Therapy service
Child Therapy
Age-appropriate, gentle support to help a child make sense of what they're feeling.
30-50 min
Typical session length, age-dependent
Weekly
Usual frequency
6-16
Typical course length, sessions
Parent-involved
Regular updates and guidance for carers
Understanding it
About Child Therapy
Child therapy is talking and play-based therapy for children, delivered online by a therapist experienced in child development, often working closely with parents or carers alongside the child themselves.
Children don't always have the words or the developmental capacity to describe what's troubling them the way adults do, so child therapy uses age-appropriate methods, such as play, drawing, storytelling or structured conversation, to help a child express and process feelings and experiences. The approach is matched to the child's age, not a smaller version of adult therapy.
Parents and carers are usually closely involved, whether through regular update sessions, joint sessions with the child, or guidance on how to support changes at home. This isn't because the child is seen as the sole 'problem'; children's wellbeing is deeply connected to their environment, and lasting change usually needs the adults around them on board too.
Children come to therapy for many reasons: anxiety, difficult behaviour, the impact of family change such as divorce or bereavement, difficulties at school, or the aftermath of a frightening or distressing event. A skilled child therapist assesses not just the presenting difficulty but the wider context, including school, friendships and family life.
Online delivery works well for many children, particularly those who find new environments unsettling, since sessions happen from a familiar space at home. For younger children, a parent is often present or nearby during sessions; for older children and pre-teens, more independence is usually built in as trust develops.
How it shows up
You might recognise some of this
Nobody has all of it. Most people recognise a handful — and that's enough to start.
Best suited to
- Children showing anxiety, low mood or behavioural changes
- Children affected by divorce, bereavement or family change
- Children struggling with friendships, school or self-esteem
- Children who have experienced a frightening or distressing event
- Children finding big transitions (new school, sibling, house move) difficult to adjust to
What sessions involve
- An initial conversation with parents/carers to gather history and consent
- Age-appropriate methods such as play, drawing, storytelling or conversation
- Regular, age-appropriate feedback to parents on themes and progress
- Guidance for parents on supporting change at home
- Careful, paced work that never pressures a child to disclose more than they're ready to
What changes
- A child develops language and outlets for difficult feelings
- Reduced frequency or intensity of anxious or behavioural episodes
- Improved communication between child and parents
- Greater confidence in friendships, school or new situations
- Parents feel better equipped to support their child's emotional needs
When this may not be the right fit
- If a child is in immediate crisis or at risk, urgent local CAMHS or emergency services should be contacted first
- If the primary difficulty is a whole-family pattern rather than the child's individual experience (family therapy may fit better)
- If a teenager would prefer, and is developmentally ready for, adolescent-specific or individual therapy
- If a child needs a formal developmental or educational assessment rather than talking therapy
- If a parent isn't able to be involved at all, since some parental engagement is usually part of the work
Signals
When this helps
- Anxiety and worry in children
- Behavioural changes or outbursts
- Impact of divorce, bereavement or family change
- Friendship and school difficulties
- Adjustment to big life transitions
- Processing a frightening or distressing event
The work
How therapy helps here
Age-appropriate methods matched to your child's developmental stage
Regular guidance for parents alongside the child's own sessions
A gentle, paced approach that never forces disclosure
The evidence
What the research actually says
Plain-English summaries of the guidance our therapists work from.
NICE recommends age-appropriate psychological therapies for children
NICE guidance for common childhood difficulties, including anxiety, low mood and the impact of trauma or family disruption, recommends psychological therapies adapted to the child's developmental stage, often involving parents or carers in the process.
Parental involvement improves outcomes
Research on child mental health interventions consistently finds that outcomes improve when parents or carers are actively engaged, rather than the child being treated in isolation from their family environment.
Play-based methods suit younger children's development
Developmental research supports the use of play, drawing and storytelling as effective ways for younger children to process and communicate emotional experiences that they cannot yet fully verbalise.
Early support is linked to better long-term outcomes
Evidence suggests that addressing childhood emotional and behavioural difficulties early, rather than waiting for them to resolve on their own, is associated with better long-term mental health and functioning.
What to expect
How a course of therapy usually unfolds
A guide, not a script — your therapist shapes this around you.
- 1
Free 15-minute intro call
A conversation with the parent or carer to discuss the child's situation and check fit.
- 2
Initial assessment
Gathering history from parents and, where appropriate, the child, to understand the difficulty and its context.
- 3
Building trust
Early sessions focus on the child feeling safe and comfortable with the therapist and the format.
- 4
Working phase
Age-appropriate therapeutic work, alongside regular, appropriate updates and guidance for parents.
- 5
Review and ending
Assessing progress with parents, and planning a considered ending or reduced frequency as things improve.
Worth saying
Common worries, honestly answered
“Child therapy means something is seriously wrong with my child.”
Many children attend for ordinary, understandable struggles with change, friendships or big feelings, not because something is fundamentally wrong.
“The therapist will keep everything secret from parents.”
Parents are usually given appropriate updates on themes and progress, while respecting the child's need for some age-appropriate privacy within sessions.
“Young children can't really benefit from talking therapy.”
Play-based and age-appropriate methods allow even young children to process and express feelings effectively, without needing adult-style conversation.
Between sessions
Small things that genuinely help
None of these replace therapy — but they're a gentle place to begin today.
- Keep routines as predictable as possible during stressful periods
- Name feelings out loud yourself, modelling that emotions are normal to discuss
- Avoid pressing your child for details after sessions; let them share in their own time
- Praise small signs of coping rather than only big improvements
- Stay in regular contact with the therapist about what's helping at home
FAQs
Frequently asked
Find the therapist who fits
Answer 10 short questions and we'll match you within 48 hours — no card needed to start.