Children’s counseling

For me, a psychologist, working with children is remarkably interesting, yet challenging at the same time.

Firstly, I must detach myself from my childhood self to avoid so called “identification” (“What was I like at this age?” etc.), or perhaps avoid pitying the child, since many of them do not have it easy with their parents.

Secondly, working with children is done by symbolic means (games, drawings, building blocks, figurines etc.), since they are not able to fully express what they are going through. Therefore, we must deduce what the child is trying to express and simultaneously ask questions, that stir the unconscious. In other words, we “tell” the child about what is going beyond their conscious perception.

Thirdly, we take the parents into account. They approach with an already defined problem and expect a solution. But how does the child perceive this problem? Is it really “his/her” problem? How the problem is perceived by the child versus an adult may cause disharmony. However, for me, what the child comes with and what they think, is always the most important.

Finally, the symptoms of the child often indicate a disruption in the family system. The child becomes a kind of “carrier” of the flawed functioning of the family.

As a result, children cannot sit still for sixty minutes in the armchair;-). The duration of our sessions is significantly shorter though, more animated, and often unpredictable. The child simply says “Stop, we are finished.”
Children not only teach me how to better approach child psychology and educate myself professionally. Mainly, they teach me self-discipline and humility, and I admire how they try to cope with their “child” problems.