– How often are these problems associated with intrauterine development child?
– As a pediatric neuropsychologist, I always monitor and study the perinatal history and I can say that in 60-70% of cases the problems are associated with an unsuccessful pregnancy, with complications during pregnancy and childbirth. And also with the not always successful early period of a child’s development, when parents, due to their ignorance, incorrectly organize and carry out rehabilitation work with the baby.

For example, a child with intellectual problems is brought to me, and it turns out that he has immaturity in the interhemispheric interactions of the brain. The first level of interhemispheric interactions is formed in the first year of a child’s life. Many parents do not know this and do not help form this basic level, which allows them to further build the correct vectors in brain maturation. And this is very important! And we have to do this when parents begin to encounter problems and come to a neuropsychologist. And if parents knew and carried out this work earlier themselves or with the help of specialists, then development would be more effective. Very often they treat problems with memory, speech development, sense of space, and coordination. And the source of the problems is the same immaturity of interhemispheric connections. Although parents believe that he remembers poorly - memory problems, cannot name the days of the week - problems with speech, “knocks all the corners” - problems with coordination.

– What exactly needs to be done?
– For example, cross step, crawling. When you ask parents how your child crawled, they remember that he did not crawl at all, “he sat, sat, stood up and walked.” And it turns out that such a child has missed a whole stage of development, when interhemispheric interactions begin to form.

– How does a difficult pregnancy affect you?
– Quite often, after a difficult pregnancy, children are born weakened. Most often, they have a history of perinatal encephalopathy, hemolytic fluid dynamics disorders, and are at risk. Often these are children with normal intelligence, but at the same time they cannot withstand intellectual stress for a long time. That is, scientifically speaking, these are children with a low level of mental performance. Emotionally, these children often have a tendency to affective states, a violation of emotional control, which manifests itself in frequent mood swings and “hysterics.” Of course, it is very important here that parents understand the essence of the processes and act correctly!

– Can the help of a psychologist help correct this situation?
- Yes, sure. There are various psychological approaches to correcting a child’s emotional states. I work within a humanistic approach, i.e. working with a small child through your condition, “through yourself.” Those. we ourselves must be calm and balanced if we want to achieve this from the child. We also have to talk with parents about the fact that it is important for the child that they become that good environment that understands, helps, loves and acts as a buffer. Those. parents help process these negative emotions and change their intensity and sign. Although it is very difficult! And the reasons are different. It happens that actively working parents themselves are very tired, and they themselves need support. It happens that they do not spend enough time with the child, and more often this is communication with the nanny.

It is important that early development was in the right way organized. Many parents believe that early development is primarily associated with learning to read and count. This is teaching letters, syllables with access to reading. But it turns out, and child neuropsychologists are very actively talking about this, that this disrupts the natural course of the child’s development. Because before the age of 3, other processes must develop. And when active intellectual learning occurs, we can say that the nature-conditioned sequence of maturation of the functional systems of the brain is disrupted. And in the future, such children very often experience stuttering and tics. of varying complexity. Of course, parents can understand and explain this situation of “getting everything done as early as possible” by the demands of society. The question is “the price of training.” Quite often, children at an older age, before going to school, stop withstanding these loads and get tired. A failure appears in the form of severe health problems or problems with emotional state, in the form of protest behavior, affective states.

However, there are situations when earlier learning does not harm, but is precisely due to the very nature of the child’s development. To understand this, it is advisable to see the baby and the whole family as a whole and discuss issues that are important specifically for your child and your family.

– Are there problems in the early period that can be easily corrected by a psychologist and family?
– Yes, now very often parents come to us with emotional problems in their child, and the reason lies in the disruption of sleep and wakefulness. Today, many parents structure their child’s routine in a way that is convenient for them, but is not beneficial for the child, which does not affect his psyche. in the best possible way. For effective recovery nervous system and emotional health, a specific, properly structured daily routine is required, taking into account the psychophysiological constitution of the child, his workload and even the time of year. Of course, this is discussed individually, and if parents are ready for changes, then working with a specialist can be very effective and problems with “wrong” behavior and emotional reactions are eliminated.

– Do people come to you with problems in children who were born through IVF?
– Yes, now there is a large flow of children 5-6 years old who were born as a result of these operations. According to different specialists, this is a very important stage in the development of science, but ambiguous from the point of view of the health and development of children. Practice shows that very often there are changes and disturbances in the health of children born in this way. Changes from emotional development, neuropsychological and psychosomatic health. I have a wish, my personal one, that you need to think very seriously before undertaking this kind of operation. After all, the hormonal therapy that a mother receives during preparation for IVF and during pregnancy also affects the fetus. Such children are often born with dysfunctional hormonal levels, which leads to emotional problems in the future. If parents are ready, this can be corrected by working with a psychologist. But it takes time and energy, first of all, of the family. In my opinion, the problem of natural conception is not only medical, but also psychological. In my practice, there were such happy cases of natural conception after 3-5 years of “silence”.

Parents also need to understand that most health problems in children are of a psychosomatic nature. For the successful development of a child, emotional comfort is very important, which he receives, first of all, in the family, from his loved ones. The reasons for the violation of emotional comfort and, as a consequence, the appearance of functional, psychosomatic disorders are different, and it is necessary to understand each specific case separately. In particular, people come to me with such psychosomatic problems as VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia), biliary dyskinesia (biliary dyskinesia), bronchial asthma in remission. They often treat one problem, for example, an emotional one, and after a series of classes the child begins to get sick less colds and study better. Other problems that the parents did not see, but that were visible to the specialist, go away.

– What problems in children should be addressed to a neuropsychologist?
– I believe that a child with an unfavorable perinatal history, living in a metropolis, must undergo neuropsychological diagnostics, and the sooner the better, that is, at about 4 years old. It is important to contact at the age of 5-6 years about readiness for school, and in cases where parents feel that something is wrong with the child, and they cannot understand the reasons.

– You often talk about the readiness of parents, that is, one psychologist cannot solve a child’s problem?
- Of course not. There must be work together with the family, their active help. Personally, I adhere to the position of working in homework mode. When we do something with a child during individual work, then we tell this to our parents, and they repeat what they have learned to consolidate the effect. And it is also very important that the child sees that this is our common, family thing. This motivates the child in a different way and gives very good results.

– And if the parents brought the child to a psychologist and believe that they have lifted the burden of the problem from themselves, now another person will solve it?
– There will be a result, but it will be short-lived. The effect will be during the lesson itself and for some time after it. Parental support and a sense of unity are really important for a child. And we know that the most important motives for a child are laid in the family.

A child psychologist is a specialist who helps adults understand what is happening to their child, helps him overcome the psychological difficulties that have arisen, and establish contact between the child and the adult. Usually, in the process of psychological work, a child psychologist includes not only the child, but also the parents. The work of a specialist is aimed at identifying the causes of the problem and finding its solutions. A child psychologist understands the characteristics of a child’s development, the age-related crises through which he goes, the patterns of his psyche, the importance various types activities at certain stages of his life.

WHY GO TO A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST?

You need to go to a child psychologist when you see that you yourself are not able to help your child cope with the problems that he has. It is best not to wait until it “goes away on its own,” but to contact a specialist as soon as possible so that the child’s condition does not worsen and his problems do not become chronic.

HOW CAN A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST HELP?

A child psychologist will help your child cope with emotional and behavioral problems, difficulties communicating with peers and adults, learning difficulties and many other problems that may arise. A specialist will help you understand why your child has certain difficulties and what ways to solve the problems that have arisen, and will give you the necessary recommendations.

WHAT SERVICES DOES A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST PROVIDE?

A child psychologist provides consultations for parents, psychological diagnostics (psychodiagnostics) of the child, diagnoses the parenting style used by parents, and conducts individual and group classes with children. A child psychologist can conduct art therapy, fairy tale therapy, sand and play therapy, and psychocorrectional classes with the child.

WHAT PROBLEMS DOES A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST WORK WITH?

Let's take a look at wide range problems that may arise in a child at different periods of his life and in the event of which it is necessary to seek advice from a specialist.

• Aggressive and impulsive behavior
• isolation,
• whims and hysterics,
• bad habits(biting or biting nails, sucking objects, compulsive masturbation),
• timidity and shyness,
• increased anxiety,
• touchiness,
• stubbornness,
• fears,
• school failure,
• inattention,
• difficulties in retelling the text,
• restlessness,
• poor work in class but excellent work at home,
• difficulties adapting to kindergarten and school,
• problems communicating with peers and adults,
• disturbances in the development of cognitive processes (memory, thinking, attention, child's speech),
• low self-esteem and self-doubt,
• increased excitability and hyperactivity,
• the child does not want to study, does not master the material,
• psychosomatic problems (enuresis, encopresis),
• jealousy and rivalry between brothers and sisters.

You can also contact a psychologist to get recommendations on preparing your child for kindergarten and check school readiness before entering 1st grade.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST?

FIRST CONTACT WITH A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

Usually, a child psychologist first talks with the parents and finds out the reason for the request, as well as all the details related to the child’s problem. Sometimes a child psychologist can also invite a child to the very first conversation so that he can also take part in the conversation. The child psychologist will then decide what form of work with the child and his family will be most useful in this particular case.

TOOLS OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

First of all, a child psychologist himself is an instrument of psychological assistance. The final result largely depends on how the psychologist interacts with the child and parents throughout the psychological work.

To other instruments child psychologist include various psychodiagnostic techniques (tests, questionnaires), sets for play therapy (figures of animals, people, construction toys, cars), a sandbox and sand for carrying out sand therapy, paints, plasticine - for art therapy, pillows and a children's punching bag for working with child aggression and many other improvised means with which a psychologist can establish contact with a child and conduct psychological sessions with him.

METHODS OF WORK OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

The methods of work of a child psychologist include conversation, psychodiagnostics (testing), play (play therapy), drawing and modeling (art therapy), telling and inventing stories (fairytale therapy) and others.

The areas of work of a child psychologist include:

• Consulting the child's parents;
• Individual lessons with a child;
• Psychodiagnostics of child-parent relationships;
• Psychodiagnostics of the child’s personality;
• Corrective classes with a child;
• Developmental classes with the child are individual;

Usually in the office of a child psychologist there is everything necessary to make a child feel comfortable: various toys, board games, books, paints, colored pencils, plasticine.

As a rule, there is a carpet in the office so that the child can sit and study on the floor.

PRINCIPLES OF WORK OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

• Do no harm.
• Don't judge.
• Maintain an impartial perception.
• The principle of informed consent is the need to explain to parents all the features of psychological work with their child.
• Recognize the right of the child and parents to any feelings.
• The principle of confidentiality, i.e. maintaining professional secrets.
• The principle of professional competence: do not take on those areas of work in which you yourself are well versed, do not use psychological techniques that you do not properly master.

ALGORITHM OF WORK OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

A child psychologist first meets with the child’s parents to find out all the details related to the reason for seeking help. Sometimes a psychologist may decide to invite not only the parents, but also the child to the first consultation, so that everyone can take part in the conversation together. As a rule, if a child is a schoolchild, he can fully participate in a joint conversation. The child psychologist then decides what type of psychological assistance will be provided to the child and his family.

TASKS OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

• teach parents and children effective forms of communication,
• help parents overcome their child’s age-related crises,
• help the child adapt to society,
• and also provide support for various behavioral and emotional disorders in the child.

GOALS OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST.

solve a problem that has arisen in a child or the adults raising him, through analysis of the current situation, training of parents, psychological work with the child, restoring balance in the relationship between the child and parents, restoring a favorable psychological climate in the family.

HOW DOES A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST WORK?

A child psychologist works with the child’s current condition, conducts an initial interview and diagnosis, asks parents questions about the child’s life situation and family structure, and then conducts classes with the child (sometimes together with the parents). In the process of communication, a child psychologist creates conditions so that the child can freely express his feelings and desires, cope with emotional and behavioral difficulties, and parents understand the reasons for the child’s problem and understand how to solve them.

Typically, the duration of an appointment with a child psychologist is from 45 to 60 minutes. During this time, he must establish good, trusting contact with the child in order to subsequently help the child better understand himself, his feelings and thoughts, his desires and motives for actions. Only through this understanding will changes begin in the child’s behavior.

Psychologists do not work with problems that are psychological diseases (neuroses and psychoses). This is already the sphere of activity of psychiatrists and psychotherapists.

You can safely contact a psychologist, if you do not have the following symptoms:

• hallucinations, unusual perceptions
• sleep disorders, appetite disorders
• hypersensitivity that has become chronic
• uncontrolled aggressiveness
• chronic depression that lasts six months or more
• withdrawal into oneself (when normal communication with other people and work, social contacts are difficult)
• global changes in the external and internal world, obvious to you and the people around you (for example, sudden weight loss, careless attitude towards oneself, a sharp decline in activity, etc.)
• mania and obsessive thoughts or actions

The list can be continued, but these signs of the disease are the main ones. In most cases, the help of a psychologist is exactly what a person needs to solve his problems. Also, you should not worry that the psychologist will send you for treatment to a psychiatric hospital or make any diagnosis - he will do this has no right.

The most common problem topics: what do psychologists work with?

According to statistics, the most common topics of problems with which people turn to a consulting psychologist for an appointment are:

• self-doubt and self-esteem problems
• problems in relationships with loved ones
• fears and anxiety
• difficulties in making decisions
• love addiction
• unwanted emotional states (guilt, sadness or depression, resentment, anger, irritation, etc.)
• problems communicating with important people
• stress and problems at work
• family conflicts
• sexual problems
• loneliness and searching for a partner
• unpleasant behavior of loved ones
• etc.

Topics of problems by group

What else do they turn to a psychologist for? The list, as you may have guessed, can be endless. But in general, we can divide all the topics of problems with which a psychologist works into the following subgroups:

1. Dealing with unwanted conditions
2. Working with relationships and communication
3. Achieving significant goals and conditions
4. Resolving a specific unpleasant situation that has arisen in a person
5. Formation of necessary skills (for example, protection from manipulation, breaking habits, etc.)

How do I know if a psychologist is working with my problem?

Please note that you can usually go to the personal page of the specialist you like, where it is indicated what problems the psychologist works with and what you can contact him with. This is almost always done, because every psychologist has specialization , which is determined by these topics.

The best help will be provided to you by the psychologist who great experience work with your topic! Therefore, if you have not found your topic with a particular psychologist, but want to be sure that the specialist is working with it, then you can do at least two things:

• Call the psychological center (or write by email) and find out if the specialist you like works with such and such a problem
• Select " For the better on my topic"(in our center, the highest possible quality of psychological assistance is organized in this way, since the most experienced psychologist in this field is selected for the client based on his request).

And remember: the likelihood that we can help in your specific situation is equal to 90%, because Our center has specializations covering most areas of practical psychology.

When is a child psychologist needed? The idea of ​​turning to a specialist often arises during age-related crises (a year and a half, three to four, six to seven and adolescence). A sharp leap and serious changes occur in a child’s development. Mom and dad do not have time to get used to these changes, do not take them into account in communication, and use educational techniques that are no longer effective in the new conditions. All this is superimposed on the increased emotionality of the child, characteristic of transitional periods.

But another situation is also possible in which the teacher really sees those aspects of your baby’s life that are not noticeable to you. An objective view of a child psyche specialist in this case will not be superfluous.

There are a number of other situations when it is useful to consult a psychologist or attend a course:

Period adaptation to kindergarten and to school. This is always a time of increased stress on the child’s psyche, the consequences of which are not always visible. It is important to objectively assess the child’s psychological state and promptly help him overcome emerging difficulties.

Family problems ( parents' divorce , protracted family conflicts, etc.). Even if it seems that conflicts do not affect the child in any way, it makes sense to consult a psychologist to diagnose the child’s emotional state. In some cases, a series of sessions with a specialist may be required to help the child accept changes in the family.

Assessment of readiness for schooling (6-7 years). The future largely depends on the level of training first grade student's performance . A psychologist will help assess this level and give recommendations on choosing the most optimal training program for preparation, based on the child’s characteristics.

Sudden changes in the child’s behavior (especially the appearance of clear signs of aggressiveness, depression, fears and anxiety) that have no obvious reasons. Behind such changes there may be psychological trauma that the child cannot directly tell his parents about. Special psychological diagnostics will help to recognize it.

The work of a child psychologist may include:

Psychodiagnostics

Any psychologist has a fairly large range of psychodiagnostic tools and techniques. The specialist may ask the child to draw something, maybe play a fun game with him . In fact, using these procedures to identify the necessary data.

Developmental activities

With the help of psychological games, a specialist will help develop the necessary skills and qualities in the child. Attention, memory, perseverance, logical and imaginative thinking - educational games for a wide range of ages are in the arsenal of a child psychologist.

Child psychotherapy

If a child has serious emotional or personality difficulties, psychotherapeutic work may be required. These could be classes relieving anxiety, fears, aggressive tendencies, as well as increasing self-esteem. A game, a drawing, a fairy tale - all objects and activities that are familiar and interesting to a child become a powerful means of help in the hands of a specialist.

Family counseling

To solve a child’s problem, it is often enough for parents to figure out the reasons themselves and change something in their behavior and in the situation surrounding the child. A well-conducted consultation very often eliminates the need for special psychological work with the child himself.

A visit to a psychologist will help to understand the objective situation, the emotional state of the child, and identify the causes of difficulties. To do this, you don’t need to wait for a critical situation; psychological prevention is no less important than medical prevention.

When faced with any problem that their child has, parents, of course, try to solve it as quickly and efficiently as possible. This primarily concerns health problems, as well as all kinds of psychological problems. Children early age, and not just teenagers and adults, often need qualified help from a psychologist.

And, like any other doctor or psychologist, we want to choose the best one for our child. How to find a good psychologist for your child and when should you contact him?

At what age should you go to a child psychologist?

Parents carefully monitor the child’s health: for example, if the ears get sick, quickly go to the ENT specialist. Child psychology is a little more complicated. Most often, parents do not see the problem and begin to sound the alarm only when the situation is already at its peak. Is the boy fighting or overly aggressive? It's okay, it will outgrow. In fact, you should not run to a psychologist as soon as you suspect something. Observe the child, try to correct his behavior yourself, and if your efforts are in vain, then you should definitely seek the help of a professional.

If your child is under 4 years old, you may be consulted without his or her presence. A psychologist will provide consultations regarding the upbringing and specific behavior of a child of this age, and will help you acquire new knowledge that will certainly be useful to you in the future. After 4 years, the presence of the child and communication with him will help the psychologist quickly understand the situation and resolve it.

What problems can a child psychologist solve?

The main problems that parents come to a child psychologist with are:

Aggression. A child can bite and hit parents or children on the playground or in kindergarten, while the emotions clearly do not resemble the desire to play. He can scream and even sometimes become hysterical for no reason.

Auto-aggression. If a child demands something and at the same time hits his head on the floor or walls, trying to achieve what he wants.

Stress. Anything can be stressful for a child. Moving to a new place of residence, adaptation to kindergarten, the birth of a second child in the family, parental divorce and other situations. Attentive parents should monitor their child's behavior in such situations.

Anxiety and fear. If the child is afraid to be alone, or is afraid of the dark. If your child bites their nails, twirls their hair, sucks their fingers, or similar behaviors, this may also indicate anxiety.

Speech delay can also cause psychological problems.

Some diseases such as enuresis, stuttering, headaches, tics and others may also force you to see a psychologist.

What methods do child psychologists use?

We all know that children are special creatures. Trusting, naive, they believe everything adults tell them. Child psychologists know that simply talking to children will not work; they require a special method of behavior. That is why work with children over 4 years of age most often takes place in the form of fairy tale therapy or art therapy, which includes drawing, playing with clay or sand, etc.

What should a child psychologist be like?

So, if you still have one of the above problems, and you decide to find a psychologist for consultation and possible treatment, you need to follow several criteria when choosing. What should a psychologist be like?

Educated. A child psychologist must have a higher psychological education; if he also has a diploma from a medical school, this is a big plus.

Experienced. Naturally, the more experience a specialist in this profile has, the better. Moreover, the psychologist must have experience working with that age group, which your child belongs to. Also pay attention to the scientific titles of a psychologist.

Pleasant to talk to. If you don't like your psychologist the first time, look for another one. A truly good psychologist should win over not only children, but also adults. If at the first meeting you are in the mood for positive communication and you feel comfortable and cozy in the psychologist’s office, feel free to take your child to him. Usually in 1-2 sessions the psychologist finds common language with your child, but if this does not happen, your child may be able to communicate with another professional.

Good luck in your search for your specialist and a speedy solution to your problems!

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