Which approaches are used in therapy for children and adolescents?
Children are not small adults, and therapy with them looks different. With younger children the work happens through play, drawing and role-play, while with adolescents it relies more on conversation — but always at their pace and in their language.
- Play therapy
- Age-adapted cognitive behavioural therapy
- Parent–child dyadic therapy
- Ongoing parent guidance
- Talking therapy with adolescents
- Liaison with educational settings
What is therapy for children and adolescents?
Understanding therapy for children and adolescents
Therapy for children and adolescents is a space where the child can express what is hard for them — not necessarily in words — and gain tools for coping. Parents are not left out of the picture: they are central partners in the process.
Children don’t always know how to say “I’m anxious” or “I’m sad”. Their distress often shows up through behaviour: outbursts, refusing to go to kindergarten or school, regression, recurring stomach aches or withdrawal. Therapy translates this behaviour into understandable language, while equipping parents with ways to respond differently. With adolescents, the question of privacy is added, and respecting it is a condition for building trust.
What you can gain from therapy for children and adolescents
Early intervention in childhood is considered one of the most effective investments in mental health: it shortens the duration of the difficulty and reduces the risk of problems developing later in life. In Israel there are public services such as the educational psychology service (SHEFACH) and child development centres, and private therapy can complement them or shorten waiting times.
A language for feelings
The child learns to recognise and express what they feel, instead of the emotion coming out only through outbursts or withdrawal.
Less challenging behaviour
A reduction in the frequency and intensity of outbursts, refusal and daily struggles at home and in the educational setting.
More confident parenting
Parents have clear tools for coping, and less of a sense of helplessness or guilt around the child’s difficulties.
Better functioning at school
Improved functioning at kindergarten or school — academically and socially — and sometimes also coordination with the educational staff.
Signs worth paying attention to
When to reach out with a child or adolescent
- A marked change in behaviour, sleep or appetite
- Refusing to go to kindergarten or school
- Withdrawing and distancing from friends
- Returning to behaviours of a younger age
- After a significant event — divorce, loss, a move
- When the educational staff raise a concern
- When the difficulty lasts more than a few weeks
- When an adolescent expresses distress or withdraws
Good to Know
Useful information before you begin.
How to Choose a Therapist
Clinical and Educational Psychologist — What’s the Difference?
When to Consider Therapy
Confidentiality in Therapy
The First Session — What to Expect
Psychodidactic Assessment — Who It Is For
ASD Assessment — How the Process Works
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
From what age can children come?
You can reach out at any age. With toddlers and young children the work is usually done through the parents and in joint sessions, and from kindergarten age onwards there are also direct sessions with the child. With adolescents the work is closer to individual therapy.
Are parents present in the sessions?
Parents are an integral part of the process. There are usually regular parent sessions alongside the sessions with the child. The younger the child, the larger the parents’ part in the work.
What do parents hear of what the child shares?
Parents receive a picture of the direction, the progress and what is needed at home — but not a word-for-word record of everything said. The child, and especially an adolescent, needs a private space in order to trust the process. The exception is a situation in which there is concern about harm or danger.
Is an assessment needed before therapy?
Not necessarily. Some children come straight to therapy. Where attention difficulties, a learning disability or a developmental difficulty are suspected, an assessment may help tailor the therapy and obtain accommodations in the educational setting, and it can be recommended later on.
How long does therapy with children take?
Processes with children tend to be relatively short when the difficulty is focused — sometimes a few months. Complex or long-standing difficulties require longer support. Progress is reviewed together with the parents on an ongoing basis.
