User:KMayberry/Child psychotherapy

Overview of psychoanalytic psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy with infants, children and adolescents is mainly delivered by people qualified specifically in psychoanalytic child psychotherapy, or by trainees under supervision from a specialist in child-focused treatment. Recent evidence, covering 34 research papers (nine of which were randomized controlled trials) showed psychoanalytic psychotherapy to be particularly effective for children with the following conditions:


 * depression
 * anxiety and behavior disorders
 * personality disorders
 * learning difficulties
 * eating disorders
 * developmental issues

Furthermore, follow-up research shows that in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, therapeutic improvements continue well beyond the termination of the therapy itself. This has been termed a, "sleeper effect." In the UK, psychoanalytic psychotherapy is recommended by NICE as an evidence-based treatment for trauma from sexual abuse and severe depression in adolescents following the IMPACT study. Although psychotherapy in children has proven to be very effective, it is not as effective in children who suffer from severe adversity or adopted children from public services.

== Group Art Therapy ==

Group art therapy gives the child a safe environment to access their emotions through a creative medium in the presence of a therapist. This nonverbal therapeutic practice alleviates the stress that a child may feel when trying to find the words to express themselves; thus it helps rebuild social skills and gain trust in others. Studies have also found that this practice can alleviate self-harm engagement. This method of psychotherapy has been found particularly helpful for children who exhibit any of the following: Group art therapy has eight subcategories of specific mechanisms of change. Among them are :
 * Autism
 * Asperger's
 * Anxiety and behavior disorders


 * 1) As a form of expression to reveal what's inside
 * 2) As a way of becoming aware of oneself
 * 3) a way to form a narrative of life
 * 4) integrative activation of the brain through experience
 * 5) a form of exploration and/or reflection
 * 6) the specifics of the art materials/techniques offered in art therapy
 * 7) as a form to practice and/or learn skills
 * 8) art therapy as an easily accessible, positive and safe intervention by the use of art materials

By bundling together these specific groups, the general groups are as follows:


 * art therapy as a form of group process
 * the therapeutic alliance in art therapy

Within this approach, three types of behaviors can be exhibited by the therapist; non-directive, directive, and eclectic. Non-directive refers to a following behavior in which the therapist takes on an attitude of observing self-exploration of emotions rather than facilitation or interpretation. Directive attitudes however follow a facilitative pattern by asking specific questions to guide the clients artwork. With these two processes in mind, eclectic combines them to create a facilitative and lenient approach simultaneously and often utilizes emotion check-in's at the start of sessions, and emotion check-outs at the end of sessions.

This approach adopts various psychological elements such as psycho-educational, mindfulness, psychoanalysis, and cognitive analytic theories. This article sought to analyze this methods effectiveness on a broad spectrum, including the following:


 * traumatic events (PTSD)
 * who have educational needs or disabilities
 * children with medical conditions
 * children with none of the former
 * juvenile offenders

Art therapy can be implemented as a holistic therapeutic practice for child cancer patients as well(effecting 1 in 285 children in the US;15,980 children each year). Given the alleviating effects that are addressed by this method, children were better able to discuss their needs and emotions to their family members and healthcare team. The results of this study conveyed that art therapy lead to improved emotional and mental well-being and improved communication skills.

== Parent-Child Interaction Therapy(PCIT) == This approach is meant to assist parents whom have children ages 2-7 years old who are prone to disruptive behaviors and emotional difficulties. Parent-Child therapy utilizing two stages, each possessing their own goals and characteristics to create this approach. Beginning with child-directed interaction(CDI), parents learn skills such as praise, verbal reflection, imitation, behavioral description, and enjoyment, to achieve the goal of warm and secure parenting styles. Parent-Directed interaction (PDI), the second phase, seeks to decrease the original disruptive behaviors exhibited by the child. Both phases are designed to be coached by the therapist via another room while the parent interacts with their child. This review found that certain cultural values may impede or contribute to the progress of this approach.