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

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

• hallucinations, unusual perceptions
• sleep disorders, appetite
• hypersensitivity that has become chronic
• uncontrolled aggressiveness
• chronic depression that lasts six months or more
• self-care (when normal communication with other people and work, social contacts is 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 yourself, 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 just what a person needs to solve his problems. Also, you should not worry about the fact that the psychologist will send you for treatment in a psychiatric hospital or make some kind of diagnosis - this is what he will do. has no right.

The most common topics of problems: what do psychologists work with?

According to statistics, the most common topics of problems that are addressed to a counseling psychologist for an appointment are:

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

Problem Topics by Group

And with what else do they turn to a psychologist? The list, you guessed it, could be endless. But in general, it is possible to divide all the topics of problems with which the psychologist works into the following subgroups:

1. Dealing with unwanted states
2. Working with relationships and communication
3. Achievement of significant goals and states
4. Resolution of a specific unpleasant situation that arose in a person
5. Formation of the necessary skills (for example, protection from manipulation, getting rid of 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, which indicates what problems the psychologist works with, 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 by the psychologist who has extensive experience working with your particular topic! Therefore, if you did not find 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 is working with such and such a problem
• Select in the item " For the best 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 at his request).

And remember: the likelihood that we can help in your particular situation, equal to 90%, because in our center there are specializations covering most areas of practical psychology.

There are significant differences between psychologists for children and adults. We are not always able to clearly articulate what kind of things bother us. Moreover, this cannot be expected from a child. That is why the question is acute - how to find a highly professional specialist? To do this, you need to clearly understand several points. Find out what issues a child psychologist deals with, what to look for when choosing.

What problems does a child psychologist solve?

It is necessary to contact a child psychologist in the following cases:

• there are obsessive fears, phobias;
• the child experiences obvious difficulties in communicating with adults or peers;
• have learning problems
• there are constantly recurring conflict situations.

Important! A visit to a child psychologist is needed not only in the situations described. The specialist helps to deal with numerous children's mental traumas and grievances. He teaches to understand others, contribute to the establishment of relationships with loved ones. Pay attention to stressful situations. The help of a psychologist is necessary when changing residence, school, kindergarten. The reason for visiting a specialist may be the divorce of parents, death.

How to spot a good child psychologist?

A qualified child psychologist in Yekaterinburg must meet the following points.

• Availability of relevant education. The profession of a psychologist is common. Contributing to this trend are many universities that are not related to this area. Their leadership, for unknown reasons, is confident in the release of highly qualified specialists. Find out what educational institution the candidate graduated from, whether the profile specialty.
• Long experience in the field of child counseling. A psychologist is like a chess player. The more tasks he solves, the better specialist he becomes. This can only be achieved through extensive and long practice.
• Pleasant for the child appearance of a specialist. An important point: the child must feel a sense of empathy, trust the psychologist. When the appearance of a consultant is annoying, frightening, it is impossible to achieve the desired effect.
• The manner of communication is also important. First, talk to a psychologist yourself. Feel if you trust him. Does the conversation cause feelings of awkwardness or anxiety? Did you like the psychologist? There is a chance that the child will be positively disposed towards him.
• Documents confirming recent professional development. In the world of psychology, new technologies and techniques are constantly emerging. Owning them provides significant assistance to the patient. Excessive conservatism is unacceptable. It is desirable to take additional courses and seminars: art therapy, sand therapy.

Our center employs qualified child psychologists. They have vast practical experience behind them. They will help the child deal with the problem situation, contribute to personal growth. Specialists in the state have a specialization not only of a psychologist, but also of a speech therapist psychologist. Their efforts are also aimed at correcting and eliminating speech defects in a child.

If you notice any incomprehensible or unpleasant changes in the behavior and / or mood of the child, which you cannot cope with within the family and the reasons for which you do not understand.

For example, school performance has deteriorated sharply; “strange” whims, bad sleep, “bad habits”, destructive behavior appeared (even those that you don’t observe, but strangers tell you about it, for example, a teacher or educator); the child suddenly loses or gains weight, and this is not associated with medical problems; the child has become irritable, angry, or, conversely, too conformal, agrees with everyone, follows the lead of the authorities, and this worries you. All these are reasons to consult a child psychologist.

You can come to a consultation with a child psychologist with absolutely any question related to the child, and his professional task is to understand your concern and offer adequate assistance. This may be a consultation only for the parent, helping to understand what is happening with the child and how it can be corrected independently; or classes for the child, if the situation lasts a long time and the family cannot cope.

How much does a child need to study to achieve results?

It depends on the request, that is, on what symptom the parents came with. Usually, it can take 2-4 months to achieve the first visible results, and 4-6 months of weekly sessions with a psychologist to consolidate what has been achieved.

It is important to understand that the child himself, of course, does not have a motive for working with a psychologist, his parents have it. And the “symptom” of the child is not always directly concerned. The child needs more time to form an alliance, “get used” to the psychologist, so that the child begins to trust the psychologist and somehow convey what worries him. School-age children do this by playing and talking, explaining their game or their drawings, crafts; small children, as a rule, only play and draw in the classroom, or build sand compositions.

What happens in the classroom with a child psychologist?

As a rule, the first 2-3 lessons are aimed at establishing contact with the child and are of an introductory and diagnostic nature. The psychologist first invites the child to play, draw, compose a fairy tale, look at pictures, etc., and observes behavior and reactions in order to get an idea of ​​​​the possible causes of adaptation disorders and the appearance of a symptom.

After a few meetings, when the child gets used to the classes, the office, the regimen, this is no longer required. On the contrary, at this stage it is more important to give the child the opportunity for spontaneous activity and thereby allow the state that worries to manifest. The child plays with what worries him, he draws it or builds it in the sandbox. The task of the psychologist is to understand and accept this, to speak to the child of his feelings and needs at this moment, and thus help the child to independently comprehend what is happening.

The correction of behavior and the disappearance of the symptom occur precisely due to the linking of one's own behavior with emotions and needs through speech. First, through the speech of the one who is nearby (the psychologist), and then through his own speech. Literally, a child who used to suddenly throw his fists at the offender becomes able to say: “I don’t want to play with you, get away from me!”, And this is a completely different behavior. There is a control over the impulse, and aggressiveness becomes much less, or completely disappears.

How many meetings does it take to solve a problem?

Honestly - from 2 months of weekly meetings to several (2-3) years, if the situation is very serious.

How can I evaluate the performance of a child psychologist?

The child has a decrease in symptomatic behavior and an improvement in social adaptation. It becomes easier for parents to interact with the child, there is confidence in their abilities and in their parental competence.

Who from the environment of the child can turn to a child psychologist?

Either or both parents, provided that they live with the child, or one of the guardians who permanently resides and cares for the child. Any of the adult family members can make a request about the child and discuss their related issues, but the contract for working with the child is discussed ONLY with his parents or guardians.

Something worries me in the behavior of the child. Can I visit a child psychologist alone?

Yes, sure. Usually one (or both) parents without a child come to the first meeting. This is necessary to clarify the request and collect information. If the child is a teenager, it is better to come immediately with him, because teenagers are already able to understand and comprehend what is happening, unlike younger children, and can independently discuss their situation and motives. And this is useful for developing their sense of independence and control of their lives.

How often do parents need to communicate with a child psychologist?

Psychological work with a child is inextricably linked with work with parents. As a rule, parent meetings are held 1-2 times a month (the required minimum), and also if the parent has questions about the child's condition or the therapy process. At these meetings, parental requests, work forecasts, anxieties and fears about the child are discussed and can be reformulated, and strategies for the behavior of parents with a child in the family are developed. Parent meetings help adults "see" their child more fully and adjust their own expectations about him.

They say that the psychological problems of children are actually the problems of their parents. Is it so? Will I need to go to a psychologist myself?

Indeed, sometimes (but not always!) the symptoms of a child (aggressiveness, protest behavior, stubbornness, anxiety, various fears, phobias, timidity, suspiciousness) can arise and intensify due to a difficult family situation or incorrect parenting strategies.

The child is in the family, next to the adults around him, in a single space and in the same emotional field. We are so arranged that we become infected with those emotions and those anxieties among which we are.

This initially adaptive mental mechanism is necessary in order to quickly and easily control one's behavior in a human group and simply survive (run away by the whole tribe if we feel fear and panic among relatives; fight if someone rushes at us in a rage, etc. .d.), begins to work “idle” in a situation if nothing threatens us physically, and emotions signal the opposite (fearful, angry, nervous). This is exactly what happens in the emotional world of a child who lives among anxious, frightened or irritated adults, unable to understand what is happening and why. Then these strong, but incomprehensible, unconscious feelings find a "loophole" for themselves - a symptom. “It is very scary, but no one explains anything, does not reassure. I start biting my nails or breaking toys - a little easier, I get distracted, I release internal stress into some kind of activity. I'm terribly angry that my mother took away my own tablet, and I can't do anything about it, but I can steal the tablet from someone at school and hide it away.

Is it necessary to take the child to a child psychologist if potentially traumatic things happen in the family or environment of the child (death of loved ones, divorce of parents, etc.)?

If you see that the child cannot cope with strong feelings, and you are not sure that you can provide him with adequate support. My answer is that several meetings with a psychologist are better than months and years of unprocessed loss. This happens if the death of a loved one was hidden from the child for a long time, or they considered him so small that he “won’t understand anything”; or there were no suitable words of support and reassurance; or about a child because of their own loss (of a person or family) was simply “forgotten” for a while.

Child psychology is fraught with a lot of secrets, which it is not always possible for an ordinary person to understand. Despite the complexity of the issues, child psychology today is an area that has been sufficiently studied by specialists. Turning to a child psychologist, using his recommendations, you can build relationships with your children.

When do you need a child psychologist?

Parents of children most often turn to a child psychologist who have:

• aggressiveness towards others, conflicts with them, pugnacity, a desire to cause physical pain to another person (for example, to bite);
• whims, lack of obedience and contact with parents;
• anxiety and unreasonable fears;
• psychosomatic disorders (enuresis, tics, stuttering, headaches, nervous vomiting, etc.);
• unwillingness to learn, lack of interest in learning new things;
• shyness, timidity and lack of contact with peers;
• hysteria and excessive tearfulness;
• obsessive actions (biting nails, sucking fingers, twisting hair, pulling nose, etc.).

A highly professional child psychologist may also be required to resolve many other issues related to raising a baby, preparing him for kindergarten, for school, for moving to another place of residence, for the birth of a brother or sister, and also if your family is going through a divorce or re-entry into marriage.

How to prepare for an appointment with a child psychologist

Before you go to a meeting with a child psychologist, you need to make a list of questions that concern you. This will help the specialist to more accurately diagnose your child, identify the problem and determine the treatment. Remember how often this or that problem occurs, how it manifests itself and for how long? What did you do to solve it? Does it depend on the environment, the situation and the presence of a certain circle of people? Have you contacted the relevant specialists before, what did they say and what did they prescribe? It is best if you come to an appointment with a psychologist with a child's medical card.

Before the visit, inform the baby that he will have a meeting with a psychologist, that they will talk and play with him there. Don't come up with ridiculous stories. The child should not be afraid and strain, as in this state, communication and work with him will be difficult.

At a consultation with a child psychologist, the presence of all family members, that is, both parents, is desirable. If grandmothers and a nanny are engaged in raising a child, invite them too. If there are other children in your family who are involved in the problem, they should also be brought along.

Why do you need a psychologist in kindergarten? What are the requirements for it, and what functions does it have the right to perform? These questions are asked by many parents. The little man finds himself in an unusual, strange and new environment for him in a kindergarten. There are a lot of kids and adults around, you should obey the routine, eat and play with other kids on your own, learn to communicate with peers and interact with adults. To help the child adapt and monitor his condition should be a teacher-psychologist in kindergarten. For many kids, such an institution is the first serious stress. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should not leave the seemingly seemingly problems of little pupils unattended.

What is a psychologist?

A teacher-psychologist in a kindergarten is a very important specialist for children, their parents and the staff of the institution. Parents should not be afraid if a psychologist works with their child - he is not a doctor and does not diagnose children. His tasks are different.

The psychologist works in three directions:

• Working with a child. The specialist evaluates the personal characteristics of the baby, his psychotype, mentality and behavior, his natural inclinations, fears. Knowing the characteristics of each individual child, a kindergarten psychologist helps to adapt to new conditions, find a common language with peers and caregivers, resolve conflict situations and help if the baby has problems. The work of a psychologist with children combines the functions of psychological management and pedagogy.

• Working with the child's parents. Perhaps the kindergarten is even more stressful for the parents of the baby than for the pupil himself. The tasks of a psychologist include working with mothers and fathers in several directions: to help them understand the new status of the child, explain how to behave with him, how to work in the development of your baby, and resolve conflict situations. The specialist tells parents the further way of education. Also, the tasks of a psychologist include identifying developmental abnormalities and informing parents that their child needs medical advice.

• Working with kindergarten staff There is an opinion that the work of an educator is low-skilled, simple, not requiring special forces and special skills. This is a huge mistake. A psychologist in a kindergarten just works with the teaching staff, helps with problem children and performs mentoring functions in terms of working with children. Each teacher must find a common language with the entire group of kids, pick up the key to a small heart, become a friend, patron and mentor.

Functions of a psychologist

It is worth considering in more detail what functions psychologists perform in kindergartens. They are the following:

• adaptive;
• diagnostic;
• pedagogical;
• consulting;
• analytical;
• problematic.

Adaptive

The psychologist helps each child to adapt to the conditions of the kindergarten. As a rule, most children cannot immediately realize where they are, what is generally happening and how to behave. The child is under stress, and the task of the psychologist is to work with him so that the conditions of the kindergarten become natural and comfortable for each child.

Work is carried out both with the team as a whole and with each child. To implement these functions, a diary of a psychologist in kindergarten is created. In it, the specialist notes the points of the plan for the adaptation of younger kindergarteners and children who entered the institution at an older age. He paints an action plan for working with both kids and parents, and the educational staff.

The task of this stage is to help each child to realize himself as part of a team and feel comfortable in a kindergarten.

Diagnostic

As part of this function, a psychologist in kindergarten diagnoses the child's psychotype, his abilities and inclinations, and possible problems. In order to successfully work with each baby, you should know how he lives. A diagnosis of knowledge and skills is also carried out (how well children can go to the potty, use cutlery, behave in a team, interact with other children, etc.).

In addition to the basic skills, needs and characteristics of babies, a psychologist in the process of diagnosing reveals the problems of each child. It can be:

• speech therapy problems;
• nervous habits (nail biting, nose picking);
• developmental delay;
• conduct disorders;
• other problems.

Taking into account the results, the psychologist's classes in kindergarten with kids are built. If necessary, he will refer the child to a consultation with a specialist.

Pedagogical

A psychologist is primarily a teacher whose task is the comprehensive development of each child. To accomplish this task, psychologists in kindergartens:

• develop educational and educational programs for children of all ages;
• draw up a schedule of developmental games;
• conduct game psychotests to control the development of children;
• develop methods of social adaptation and mastering basic skills (this includes: rules of conduct, interaction in a team, ideas about the world, and others);
• conduct training work with staff;
• talking to the parents of the children;
• develop measures for the adaptation of problem children (with behavioral disorders, without serious mental or physical disorders).

Consulting

The psychologist works through communication. Consultations of a kindergarten psychologist may be of the following nature:

• personal (conversation with each child);
• general (work with the children's team);
• personal (conversation with each parent);
• general (with a group of parents);
• personal (with the child and his parents);
• general (with parents and caregivers);
• common (with caregivers and children).

Within each consultation certain nuances are considered. A psychologist can advise on the following issues:

• How can you help your child adjust?
• Basic advice to parents - how to behave with a kindergartener?
• Game activities with children, imitation of various situations.
• Work with each child to analyze his personality, needs and problems.
• Resolution of conflict and problem situations.
• Work with parents and caregivers in personal matters.
• Identification of problem children and notification of parents about difficulties.
• Much more.

All counseling work of a psychologist is based on helping children and their parents grow and develop together.

Analytical

As part of the analytical work, the psychologist:

• analyzes children - their behavior, skills, problems;
• prepares reports to higher organizations;
• performs tasks of an analytical nature provided for by law;
• keeps diaries and journals in the form prescribed by law;
• Submits reports required by law.

problematic

The kindergarten psychologist also solves problem situations. Its competence includes:

• identifying problems in children;
• analysis of problems and decision making - whether consultation of a specialist and specific treatment is required, or the problem can be solved by a psychologist;
• assistance in resolving conflict situations;
• work in problematic or non-standard situations with children, their parents and kindergarten staff;
• conducting private lessons with kids to solve their problems.

As a rule, clear restrictions are set for the psychologist and the functions that he no longer has the right to perform are prescribed. Let's consider them in more detail.

What a psychologist is not allowed to do

The functions of a psychologist do not apply to:

• Diagnosing children.
• Carrying out specific treatment or its appointment.
• Drawing up a mandatory program for parents to raise a child. The work of a psychologist is advisory and supportive.
• Working with children to set up certain behavioral and situational moments in them that are obviously dangerous for the child.
• Any work that is aimed at "digging" in the head of the baby without the knowledge of the parents or which can harm the child.

The advice of a psychologist in kindergarten is aimed at helping the child adapt, develop and interact with the outside world. They do not have a clear medical character. Also prohibited at the legislative level are any actions that can harm the mental or physical health of the baby.

Therefore, a kindergarten psychologist is a specialist who helps kids, their parents and staff to live together, study together and feel easy and comfortable.