Psychological Intervention

Our intervention is delivered either by:

Behaviour Play Therapy

A child’s thought and behaviour patterns are identified through play with toys, objects, drawings and games. Play therapy can help a child to express and manage their conflicts, feelings and behaviour. During the sessions we teach an evidence based practice called Parent child interactive therapy (PCIT). PCIT is conducted through “coaching” sessions during which you and your child are in a playroom while the therapist is watching you interact with your child as well as providing live feedback/ coaching. PCIT has been proven to be highly effective in helping parents build a warm and responsive relationships with their children, as well as improving behaviour. PCIT has also been shown to improve a child’s social skills, self esteem, general compliance and behaviour.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Most emotion regulation problems, stem from unhelpful beliefs about a situation (for example: ” I will fail”) and associated emotional (e..g, racing heart) and behavioural responses (e.g., running away, avoidance). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), is an effective evidence based practice which involves teaching 1) cognitive strategies to identifying unhelpful thoughts 2) emotional strategies to help understand physiological responses, and 3) behavioural strategies to learn more healthy skills and habits to replace unhelpful behaviours. Our Psychologists use child-friendly strategies to teach CBT, which is done through drawing, games ,arts and crafts.

Family therapy

Often a problem exists within a system of family problems. Family therapy involves working with all members of the family to promote change within an individual. Family therapy views change in terms of the systems of interaction between family members, which is important in psychological health. All members of the family are required to join the session, and we work as a cohesive team to repair dynamics within a family. Family therapy is well suited for parents who find it challenging to co-parent.

How it works? 

• Initial assessment with parent only (90 minutes) which includes feedback and treatment plan
• Subsequent 60 min appointments, which could range from 6-10 weekly or fortnightly evidence based psychological sessions with child and parent (50 minutes)
• Follow up and review 1 month later

Psychological Assessments

Psychological assessments are often required if you suspect your child has a learning difficulty, developmental delay or there are concerns about their academic performance relative to peers their age. The types of assessments that can be conducted include:

Psychometric assessments

Psychometric assessments are often required if you have concerns about your child’s learning ability. These assessments evaluate a child’s academic potential (IQ) in reference to norms for their age group. Psychometric assessments help to identify areas of strength and weakness for the child. The Wechsler scales of intelligence (WISC-V) are the most commonly used tests and have empirically established reliability and validity. Cognitive abilities assessed by psychometric scales include:  attention and memory , auditory and visual processing , perceptual reasoning , processing speed , verbal comprehension

Giftedness

Psychometric assessments can also identify whether a child has exceptional intelligence. Typically an Intelligence Quotient of 130 and above suggests a child is gifted. We provide recommendations for nurturing giftedness to help the child reach their full potential and to avoid the development of complacency.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Assessing for ADHD may be required if a child frequently displays inattention, impulsivity or overactivity. Assessment of ADHD may require a school observation and a psychometric assessment to examine selective attention, sustained attention and executive functioning.

School readiness

School readiness assessments allow parents to make an informed decision about whether their child is ready to cope with the social, emotional and learning demands of school. Factors taken into consideration are the child’s cognitive development, emotional development, social development, communication skills, self-care skills as well as gross and fine motor skills. Assessments of school readiness may require a phone consultation to a teacher, a psychometric assessment to examine cognitive functioning and self-report measures to assess social and emotional functioning.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Assessing for Autism Spectrum Disorder may be required if a child frequently displays difficulties in social-communication and has restricted and repetitive interests and behaviours. Usually children with suspected autism have difficulties forming friendships, sharing, taking turns and understanding others feelings and intentions. These children also tend to have restricted and repetitive interests and their social relationships are mainly centred around these interests. Assessment of autism may require a school observation and an assessment using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). This is a play-based assessment, which allows the clinician to assess for key markers of autism.

How it works?

• Initial assessment with parent only (90 minutes)
• 2-4 hours of testing with the child only, a 1 hour school visit if necessary and 4 hours of report write up
• Report received after 2-3 weeks after testing with feedback and recommendations

Group Programs

Nature & Nurture Child Psychologists offers group workshops primarily in the school holidays for children and adolescents. There are two types of group programs:

Anxiety Group program

Teaches practical skills geared to support anxious children as well as their parents. Group therapy involves: Psycho-education about anxiety and emotions Developing ‘detective thinking’ skills to evaluate worries

• Gradual exposure to fears using the ‘stepladder’ approach
• Developing problem-solving skills
• Methods for coping with bullying
• Developing skills for parenting an anxious child

Social Skills group programs

Offers children opportunity to develop key social and emotional capabilities through active participation in a fun and supportive environment. In the social skills program children learn to:

• Develop effective conversation skills and assertiveness
• Practice pro-social skills such as sharing and turn-taking
• Problem solve using negotiation
• Develop self-esteem and emotional resilience
• Manage strong emotions