There is a wide difference between the psychotherapy of adults and that of children and adolescents. Child and adolescent psychotherapists come across several ethical codes that have to be considered during the therapy. There are several factors that increase the complexity of the practice of therapy in child and adolescent psychiatry. This has lead to the formation of several codes governing their practice. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 10 principles have been published as the code of ethics that have to be followed by all mental health care professionals in child and adolescent psychiatry.
PRINCIPLE 1: Developmental Perspective emphasizes the importance of the development of the child/ adolescent with regard to his/her physical, physiological, mental, emotional and social aspects which influence the explicit behaviour. It also states that the chronological age and mental development need not go hand in hand. Thus the therapists should consider the underlying developmental factors before the start of the therapy and should incorporate only those therapies that are conducive to the development of the child/ adolescent in all aspects.
PRINCIPLE 2: Beneficiary aspects of the child/adolescent consider the factors that are best suited and nurture the progress and well being of the children/ adolescents individually and as a part of a group. External pressures from the society and family should not hamper the progress of the child/adolescent.
PRINCIPLE 3: The therapists should avoid any practice that would affect the desired progress of the child/adolescent and should ensure that the therapeutic relationship is not harmful in any way to the well being of the client.
PRINCIPLE 4: Regarding and respecting the decisions of the child/adolescent help in the development of trust in the relationship. Care must be taken to see that the therapy for a client below the age of 18 should have the consent of the guardian.
PRINCIPLE 5: Fidelity to the client and the guardian is a very critical code of ethic and care must be taken to see that the confidentiality is not disclosed without the permission of the guardian except in times of emergency. Therapy With Children And Adolescents Essay
PRINCIPLE 6: The influence of external factors/ people should be monitored by the therapist and he / she should ensure that these interventions do the affect the progress of the client and should support only the well being of the client.
PRINCIPLE 7: Advancement in knowledge and practice is facilitated by additional research. But this research should not hamper or compromise with the welfare of the client.
PRINCIPLE 8: Equality and justice must be followed to ensure that the mental health care facilities are available to all the children / adolescents at times of need and it should not be confined only to a few.
PRINCIPLE 9: The professional laurels and achievements of the therapist should not affect the progress and well being of the child / adolescent.
PRINCIPLE 10: The therapists must be aware of the local and federal laws governing the practice of psychotherapy and should ensure that conflicting laws do not compromise with the well being of the child / adolescent.
Conclusion
Therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the child / adolescent is a key that opens the door for the success and welfare of the client. The laws and codes governing this relationship and facilities for the therapy must be extended to even those children / adolescents who might not be able to afford the therapy. Thus, the therapist must play a pivotal role in nurturing the child/adolescent in aspects that not only cater to the mental stability but also physical, behavioural and social forms in such a way that it would make him/her a desirable individual having an optimistic outlook towards life (Thompson and Henderson 1992). Therapy With Children And Adolescents Essay
Part 1
The core conditions to be kept in mind while counselling children and adolescents are empathetic understanding, building mutual respect, and being genuine. However, these cannot be achieved by sitting in a room for specified hours every week. After a point, the kid will begin to think that everything is an act, since the counsellor doesn’t seem to care about him/her outside of any particular session. So, the third condition of being genuine involves being there for the kid at all times. This doesn’t mean calling him/her up every day, or nagging the child all through the week, but finding a system appropriate for the kid, so that you are aware of what happens in his/her life, especially of important events.
In many cases, the one-to-one approach to find a particular system for an individual may not be effective. This is because of a lack of understanding from the counsellor’s side, of the cultural sensitivities tha