With children and adolescents:

Working with children and adolescents is somewhat different to working with adults as adults generally come of their own free will whereas children and adolescents are usually brought by their parents. This means that working with children and adolescents involves general intake interviews, the use of psychological tests and play therapy in order to be able to get a clear view of the problem as the child sees it. Generally the first 3 sessions are needed to establish this. General intake interviews include getting as much relevant information as possible about the child and his or her surroundings. Areas of importance include: family dynamics, social interaction, mood, habits, schooling background, psycho-sexual knowledge and development and initial development.

The problem and the interaction between the parents, the child and other family members are discussed simultaneously as these are often of crucial importance in the child's life. Sessions with the parents not only involve gathering information but also discussing alternative strategies to bringing up children from which both the parents and the child generally benefit.

Once the problem has been clearly defined from both the parents and the child's point of view, the goals of the sessions and work methods can be defined with all parties concerned.