Based on a thorough assessment of your child’s difficulties, Dr Krasner will discuss with you which type of psychological treatment is likely to effect change and improvement for you and your child as swiftly and effectively as possible. This discussion will include the type of therapy being recommended and whether this will be offered on an individual, parental or family basis, and an estimate of the number, frequency and regularity of appointments.

Clinical psychologists are qualified to offer a range of established and empirically tested therapies. These can include, for example:

• Behaviour Therapy

  Behavioural approaches seek to change and shape a child’s behaviour in order to effect improvement. With young children, for example, behavioural approaches are often used to target sleep problems, tantrums, toileting difficulties, etc. Behavioural approaches are often used too for anxiety difficulties such as phobias.

• Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy

  The majority (but not all) of the treatment offered in Dr Krasner’s practice is cognitive-behavioural. Cognitive-Behaviour therapy (CBT) seeks to effect improvement by changing the ways in which we think and behave, gradually replacing maladaptive thoughts and behaviours with adaptive, positive alternatives.

• Psychodynamic Therapies & Counselling

  Psychodynamic therapies and counselling offer a more reflective approach to treatment, wherein the psychologist will help the child/family to be aware of and gain insight into and understanding of the emotions being experienced. Through such increased awareness and understanding, the child, adolescent or parent is helped to resolve the difficulties they are experiencing. Bereavement / grief therapy, for example, with children and their families is often based on this therapeutic approach.

  For some children and their families, more than one therapeutic approach may be employed, for example, when a period of exploratory, psychodynamic treatment might be followed by a more structured CBT programme.

  In all cases, however, the aim is to offer treatment that provides long lasting improvements in as focussed and as brief a way as is possible. Many of the children and teenagers referred to Dr Krasner are seen for between 4 and 8 treatment appointments. There are however many exceptions to this: both children and families who may only be seen once or twice and those who are seen for much longer.