Children's psychologist: when and why turn for help

Krympress reports:

Children’s psychologist in Moscow — One of the most popular specialists in a metropolis, where the rhythm of life, the overload of parents and high demands for children often become a source of tension and anxiety. Modern parents are increasingly realizing that psychological assistance is not a sign of weakness, but an important resource for the harmonious development of the child. Who is a child psychologist, with what difficulties he helps to cope, and how to choose a competent specialist — we will understand in detail.

Who is a child psychologist

A children’s psychologist is a specialist with a professional education who has undergone training in the field of age psychology, psychodiagnostics, counseling and correctional work with children and adolescents. The main task of the child psychologist is to help the child in overcoming internal and external difficulties, support his emotional and personal development, and the formation of healthy self -esteem and interaction skills with the outside world.

Unlike a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, a child psychologist does not make medical diagnoses and does not prescribe medicine. His work is aimed at a soft, led correction of the emotional state, behavior and perception of the child through conversations, games, drawings, fairy -tale therapy and other methods.

In what cases it is worth contacting a child psychologist

A signal for an appeal to a child psychologist can become both sharp and inconspicuous changes in the behavior or emotional state of the child. Here are the most common reasons:

• Frequent tantrums, aggression, tearfulness, isolation
• problems with learning, concentration, memory
• difficulties in communicating with peers or adults
• changes in behavior after the divorce of parents, move, death of a loved one
• School anxiety, bullying, fears of exams
• delays in speech, emotional, social development
• Night fears, enuresis, tiki
• obsessive actions and thoughts, anxiety, underestimated self -esteem

Sometimes problems are not directly manifested — the child can complain about abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, refuse to go to school or loses interest in favorite classes. All this may indicate psychological disadvantage.

What problems the child psychologist works with the most successful

Children’s psychologists are especially effectively helped with:

• Adaptation to new conditions — for example, when moving from kindergarten to school, changing the team or moving to another city.
• The development of emotional intelligence is to understand children to understand and express their emotions, to cope with anger, fear, anxiety.
• The formation of communication skills is the development of confidence, the ability to negotiate, to defend borders, to find friends.
• Working with anxious and depressive conditions — soft support, development of stability, training in self -regulation techniques.
• Correction of unwanted behavior — aggression, impulsivity, uncontrollability, dependence on gadgets.
• Psychological preparation for important events — admission to school, exams, sports competitions.

Also, a child psychologist helps to establish relationships in the family: he teaches parents to constructive interaction with the child, helps to soften conflicts and increase the level of understanding.

What can be counted on from working with a child psychologist

Working with a psychologist is always a process, not a magic pill. However, with competent and timely assistance, the results can be noticeable after several meetings. Parents can expect:

• Reducing anxiety and aggressiveness in the child
• Improving family communication
• growth of self -esteem and confidence
• Improving educational motivation and concentration
• Reducing the number of conflicts at school and at home
• Emotional growing up a child

The psychologist does not just “correct” the child’s behavior, but helps to understand the causes of difficulties, develop internal supports and learn to cope with difficulties.

At what age the child may need the help of a psychologist

A children’s psychologist works with children from 2-3 years old to age. Different methods are selected depending on age:

• 2-5 years-through the game, drawings, fairy tales, sand therapy
• 6-10 years-art therapy, projective methods, role-playing games, work with bodily reactions are used
• 11-14 years-verbal techniques, personal questionnaires, elements of cognitive therapy are connected
• 15-17 years-closer to adult psychological work, with the discussion of goals, internal conflicts, meaning and self-determination

It is important to remember: the younger the child, the more actively the parents are involved in the process. Sometimes the work is carried out not only with the child, but also with parents — to build an effective support system.

How to choose a child psychologist in a particular situation

The choice of a specialist is one of the key stages. Pay attention to the following criteria:

• Education and experience: Mandatory the availability of higher psychological education, continuing education courses, certificates for working with children.
• Specialization: specify whether the psychologist works with that age group and problems that is relevant for your child.
• Work methods: a good specialist uses a variety of techniques and selects the approach individually. It is worthwhile if the emphasis is on only one methodology (for example, only art therapy).
• Reviews and recommendations: study the responses of other parents. Look for real reviews on independent platforms or from friends.
• Contact with the child: After the first meeting, evaluate how the child felt at the reception. Was there contact? Does he want to go again?
• The inclusion of parents: a psychologist who ignores parents or does not explain what he does and why is an occasion to think. Parents should be part of the process (at least through feedback).
• Cost and format of work: In Moscow, prices can vary from 3,000 to 8000 rubles per session. There are private rooms, centers, online formats. It is important to choose a format that will be comfortable for both the child and parents.

What is important to remember to parents

• Do not wait for «it will pass.» Early intervention often prevents serious consequences.
• The child’s problems are not “bad behavior”, but a signal about the difficulty with which he has not yet coped.
• Not ashamed to seek help. A psychologist is not a “terrible doctor”, but an ally of a child and family.
• The best that the parent can do is to be attentive to changes, maintain an open dialogue and not be afraid to ask for support from specialists.

Here we also note: a child psychologist is not only help in “problems”, but also an important resource for the development of the child’s personality, strengthen his psycho -emotional health and build harmonious relations in the family. In a metropolis, where the level of stress is high even among the smallest, finding a reliable specialist in time is to give your child possible to grow in an atmosphere of care, understanding and trust.

If you feel that your child is difficult — do not put off. Contact a child psychologist and take the first step to the internal equilibrium of the whole family.

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