What We Do

Our Approach

What We Do

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Our Approach


Our approach to clinical practice is psychoanalytically informed which means that our work is related to the practice of psychoanalysis.

This means we focus on how children and adolescents make sense of their emotions and relationships, and how they may have difficulties and problems doing so, and which may get in the way of their ordinary development.

Child and Adolescent Pychoanalytic Psychotherapy (CAPPT) aims to provide a setting to support a freeing up of development so that children and young people can grow creatively and socially.

Observation is a central feature of all our work. This means we listen to words and stories but also notice how things are, or are not, said. Play is central to all our work and this allows us to work and this allows us to work with young children as well as adolescents. Play can be with toys or however ,with older children and young adults, play is more likely to be expressed in terms of playfulness and creativity.

A list of common problems and situations that child and adolescent psychotherapy can help with is below, this is not exhaustive  and there are other difficulties and areas of development that child psychotherapy can be useful in supporting. Click on the list/situations below to find out what each one means. : 

  • Attachment/Relational difficulties
  • Chronic illness (psychological effects of)
  • Chronic sleeping/feeding difficulties in early years
  • Criminality
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Eating disorders
  • Gender and sexuality related psychological difficulties
  • Identity and personality issues
  • Loss
  • Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts
  • Sexually harmful or risky behaviours
  • Trauma, including complex and developmental trauma occurring as a result of neglect and or abuse
  • When other interventions have not helped children and young people with longstanding, complex mulitple probelms