User:Treelee26/Child psychotherapy


 * add to intro - actual definition of child psychotherapy*

"Parent–child interaction therapy is meant to assist parents with children prone to disruptive behaviors and emotional difficulties. Parent–child therapy consists of two stages, child-directed interaction (CDI) and parent-directed interaction (PDI). 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."

Child psychotherapy, or mental health interventions for children refers to the psychological treatment of various mental disorders diagnosed in children and adolescents. The therapeutic techniques developed for younger age ranges specialize in prioritizing the relationship between the child and the therapist. The goal of maintaining positive therapist-client relationships is typically achieved using therapeutic conversations and can take place with the client alone, or through engagement with family members.

The term, "psychotherapy" includes the implementation of educational and psychoanalytic support for the client and is effective in problem-solving, emotional regulation, and encouraging pro-social behaviors as children develop positive changes to their current mindsets. Terms describing child-focused treatments may vary from one part of the world to another, with particular differences in the use of such terms, as "therapy", "child psychotherapy" or "child analysis"."

* Add history header above intro* - add more about history regarding development of child psychotherapy

Evolution of child psychotherapy
" Child Psychotherapy has developed varied approaches over the last century. Two distinct historic pathways can be identified for present-day provision in Western Europe and in the United States: one through the Child Guidance Movement, the other stemming from adult psychiatry or psychological medicine, which evolved a separate child psychiatry specialism.

The separation of child and adult psychology
The attempt to create a unified method of child mental health care led to the increase of child guidance clinics in England throughout the mid-twentieth century. The spread of clinics across Europe coincided with the absence of hospital care as the lack of distinction between child and adult psychiatry prevented further analysis of child diagnosis and treatment. The first Chair of Child Psychiatry officially coined the term, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1973, but it was not until the DSM-III where a full list of distinct child psychiatric disorders were mentioned.

Disregarding suppressed behaviors
Therapeutic interventions among children and adolescents are subject to specific challenges, many of which stem from the reliance of family members as a result of the clients lack of independency at the current stage in their lives. Unlike adult psychotherapy, it is rare for a client to seek treatment themselves in child psychotherapy. The involvement of parents in treatment referral often leads to the frequent disregard suppressed behavioral or emotional problems such as anxiety and depression with the majority of referrals relating to disruptive behaviors.

Lack of motivation
The child-parent dynamic in psychotherapy also has the tendency to increase disagreements regarding treatment processes. Children may be hesitant to accept the idea of undergoing psychotherapy if they were forced into it by a third party. This reluctancy to abide by a psychotherapeutic schedule contributes to the challenge of retaining clients in treatment as 40%-60% of children and adolescents end up dropping out due to demotivation.

Problems of reporting styles
Many challenges associated with child psychotherapy derive from inefficient reports of client symptoms. The methods provided for obtaining information of symptoms typically involve questionnaires and interviews that may affect how the client will answer. Important characteristics of symptoms such as duration and intensity may not be reliable if the client omits crucial information out of fear or risk of embarrassment.