Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents (COU551)

This course provides a practical introduction to developmental, familial, cultural, ethical, practical, and theoretical approaches to counselling children and adolescents. It examines both theoretical and technical components of child and adolescent psychotherapeutic work across a common structural-procedural psychotherapeutic process.

• Emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents
• Developmental constructs and principles
• Consideration of familial, cultural and special needs concerns in the children and adolescent population, with emphasis on the local context.
• Ethical and professional concerns when working with children and adolescents, with emphasis on the local context.
• Skills and techniques in engagement of children and adolescents in counselling
• Assessment of children and adolescents’ presenting problems with a systemic lens
• Case conceptualization and treatment planning
• Advocacy for children and adolescents in the local context
• Mental health problems and treatment considerations in childhood
• Mental health problems and treatment in adolescents
• Essential therapy approaches with children
• Essential therapy approaches with adolescents

• Analyse the developmental issues in childhood and adolescents.
• Appraise familial, cultural and special developmental contexts of children and adolescents.
• Assess ethical and professional issues in counselling children and adolescents.
• Formulate problems presented by children and adolescents.
• Recommend appropriate counselling approaches to working with children and adolescents.
• Select appropriate psychotherapy skills for use in counselling children and adolescents in local contexts.