Behavioural difficulties, anxiety, aggressive tendencies, delinquent/objective behaviours are on the rise in children, especially due to modern lifestyles. Some of these were identified during the quarantine period by parents while others were identified with the restart of school by teachers. Most children found a push to engage much more with screens (including tele-education) and this resulted in an inflated attachment and dependence on technology. Besides, many parents complain about the difficulty they have in imposing themselves on children and being listened to.
Our centre, which is addressed to the third largest municipality of Attica, Peristeri, unfortunately had the opportunity to list a large percentage of requests in relation to the difficulty of parents to manage all the above difficulties.
The individual behavioural therapies initially aim at children's empathy and the recognition and management of their emotions, the following of social rules and the organisation and assimilation of their roles in the home.
At the same time, the socialization opportunities seem to be less attractive to children, especially middle and high school children, so we find it beneficial to organize more adolescent groups when individual sessions do not facilitate interaction and generalization in all settings as much as we would like.
At the same time, we consider it imperative that parents participate in the counselling process in order to better serve the therapeutic goals we set with the children.
Finally, very rarely, but when it is deemed necessary and only with the consent of the parents, the child psychiatrist of our center in Peristeri, administers in some cases of children (e.g. in childhood autism, ADHD or borderline personality structure) the appropriate medication.
For any difficulties that do not necessarily relate to the above indications, our psychologists set up a therapeutic protocol based on the psychodynamic approach and systemic psychotherapy.
Our Psychologists
Our center has worked with many mental health professionals over the past 50 years of working in the field of special education. All of them have offered their services with respect and dedication. Today we employ two psychologists with common education and psychology degrees from Greek universities. They possess a high level of empathy and positive energy. They always aim at thoroughly listening to the children and supporting their parents as the latter are considered the most important part in improving all the difficulties arising from the child. The classical psychodynamic approach and systemic therapy are the main methods of intervention in our centre.
The Director and head of the whole team (Maria Tsilividou), as she is a psychologist herself, participates, apart from managing all the families, in the very important contribution of boosting the morale of her fellow therapists and team members.
Our space in Peristeri
There are 2 sunny psychotherapy rooms on the floor of our centre with large windows and a very warm atmosphere. The colours, furniture and all the equipment are based on the need arising from the fact that the therapists need positive feedback, relaxation and calmness. Classic and more imaginative toys are used as and when they are used and the child is mainly flooded with tender and optimistic feelings.