Working Therapeutically with Children and Adolescents - Short Course
Starts:
Finishes:
Venue:
Birkbeck Main Building, Malet Street
Course timetable and cost
The course will span ten weeks, taking place weekly from Saturday, 27th of September 2025. Each Saturday from 10:00 - 12:30. Information on the in-person location for each session will be provided in due course. The full course cost is £990.00.
Course Content:
This short course is designed for those seeking to deepen their understanding and refine their therapeutic skills when working with children and young people. It offers a valuable foundation for those considering a career in counselling or psychotherapy with CYPs.
Course Benefits:
- Direct Pathway to Year 2: If you have completed a related Master’s program and meet additional requirements, this course provides a direct entry into Year 2 of the MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents.
- A Taster for Future Professionals: Perfect for those wanting to explore or enhance their skills in working therapeutically with children and young people, as well as for those considering training to become a Counsellor or Psychotherapist with CYPs.
Course Syllabus:
1. Introduction: Beginnings
Reflecting on assuming a professional role when working with children and young people (CYPs).
Exploring the experience of working in various settings.
2. Referrals and the Organization
Understanding how children and young people are referred into services.
Examining the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
3. Setting Up the Work
Establishing contracts and defining boundaries within the professional role.
Discussing confidentiality in the context of different settings.
4. Working with Adolescents and Risk
Exploring the concept of risk within various settings.
Collaborating with other agencies and working with parents around risk.
5. How Do Children Communicate?
Understanding symbolic communication and how children use toys and words to express themselves.
6. The Use of Technology
Exploring the experience of being a child or young person in the 21st century.
Analyzing the impact of technology on the developing child or young person.
7. Further Reflections: The Role and Setting
Understanding organizational anxieties and defenses in the professional context.
8. Working within an Ethical Framework, Safeguarding & Child Protection
Examining the principles of safeguarding and confidentiality within the context of the professional role.
9. Beginnings, Transitions, and Endings: Consolidation of Learning
Reflecting on transitions, such as moving from primary to secondary school, and the shift from latency to adolescence.
Understanding the importance of transitions in the lives of CYPs.
10. Peer Review Groups
Students will review one another’s progress and development.
Reflecting on the application of therapeutic roles and how learning has shaped professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
This course will empower students to develop essential skills in therapeutic listening and communication, specifically tailored to the unique needs of working with children and young people (CYPs).
By the end of the course, students will:
- Build confidence in engaging therapeutically with CYPs, feeling more equipped to navigate complex emotional dynamics.
- Gain a deeper understanding of unconscious processes that influence their interactions, both within the organization and with the children and young people they support.
- Strengthen their ability to respond with insight and empathy in therapeutic settings, enhancing their overall effectiveness in this highly specialized field.
Contact name:
Innovation Support Unit