discuss what your child is experiencing and whether psychological therapy may be appropriate, we are happy to answer your questions and talk through the available options.