What is child therapy?

Therapy may be as beneficial and useful to children, as it is to adults. It can help them develop their abilities as well as show them the value of asking for help. Therapists can help children and their families to deal with different problems, stress factors and a variety of emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some children may need help to deal with feelings of anxiety in relation to school, homework, exams, bullying or social pressure. Others need help to express their emotions about family issues, especially when they are related to significant changes, such as separation, divorce, moving home or an important illness.

Child therapy is usually very different to adult therapy, as children tend to express their emotions and worries in more symbolic and indirect ways than verbal expression. For this reason, play, art or music, are usually very effective methods in order to begin to understand a child and to help him or her elaborate and express their thoughts and feelings. Family dynamics are also often reflected in the child’s expressions and behavior; we therefore consider essential that the parents actively participate in the process and family sessions may be included, when appropriate.

Should my child see a therapist?

As we mentioned above, significant life events such as the death of a family member, a friend or a pet; a divorce or a move; abuse, trauma or an important illness in the family, may cause emotional distress which may be reflected in the child’s behavior, sleeping patterns, appetite, academic performance or social interaction.
Sometimes, it is not clear what causes a child’s distress. If you feel that your son or daughter may be facing important emotional difficulties or need to work through an important life event, we suggest that you trust your intuition.
There are signs that may indicate when a child or adolescent could benefit from therapy:
• Difficulties in verbal communication and language development
• Attention deficit disorder
• Behavioural problems (excessive anger, eating disorders, enuresis, “acting out”)
• Significant drop of academic performance, especially in children that normally do well at school
• Expressions of acute sadness (tearfulness, withdrawal, depression
• Social withdrawal or isolation
• Autistic behaviour
• Bullying
• Overtly aggressive behaviour (hitting, biting, etc.)
• Sudden changes of appetite (especially in adolescents)
• Insomnia or excessive sleep
• Constant or rapid mood changes
• Increase or development of physical complaints (headache, tummy ache, feeling unwell) despite normal medical results
• Coping with serious, acute or chronic illness
• Signs of alcohol, drug or other substance abuse
• Transitions (separation, divorce, move, change of school, etc.)
• Loss, Grief
• Custody related issues
• Sexual, emotional, physical abuse or other traumatic events

Child therapy is carried out by specialists in the field. The frequency of the sessions is weekly or, in some cases, every two weeks. Art therapy or music therapy techniques may be included in the process, when appropriate. Family sessions are also highly recommended parents’ active participation We also highly encourage the parents’ active involvement in therapy and often include family sessions. The duration of therapy may widely vary, as it depends on the specific needs of each child. Commonly, therapy lasts between 8 to 12 sessions.

Service offered in: English, Spanish/Castellano, Catalan, French, Portuguese, German, Polish, Greek, Swedish, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian

What should my next step be in case I’m interested?

In case you need more information you may ask for an informative visit (free of charge) with one of our therapists, who will be able to inform you in greater detail on child and adolescent therapy, as well as clarify possible doubts.
If you would like to make an appointment, you may contact us via email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phones: 934592802, 608384682 or via our on-line information document.