Children (like adults) often report thoughts, images and beliefs (internal experiences) which they find distressing (for example: “I’m horrible”; “people think I’m boring”; picturing themselves doing badly on a test). There are multiple strategies and approaches for...
Therapy homework (or home practice) has long been a part of mental health treatment for children and families. It has been understood a variety of ways but can be defined as ‘tasks assigned to clients to promote skill acquisition between treatment sessions’ (Dozois,...
What is Behavioural Activation? Behavioural activation (BA) is a psychological treatment (or treatment component) which aims to help people understand the positive impact of particular activities on their mood, and to increase the frequency with which they engage in...
One of the joys and privileges for mental health professionals working with children is meeting a new person/family for the first time and having them share their “story” with us. However, there are also significant challenges for us in this first meeting (or...
Most professionals, or at least those trained in CBT approaches, are aware of the concept of exposure in treating children with anxiety. However, community studies suggest even those of us who are familiar with exposure, under-utilise it in practice. This article...
Many children and young people we will work with have grief and loss experiences. One data source estimates 1 in 15 children experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 16, and another study found 80% of 11-16 year olds say they have experienced the...
