Services
Psychoanalytic Child Psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic Adolescent Psychotherapy
Parent-child Psychotherapy
Counselling for parents / carers
Difficulties with which I can help:
Low mood and constant sense of worry/irritability
Anxiety
Fears and phobias
Violent and aggressive behaviour(s)
Strong sense of insecurity
Low self-esteem
Separation difficulties
School refusal
Difficulties in relationships within the family
Difficulties associated with food and eating habits, which can take several forms (i.e. not eating enough / overeating / obsessive involvement with food/ which types of food are acceptable or not, etc.).
Sleep difficulties
Antisocial behaviour
Difficulties in forming and maintaining friendships
Learning difficulties
Deliberate self-harm
Suicidal ideation / suicide attempts
Neurodevelopmental difficulties (i.e. Autism Spectrum Disorder / Condition- ASD / ASC, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and associated comorbidities (i.e. sleep difficulties, depression, anxiety, etc.)
Difficulties associated with gender dysphoria / gender dysphoric thoughts and feelings
Εmotional trauma, including single-case trauma as well as chronic / developmental trauma
Special difficulties / specific difficulties in the context of fostering and/or adoption
Psychoanalytic child psychotherapy
At times, depending on the child’s developmental stage and circumstances in their environment (i.e. transition into a new school, difficulties in relationships with parents / carers / friends, loss of significant figures in their lives), children may be experiencing thoughts and feelings which they are struggling to put into words or even make sense of. At other times, children may be in a position where they can talk about their feelings, but they might be feeling stuck in negative thought patterns. The difficulties that a child may be experiencing can affect their whole development or even specific parts of their functioning, such as family life, relationships with peers and/or even the ability to attend and take part in their schoolwork / school life.
Through carefully observing the child’s clinical presentation and by responding to the various ways with which they express themselves and communicate, my aim is to develop a thorough understanding of their development and personality, which will in turn entail both their strengths and difficulties. The development of a strong, therapeutic relationship is the main tool with which my formulation is completed, but also the tool with which the progress in the child’s / young person’s mental health and subsequently their functioning is achieved.
All in all, the aim of child psychotherapy is to support the child to develop new, more adaptive ways of expressing themselves as well as to regulate their thoughts and feelings. Consequently, the child’s personal growth, the development of their full potential, as well as the growth of their self-esteem and emotional resilience are expected. Simultaneously, the growth and maintenance of more positive and secure relationships with the people around the child (i.e. parents / carers, peers, teachers, etc.) constitute the primary objectives of the therapeutic work.
Psychoanalytic adolescent psychotherapy
Adolescence can be a difficult time as young people face significant challenges, but also opportunities for growth. Teenagers go through a complex process of ‘negotiations’, both internal and external, but also changes in their relationships with their families and friends. Crises and generally difficult times in adolescence can be temporary and they are often resolved after a period of gradual readjustment. However, sometimes difficulties in adolescence can become complicated and put a heavy burden on the young person and their family.
Adolescent psychotherapy aims at providing a reliable and confidential therapeutic space within which the young person will be able to understand and express the emotions that may be hidden behind their behaviour. This thinking space aims at helping young people return to a healthier and more ordinary developmental trajectory, as well as at finding ways to create more fulfilling relationships.
It is worth noting that a specific model of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy which is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe clinical depression in adolescents is the Short-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy / STPP in which I was trained as part of my clinical doctorate. STPP is a time-limited model of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, which includes twenty-eight (28) weekly sessions with the adolescent patient and seven (7) sessions with the parents / caregivers (without the presence of the adolescent).
I work with teenagers/young people (up to 25 years of age).
Parent / carer - child psychotherapy
At times, I may suggest supporting the child together with their parent / carer. Parent-child psychotherapy is a therapeutic intervention based on play which aims at addressing the emotional needs of the child through the strengthening of the parent-child relationship. This can be particularly useful for younger children and their parents whose emotional bond may be less secure for a variety of reasons. Some parents or caregivers may feel that the relationship with their child has always been difficult all along, while others may think that the relationship with their child is currently under pressure due to the onset of a certain developmental phase or other external conditions, such as bereavement or trauma.
Parent-child psychotherapy aims at helping parents understand their child’s emotions and behaviour as well as at promoting new ways of interaction between them. This intervention can result in positive changes both for the child and their caregiver, while also promote a relationship of trust amongst them. The development of a safe therapeutic relationship with the parent and the child, the careful observation of parent-child interaction, the responsiveness to the different ways with which the child communicates, such as through play, but also the discussion with the caregiver, are the main tools with which a deeper understanding of the difficulties is built, new ways of interaction are identified, and consequently a “safer” and more secure bond between parent and child is promoted.
Parent / carer counselling
In some cases, providing one or more (depending on the degree of difficulty a child/young person faces) sessions to caregivers may be more useful and effective compared to the individual work with the child / young person. Sometimes, a series of sessions with the parent may be the only intervention required to address a particular issue.
Caregiver counselling can also be particularly effective in cases where a child has been fostered or adopted. In these cases, it may be useful for the psychotherapist to offer some advice both to the carers / adoptive parents and to the professional network around the child.
The terms child and young person are used alternately for purposes of brevity.
The terms parent(s), carer(s), and caregiver(s) are used alternately for purposes of brevity.