Children and adolescents with psychological and relational problems are one of the segments of the population that can most benefit from psychotherapy services.
However, in order to be able to provide them with these tools, it is necessary to train a group of psychologists who are capable of dealing with the characteristic problems of minors in terms of forms of psychological distress and adaptation or learning problems.

In this article we will see which are the characteristics that have the best training in child and youth therapy , and the way in which these are reflected in the way of learning the theory and practice of this professional field.

How to choose the best training in child and youth therapy

The first years of our lives are, in many ways, the most psychologically relevant. It is not only in these years that our personality begins to take shape from the mixture of environmental and genetic factors: in addition, the patterns of behaviour and attitudes that we adopt in this vital stage tend to structure the way in which we live life once we have entered adulthood.

On the other hand, childhood and early youth are moments of special vulnerability . At these ages we do not have the material, behavioural and cognitive tools to deal with the problems that arise, and parents and carers cannot guarantee complete protection from all kinds of misfortunes.

Learning difficulties, living through traumatic experiences, problems of socialization … These are situations that as adults we could manage relatively well by ourselves, but that children and adolescents do not know how to deal with.

That is why child and youth therapy is a very valuable tool to promote mental health and adaptation to the environment in the part of the population composed of minors.

Now then… What characteristics must training in child and youth therapy fulfil in order to meet the fundamental requirements of quality psychological intervention applied in a professional and therapeutic context? Let’s see them below.

1. It helps to understand the stages of psychological evolution

Each stage of childhood and adolescence occurs during the development of certain mental abilities, both cognitive and emotional. Children and adolescents are not simple recipients in which to pour all kinds of skills; each moment of development requires the monitoring and strengthening of certain competencies , no more and no less.

So, for example, one must consider what kind of mental operations can be expected in a seven-year-old, and what kind of cognitive training should be postponed so as not to waste resources and generate frustration.

2. Train in the analysis of environmental factors

Many times we tend to assume that the psychological is something individual to each person, that it occurs within them without the contextual elements being able to intervene. However, the environment matters, and a lot .

For example, a girl who is very passive and submissive need not be described simply as “shy”; perhaps her behavior is the result of a history of bullying.

3. It allows the study of theory and practice

This characteristic is fundamental in child and adolescent psychotherapy, and also in the learning of any other type of psychological intervention. In the end, everything that is studied must be applied in real cases with real subjects , and none of these cases will adapt perfectly to the descriptions and classification criteria that appear in the manuals.

4. Teaches client and patient relationship issues

In child and adolescent psychotherapy there is a clear differentiation between clients and patients. This makes it necessary to understand how to communicate progress and make returns from what has emerged in therapy sessions, for example.

The model of relationship with clients and patients is very characteristic, and even more so if we take into account that in the case of minors, special measures must be adopted in our way of managing the information obtained without exposing them to vulnerabilities.

5. Provides an overview of the phases of therapy

All the knowledge obtained in this kind of training programs must be structured from a basic scheme of the stages of child and youth psychotherapy . In this way, not only is it much easier to study these contents, but also it is possible to completely understand the meaning of each of these steps.

Learning loose brushstrokes of what this kind of therapy is is of little use; it is essential to have a global and structured vision.

An example of a training programme

In Spain, fortunately, it is already possible to find very interesting specialization courses in child and youth therapy. An example of this is the case of the Practical Course of Child and Youth Psychology of the Mensalus Institute , in Barcelona.

It has a development of eight sessions of three hours each and a structured agenda of all the theoretical and practical elements that are essential to know. It is especially suitable for people who want to know from experts the way in which they intervene in these cases, all in a facility where therapy is performed daily.

  • For more information about the course, you can access Mensalus’ contact details by clicking here.