Services for children
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Why Choose Milburn Psychology Practice ?
Milburn Psychology Practice offers a range of assessment and psychotherapy services to help children and their families when emotional/behaviour problems hinder their psychological development. The practice’s services are based on psychological approaches (attachment, psycho-dynamic and cognitive) that address underlying causes of problems and assists children to create a strong psychological foundation for their on-going development.
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Sometimes children may communicate their difficulties and distress through behaviour. It is important to understand what this behaviour means and what children are trying to communicate. Behaviours, which may indicate that a child or young person is in distress, might include being overly tearful, becoming quiet and withdrawn, being angry and continuously disruptive or bullying. In some children indicators may include truancy, the onset of eating disorders or acts of self-harm, lack of self care or risk taking.
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What will happen at the appointment?
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The initial assessment appointment is attended by the child and one or both parents. Siblings are also warmly invited to attend. Some families choose to include grandparents too, especially if they are closely involved in the child’s life. Occasionally, parents prefer to attend this first appointment without their child/children. Older adolescents and young adults may sometimes be seen alone for their initial assessment appointment. You are welcome to contact Dr Milburn before the initial assessment to discuss who might attend this appointment.
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The initial assessment is an opportunity to discuss what concerns and experiences have brought you to seek psychotherapy and to reach an understanding of the difficulties you and your child/children are experiencing. Sometimes it is possible to reach this point at the end of the initial assessment appointment but with many children and families, one or two further assessment appointments may be required. Frequently, an additional assessment appointment may be offered to the parent(s), unaccompanied by their children. Children under 18 are not usually seen without their parents at their initial assessment appointment.
Based on the thorough psychological assessment of your child’s functioning, Dr Milburn will discuss with you whether treatment, in the form of Psychotherapy, may be beneficial. Treatment could take any of the following formats: individual therapy with the child or adolescent; joint work with family members or parent(s)/carer(s) and the child; or in some cases with the parents on their own as a means of helping to address the difficulties that the child experiences.
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Psychotherapy treatment
Extensive outcome research and clinical experience has established that the foundation of therapy is the relationship with a trusted, specially trained therapist who can help children deal with the causes of distress and help them acquire the psychological skills to cope more adaptively in the future. Young children often communicate through play, where the use of toys, drawing, stories and other mediums help your child to identify, explore and express their feelings. Older children and adolescents may prefer to talk.
Psychotherapy facilitates children to share any worries or conflicts they have and to express their thoughts and feelings. Dr Milburn will not judge or tell a child what to do but enable them to explore their feelings and worries and identify ways to cope. The goal is to create a situation in which children can express themselves fully in order to develop self-understanding and lead to new, lasting changes in their emotional states and behaviour.
Psychotherapy with children and adolescents is a collaborative endeavour with parents or caregivers. Typically, there are regularly scheduled consultations with parents to discuss progress and focus on their concerns about their child.
