PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF WORKING WITH PARENTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

The article points out that psychotherapy with children differs from psychotherapy with adults with the more complex structure of the psychotherapeutic situation, which leads to a more complex system of relationships in this situation. Firstly, a child psychotherapist forms dual therapeutic relationships and a working alliance with adults and with a child. Working with parents, the psychologist refers to understanding the features and assessing the possibilities of involving parents to participate in psychotherapy and determine the working style with them. Above all, parents need the empathic support of a psychologist in overcoming resistance to seeking help; as well as assistance in understanding the psychological characteristics and age crises in the development of children and adolescents; understanding the process features and the therapy results. In the course of therapeutic work, it is important to clarify the role of the family in the development of child’s disorders, as well as the impact of problems and disorders in the child’s development in the family.

It is proved that planning, organizing, and conducting psychotherapy work with children and adolescents, the factors that determine family and parental resistance at the beginning and during the process of psychotherapy should be considered. Neglecting or ignoring child psychotherapists / psychologists to take into account the resistance of the family and the patients'parents may reduce the effectiveness of the therapeutic process and reduce the positive results already achieved, premature termination or interruption of psychotherapy. An important pillar in creating a therapeutic alliance with the family is to focus on the healthy and positive aspects of the child-parent interaction experience as a major resource for development and change during the therapeutic process. It is determined that the situation of parental affiliation as a compulsory element of pediatric psychotherapy makes it difficult to find a compromise in respecting ethical principles of professional activity in informing and at the same time maintaining confidentiality in work with children and adolescents.