Children and Young People’s Integrative Counselling involves talking therapy combined with many other techniques such as play, art, sand-tray work, drama, music and writing. It aims to help the young person understand the thoughts, emotions and triggers around the issues that they are having, using the most appropriate technique for them. The counsellor also uses a range of different therapeutic approaches to best meet each child or young person’s individual needs, these can include all or some of the following therapies:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – CBT is a form of talk therapy designed to help young people to recognize unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and learn how to change them by developing alternative ways of thinking about, responding to and managing their problems.
Person centred therapy – this assumes that we all have the capacity to change and develop. It places the young person at the centre of the process, with the counsellor taking the role of supporting the young person as they explore their issues. The counsellor offers the young person unconditional positive regard in a space without judgement.
Creative therapy – this uses a range of techniques including art, play, music, writing, story-telling, drama, sand-tray work and roleplay to help the young person to express themselves, explore their emotions and make sense of the issues that they want to explore in therapy. It is an effective intervention to reduce anxiety, improve self-esteem, develop communication skills and to enable young people to make links between their inner and outer worlds.
Attachment-Based Therapy -is based on attachment theory and explores how one’s early childhood experiences might impact their ability to form meaningful bonds later in life. The client-therapist relationship is based on developing or rebuilding trust that will help prevent or treat mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, depression, unresolved childhood trauma, and relationship issues. This trauma-informed therapy approach aims to help young people address and resolve past traumas and attachment wounds that stem from childhood. Those who may benefit from attachment-based therapy include: adopted children, children in foster care, children of depressed parents, children who have experienced abuse or trauma, particularly at the hands of a caregiver and Adolescents who are depressed and or suicidal. Poor attachment styles are strongly connected to trauma and sometimes children and adolescents will turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with these problems. As a result, many children and adolescents will present with substance use disorders and mental health disorders when in reality these might stem from unhealthy early childhood attachments.
Psychodynamic Therapy– is based on the idea that behaviour is influenced by unconscious motives and feeling states. Gaining insight into this unconscious material is essential to change. The main technique used in psychodynamic counselling is verbalization and processing of the thoughts, feelings and memories the young person has. Catharsis is believed to help this process by relieving the pressure of emotion and clearing the mind for more rational thought.
Transactional Analysis ((TAA)- is a psychoanalytic philosophy and counselling approach that involves the analysis of interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. The emphasis in TA is on the interaction (transactions) among the young person’s parent, adult, and child ego-states, whether between people or intra-psychically. TA can help the young person to develop a better inner relationship and dialogue, which furthers healthy adaption and growth.
Systemic therapy – this approach is often used in family therapy but can also be useful working with children and young people. It looks at the systems and relationships within the young person’s life and the impact that they have.
Solution-focused therapy – this aims to promote positive change within the young person by utilizing strengths, seeing problems in context, setting realistic goals and developing strategies to help the young person achieve them.
