About
Life can be difficult for children in all kinds of ways and be disruptive to a smooth and full developmental path. Somewhere along the way experiences can lead to emotional or behavioural challenges. Whether it be anxiety, depression, aggression, social difficulties, ADHD, ASD, grief or trauma that children may be dealing with, Kindred Bloom can provide therapeutic support and enable them to more fully embrace themselves, their relationships and life around them.
Children don’t conceptualise and communicate in the same ways as adults, so it is imperative that therapy is attuned to the ways of children and their particular developmental stage. This is why utilising play, the natural way young children communicate, is so important when working therapeutically with them.
As children and their cognitive and verbalisation capacities grow, the balance of play and talk intervention may change, particularly at around 11 years of age. Expressive arts-based therapy is another non-verbal mode of communication and self-exploration that children and young people of all ages are often particularly responsive to.
Jen integrates a range of established and evidence-based psychotherapeutic modalities with the children she supports. These are grounded in Humanistic traditions, Attachment theory, Interpersonal neurobiology and neuroscientific explanatory models. The primary process is Child centred therapy and other interventions are integrated according to the assessment, needs and interests of each child.
Child-centred therapy
A non-pathologising approach to change with the focus on an empathic, supportive therapeutic relationship to actively work towards therapeutic goals. The child’s internal resources are activated to facilitate growth and change.
Expressive arts therapy
Expressive arts therapy uses drawing, painting, sculpting, music etc. in a supportive, child-centred space to allow exploration, expression, communication and meanings of feelings.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A contemporary behavioural and cognitive therapy that works to foster increasing flexibility in response to thoughts and feelings through the processes of mindfulness, acceptance and behaviour change.
Psychoeducation for parents/caregivers
A key aspect in addressing the goals for a child’s wellbeing is to provide support and information to the people most important to them.
The foundation of exploring, assessing and responding to what is going on for a child internally, is the development of rapport and trust in the therapeutic relationship. Children need to feel emotionally safe, accepted and worthy for them to experience and explore anew, and interventions can be incorporated meaningfully and in the moment. In this way of processing emotions, thoughts and new understandings there is the opportunity for internal reorganisation and growth, self-regulation, adaptive behaviours, strength-building and resilience for the child.
