Children & Teenagers For psychotherapy to be effective, a trusting relationship must be built, that way mental disorders and adjusting to problems can be more easily treated. Building this relationship of trust is specially important when it comes to dealing with children and teenagers. The interesting fact is that parents have to be part of that relationship. The first therapy sessions will be oriented to providing kids with that safe environment they need in order to be completely open about their problems. The more open they are, the faster and the more effective the treatment will be.

Like it was mentioned before, parents are an essential factor of therapy for their children. In fact, many parents are responsible for delaying the treatment of their kids. They sometimes believe that the fact that they have to take their children to a therapist, means that they have failed in raising them properly, which is not true. In many cases parents also feel bad about the fact that the kid will share details of their lives that were a secret to them, and that sometimes creates a negative feeling in them. Parents must take psychotherapy for what it is and nothing more or less. It is a great help for their kids to solve a variety of issues that will allow them function better in society and will guarantee they will be as successful as they should in different areas of their lives. Being a parent is a very challenging task, it involves so many things that it has proven almost impossible for parents to stay on top of everything without help. School personnel can be a great assistance in terms of advising parents when they need to refer their kids to a psychologist. Some of the most obvious signs that will indicate that your kid may need psychotherapy are Hyperactivity, Problems separating from parent(s), Opposition to reasonable authority figures, Changes in sleeping or eating, Distorted body image, Behaviors that seem unusual or bizarre, Struggling in school or poor performance in school, Worrying much of the time, Threats of running away, Problems with attention or concentration, Physical complaints without physical basis, Negative outlook or sadness, Use of alcohol or drugs, Obsessions or compulsions (see section on OCD), Threats to self or others, Sexual acting out or inappropriate sexual behavior, Difficulty in peer relationships and Body focused disorders like hair-pulling and skin-picking. The therapist will analyze several areas of the child's life such as strengths and weaknesses, history, activities and interests, current problems and goals for therapy, educational problems, ability to cooperate with treatment, sibling issues and rivalry, traumas, ability to connect with adults and peers, etc.