Welcome to the child therapy and mental health blog
Counsellors and psychotherapists who work with young people care what is happening to them out in the world; we care about how we practise; and we care what is happening to the counselling and psychotherapy world as it relates to children’s counselling.
This site is about all of that.
It is for counsellors and psychotherapists and other professionals who work with young people to share thoughts, ideas and good practice – and maybe let off a bit of steam (from a mental health perspective!) about things that get our goat as we watch television and read comments in the media to do with children and young people.
Do join in and comment – I’d love to hear your views! Just click on ‘Comments’ at the bottom of the latest post to comment on that one, or, if you want to comment on a previous one, either click its header to bring up the whole page and comments box, or click on its title in the sidebar, which has the same effect. Later, the archive section brings up much earlier ones.
You can use a pseudonym if you like, and your email address will not appear in public. You’ll need to check back on earlier pages to see if people have made comments or replies at a later date.
Blaxter
(blogging under a pseudonym to protect clients and people I work for!)
June 25, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Interesting blog.
I’ve added added your link.
July 14, 2008 at 6:34 am
Questions: When you started out as a therapist, what would you say was most difficult for you in the beginning? Was it hard securing a sense of direction, trying to making sure your practices were sufficient while handling the financial burdens?
I am in college deciding upon my major. Nursing’s been mapped out for me since day one but, I truly feel my drive is elsewhere and that child developement and therapy may be the answer to my prayers. Please, any help for a prospective therapist would be much appreciated.
July 14, 2008 at 8:01 am
Avril – thank you!
Jourdan – I think you may not be in the UK so check out how to get qualified and see what it costs. But when qualified, I think the best thing to do might be to work for someone else while you gain as much experience as possible, before deciding whether to take the financial risk of setting up your own practice. This way, you’ll gradually find out what you want to do and will eliminate some of the risks. Hope this helps!
July 15, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Thank you. Yes, I’m in the U.S. currently volunteering in a hospital that features an abuse center for children. I will be looking into putting some hours in there as well as possibly a therapist’s office. I appreciate the advice and hope your practice may be supplemental/beneficial to all children whom visit you.
May the Lord bless you,
Jourdan
January 17, 2009 at 4:33 am
Blaxter- Congratulations, your blog has become an essential part of my reading. You seem to have an encyclopedic understanding of counselling in schools. Please check out my blog, which is in a much more rudimentary state than yours as yet: http://isaacsface.wordpress.com/. Do you have any suggestions as to an existential approach in counselling with children in schools?
January 17, 2009 at 9:55 am
Thanks, Isaacsface! I still have lots to learn, though.
Dennis Lines touches on existential work in “Counselling Approaches…”, though it defaults mostly to humanistic in that section; and you probably know Mick Cooper’s book “Existential Therapies” – which doesn’t mention children. I’d have to google for anything closer, and I expect you already have. So I guess the answer is that I don’t know – yet! Do let us know when you find some good books.
February 10, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Blaxter
This is such a good resource for therapists working with children and young people.
Thank you
February 11, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Thank you, Karen. I’m always happy to hear about additional resources you can recommend!