Why me?  
  • You may have difficult feelings, worries and upsets. 
  • You may have had to cope with lots of changes. 
  • You may be sad or cross or frightened. 
  • You may feel that you are always in trouble and have no friends. 
Can anyone help? 

It may help to have someone who: 

  • tries to understand things from your point of view 
  • listens carefully, and thinks a lot and tries to help you make more sense of your upsets so you can begin to feel better  

This is what child psychotherapists do. 

Assessment 

The grown-ups who know you will arrange for you to meet the therapist a few times to decide if this will help you.  

Your sessions:

  • You can talk, or draw, or play, or be quiet and your therapist will think carefully about what you say and do and try to help you sort out your feelings. 
  • Your sessions will be in a play room at the same time each week. 
  • You might be messy, or angry, or sad. Sometimes you might look forward to coming and sometimes you might feel cross with your therapist and not want to come. Then your grown-ups might need to help you to do this brave thing, thinking about your upsets.  
  • Sometimes it is very hard to think about problems and feelings. Your therapist will try to help you with that. We know it is easier to think and sort out muddles and upsets if someone is thinking with you. 
Are sessions private? 

Sessions are just for you and your therapist together, so yes, your sessions are private. If you want to tell someone what you did in your session that is OK, but your therapist will keep things you say and do private. 

If there is a worry that you are not safe then your therapist will let you know and then talk to the adults who can keep you safe.  

How long will I do this for? 
  • Sorting out your feelings and worries can take time. When you have had problems that took a long time to grow, they need a long time to change.  
  • Grown-ups may also need someone to talk to, so they usually see someone as well. 
  • There will sometimes be meetings where your grown ups will talk to your therapist to think about how you are getting on. You will be asked what you think too. 
What happens afterwards? 
  • Hopefully you will feel a lot better. Things may have changed at home and at school because muddles and upsets will have been sorted out.
  • You will still remember your therapy and your therapist. Even if you forget a lot about it you will remember a lot too. It doesn’t go away.  
  • You may ask for a ‘top-up’ later! 

The child psychotherapists for Wirral child & family service (CAMHS) work at: 

Adcote House 
Kent Street 
Off Columbia Road 
Prenton CH43 6TX 
Tel no: 0151 488 8111 

If you would like this information in another format, please speak to a member of CWP staff or e-mail cwp.info@nhs.net.

July 2016 Version 1.
www.cwp.nhs.uk.