Treatment services are provided to address issues including, but not limited to, the following

• Behavioural problems, e.g. aggression, poor listening, tantrums, and impulsivity
• Emotional problems e.g. anxiety, depression, excessive anger, and sensitivity
• Attention and concentration difficulties
• Relationship development between parents and children
• Sibling relationship difficulties
• Self esteem development
• Resilience building
• Teasing and bullying management
• Making friends and social interaction skills
• Family separation
• Toilet training and soiling
• Stress management
• Assertiveness training
• Grief and bereavement
• Anger management
• Eating disorders or body image problems
• Self harm or other at risk behaviours
• Adolescent depression
• Effective Parenting strategies

Some of the techniques used when counseling children are a little different from those used with adults. Your child may tell you that they played a game, played in a sand tray, drew a picture, played with toys, or used craft.

If we were to simply invite a child to talk, they may feel hesitant and uncomfortable in telling us their concerns. This is why at PsychSolutions we combine verbal counseling with other child friendly strategies, such as the use of games, art, drawings, symbols or sand to help children and young people feel comfortable and able to share their stories, and develop change.

When a child or young person is involved in individual therapy, their confidentiality is respected. When there are things that it would be helpful for parents to know, for example to change the problematic situation, then we would discuss with the child or young person how we could tell their parents or caregivers. As much as possible, we keep parents informed of the work children and adolescents are doing in therapy, and of their progress.

Educational assessments

PsychSolutions provides Psychometric and Educational Assessment of cognitive (IQ) and developmental functioning for children and adolescents. Educational assessments enable parents to clarify the nature of their child’s difficulties and equip parents with practical evidence-based strategies to help improve their child’s functioning and to help them achieve their full potential.

Concerns that parents often have include:

• Your child is finding it hard to concentrate at school
• You child is having difficulties learning
• Your child complains of being bored in class and is not paying attention
• Is your child gifted?

Following assessment, parents are invited to a feedback session to explain the results, and provided with an elaborate report, which includes recommendations on how they can assist their child with the difficulties they may be experiencing. With parents’ consent, the child’s school is also provided with a detailed report outlining the child’s strengths and weaknesses, and strategies to help remediate and manage the child’s difficulties in the classroom.

Families often require assessments for a range of academic and learning issues including:

• Giftedness
• Reading difficulties
• Maths difficulties
• Attention and concentration

At PsychSolutions we specialise in providing assessment and treatment services for adults and couples experiencing a range of difficulties including, but not limited to:

DEPRESSED MOOD
Often characterised by low mood, reduced interest and enjoyment in previously enjoyed activities, sleep and/or appetite disturbance, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts and reduced libido.

ANXIETY
Including generalised anxiety and worry, specific phobias, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

EATING DISORDERS
Including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other eating and weight-related difficulties such as obesity and body image concerns.

WORK RELATED DIFFICULTIES
Often involving work stress, relationship difficulties, conflict resolution, procrastination, workplace bullying and performance in the workplace.

SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE
Including professional, personal and/or social confidence and self-worth.

RELATIONSHIPS
Difficulties in personal and/or professional relationships. Specialist support for couples and families experiencing relationship difficulties.

COMMUNICATION
Including anger management and assertiveness.

CHRONIC PAIN
In response to medical injuries and other causes.

Is a scientifically tested program that teaches children and their parents how to better manage their anxiety. It is a group program involving the participation of both children and their parents, and focuses on teaching clear and practical skills. Current results indicate that around 80% of young people who complete our programs show significant improvement. Following treatment, there are marked increases in school attendance, academic achievement, confidence, number of friends and involvement in extra-curricular activities and decreases in worry, fear and family distress.

Topics covered in the program include:

• What is anxiety?
• Me and my anxiety
• Learning about feelings
• Detective thinking, and learning to think more realistically
• Fighting fear by facing fear
• Learning to solve a problem
• Why be a confident person?
• Dealing with teasing

This program was developed by the team at PsychSolutions together with the team at SEED therapy (Occupational Therapy Specialists). This program is designed for children (with some educational sessions for parents) to prepare children for the physical, social and emotional aspects related to transitioning to school. This program has been run in preschools with great success. In addition to the group program, PsychSolutions and SEED therapy, deliver short educational sessions to parents about how best to prepare their child for the transition to school.