With statutory CAMHS services often heavily oversubscribed, and school and college services mainly offering brief therapeutic interventions, parents are increasingly turning to private practitioners for therapy for their children when they need expert emotional or psychological support. Working privately with children and families can be a rewarding experience for counsellors and psychotherapists but it can also be fraught with concerns for both practitioners and families alike. These concerns can seem so daunting that therapists with clinical experience of therapy with children continue to limit themselves to working only in education or statutory settings. This book offers comprehensive guidance to both experienced and novice counsellors to assist them in the process of setting up or adapting their private practice to include children and young people. It coherently and systematically addresses the obstacles which stand in the way of practitioners offering this important service effectively and ethically. The book is divided into four parts and uses case material to bring to life the areas covered by each chapter.

Introduction , Private Practice with Children and Young People , Referral and assessment , Contracting and establishing the therapeutic frame , Setting up: creating a setting for therapy with children and young people , Working with parents and families , Ethical Issues in Counselling Children and Young People in Private Practice , The law, ethical issues, and confidentiality , Working therapeutically with risk , Professional Issues in Private Practice with Children and Young People , Referring on and working with other agencies , Training, supervision, and support networks , Working with Technology in Private Practice with Children and Young People , The impact of digital technology and communication , Useful resources