Description
A unified integrative model for counselling children and young people
Practitioners working with children and young people often draw from multiple therapeutic modalities without a coherent framework for integration. Ecosystemic Counselling with Children and Young People presents a single model that synthesises systemic, person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, and psychodynamic theories into one unified approach. Each chapter applies ecosystemic theory to practice through case vignettes and practical examples.
The book addresses specific presenting issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, suicidality, anger, and behaviour difficulties. It examines how family dynamics, school environments, and social identity shape mental health outcomes, offering strategies for working with these factors. Coverage extends to neurodiversity, collaboration with partner agencies, and counsellor self-awareness within the ecosystemic framework.
Readers will also find:
- A unified theory of change that combines humanistic, cognitive, phenomenological, and psychodynamic principles into one integrative clinical framework
- Practical strategies for working with the interconnectedness of a child's psychological health and their wider social and environmental context
- Guidance on adapting ecosystemic interventions for neurodiverse clients, accounting for individual developmental profiles and cognitive processing differences
- Approaches for multi-agency collaboration that support holistic wellbeing across therapeutic, educational, and community settings for young clients
- Content grounded in three master's-level modules in children and young people's counselling, connecting academic rigour directly to clinical application
Designed for qualified therapists, mental health professionals, and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists, this book provides a structured integrative model applicable directly in clinical settings. By unifying established counselling modalities into a single ecosystemic framework, it equips practitioners to deliver holistic, theoretically grounded support to children and young people.
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Chapter 1: Why an Ecosystemic Approach to Counselling Children and Young People? 1
Chapter 2: Understanding the Child's Inner World 19
Chapter 3: Creating Safety and Change in the Therapy Room 38
Chapter 4: Approaches to Working with the Child's Inner World 57
Chapter 5: Making Sense of Family Patterns 79
Chapter 6: Family Stories and the Child's Sense of Self 105
Chapter 7: Bringing the Wider World into Counselling 124
Chapter 8: Time and Transition Through the Eyes of the Child 146
Chapter 9: The Child's Development Within the Family Life Cycle 167
Chapter 10: Holding the Inner and Family Worlds Together 184
Chapter 11: Moving Between Social Worlds and Time 201
Chapter 12: Bringing the Ecosystemic Model to Life 226
Concluding Thoughts 235
Bibliography 236
Afterword 237
Index 240
