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Social anxiety refers to fear or worry related to interactions in social situations. The Mayo Clinic explains that “comfort levels in social situations vary, depending on personality traits and life experiences some people are naturally reserved, and others are more outgoing.” A child struggling…

It is considered a part of typical pre-adolescent development for young people to experience bouts of panic during their youth. However, the sudden onset of recurring panic attacks that occur spontaneously and without cause is atypical and may indicate panic…

Anxiety, as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), is “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” Although anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress, the symptoms of anxiety can be unpleasant and difficult to…

The Oxford English Dictionary defines anxiety as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Psychology Today asserts that “anxiety is built into our primate origins as a warning system.”…

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is explained as “the capacity parents have to understand their own mental states and those of their children, as well as the influence of those mental states on behavior.” PRF has a significant effect on child development, and…

Mental health encompasses one’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, and is an essential element of overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain that “mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children…

Reflective functioning refers “to the essential human capacity to understand behavior in light of underlying mental states,” whereby mental states encompass emotions, needs, intentions, and desires that can motivate behavior. The construct of reflective functioning emerged in the late 1980s,…

Mental Health America explains that “Good mental health allows children to think clearly, develop socially and learn new skills. Additionally, good friends and encouraging words from adults are all important for helping children develop self-confidence, high self-esteem, and a healthy…

Mental health refers to emotional, cognitive, and behavioral well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life,…

The therapeutic relationship, or therapeutic alliance, refers to the purposeful collaborative relationship between the therapist and the client. It is a critical component of effective psychotherapy, and the quality of this relationship is an indicator of treatment outcome. While there…

Communication encompasses both verbal and non-verbal cues, and is fundamental to effective adolescent psychotherapy. Adolescents often have a difficult time accurately articulating their emotions, which can make communicating with young people rather complicated. When working with adolescents, mental health professionals…

A long history in the field of psychotherapy theory, research, and practice has been dedicated to distinguishing which common factors, or characteristics that are present across psychotherapies, are paramount to fostering positive psychotherapy results with adolescents. Empirical evidence identifies the…

Sigmund Freud hypothesized that the relationship between therapist and patient was a key component of effective treatment. Research has since proven that the quality of this relationship is the strongest predictor of whether therapy, including child psychotherapy, is successful. Child…

Mental illness is an umbrella term that encompasses distinct diagnosable mental health ailments, disorders, diseases, and conditions, that involve changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). The Mayo Clinic explains that mental health disorders in children…

Mental health encompasses one’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, and is an essential component of overall health. Mental health problems in children include a wide breadth of conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild, to moderate, to…