Child Psychology
The Guiding Principle
A child is resilient and innately knows how to reach a state of equilibrium. When faced with external stressors, a child may find maladaptive ways of getting his or her needs met. When working with children, understanding the child's needs and discovering ways to address those needs is key.
The Approach
The child's age affects the choice of method used in the therapeutic process. Play therapy, drawing, story telling, role-play, sound therapy, brain gym® and talk therapy are some of the many different approaches available. Since a child is often reacting to a family dynamic, involving parents and sometimes siblings and extended family may also be necessary. Implicating the family support network is important to ensure continuity of therapy at home, since it can otherwise be responsible for enabling the maladaptive behavior to persist. Engaging both the child and the family in a cooperative process optimizes the chances for success.
The Process
Once the needs of the child are evaluated, we determine how to best meet those needs directly. We then seek to extinguish the maladaptive behaviour and replace it with a healthier alternative behaviour, all the while seeking to empower the child.
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