Ekaterina Morozova


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Raising a child is not just hard work, but also talent. It is very important to feel what is happening with the baby and take timely measures. But not every mother is able to cope with her child when his behavior goes beyond parental control. And it’s quite difficult to look at it from the outside, being next to your child every day.

How can you determine when a child needs a psychologist, what his job is, and in what situations you absolutely cannot do without him?

Who is a child psychologist?

Child psychologist is not a doctor, and should not be confused with a psychiatrist . This specialist has no right to make diagnoses or issue prescriptions. The work of the internal systems of the child’s body, as well as appearance a baby is also not his profile.

The main task of a child psychologist is psychological assistance through game methods . It is in play that the feelings suppressed by the child are revealed and the search for a solution to the child’s problem is most effective.


When is a child psychologist needed?

  • No more important than people for the baby than his parents. But the deep interaction between children and parents within the family does not allow mom and dad to be objective - due to the habit of playing roles, due to a certain reaction to the child’s behavior. That is, Parents cannot look at the situation from the outside . Another option is also possible: the parents are clearly aware of the problem, but the child does not dare to open up because of fear, fear of upsetting, etc. In a situation that cannot be resolved within the family, the only helper remains child psychologist.
  • Every small man goes through a period of personality formation. And even if family relationships are ideal and harmonious, the child suddenly stops listening , and the parents clutch their heads - “what’s wrong with our child?” Do you feel like you don’t have the strength or ability to influence the situation? Is your child completely out of your control? Contact a specialist - he will be able to assess the situation objectively and find the key to solving the problem.
  • Is your child afraid to spend the night alone in a room? Do you need to leave the lights on throughout the entire apartment at night? Are you afraid of thunder and unfamiliar guests? If the feeling of fear does not give the child a calm life, suppresses and depresses, puts him in a position of helplessness in the face of a particular situation, take the advice of a psychologist. Of course, childhood fears are a natural period in every person’s life, but many of the fears remain with us forever, developing into phobias and other troubles. A psychologist will help you get through these moments as painlessly as possible and tell you how to teach your child to cope with his fears.
  • Excessive bashfulness, shyness, self-consciousness. It is in childhood that those character traits are formed that in the future will contribute to the ability to defend oneself, deal adequately with criticism, get along with any people, take initiative, etc. A psychologist will help the child overcome his shyness, open up, and become more free. Read also:
  • Aggression. Many fathers and mothers have to face this problem. A child's unmotivated aggression confuses parents. What happened to the baby? Where does the outburst of anger come from? Why did he hit the kitten (pushed a peer on a walk, threw a toy at dad, broke his favorite car for which mom shelled out her bonus, etc.)? Aggression is never without reason! This is important to understand. And so that such behavior does not become a bad habit of the child and does not develop into something more serious, it is important to understand the reasons in time, help the child not to “withdraw into himself” and teach him to express his feelings.
  • Hyperactivity. This phenomenon has a very serious impact on the child himself and causes fatigue, anger and trouble for parents. The psychologist’s task is to determine the child’s main aspirations and direct them in the right direction.
  • Force majeure. There are enough situations in our lives that even adults are sometimes unable to cope with without help. , death of a family member or beloved pet, new team, serious illness, violence - it’s impossible to list everything. To a small child It is incredibly difficult to comprehend what happened, digest it and draw the right conclusions. And even if outwardly the child remains calm, a real storm can rage inside him, which sooner or later will break out. A psychologist will help you understand how deeply the child is psychologically traumatized and survive what happened with minimal losses.
  • School performance. A sharp decline in academic performance, inventing reasons not to go to school, unusual behavior are reasons for a more attentive attitude towards the child. And given that this age does not imply special frankness with parents, a psychologist may become the only hope - not to “miss out” on your child.

Child psychologist - what do you need to know about his work?



If you are thinking about visiting a psychologist, then you should not put off visiting him. Remember - your child is constantly developing. And so that later all the problems don’t snowball on you, resolve all crisis situations as they arise – timely and competently.

It is easier to immediately solve the problem together with a child psychologist than to “break” the child later.

  • child psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists with experience in clinics in the USA and Western Europe;
  • comprehensive and individual approach to each patient with the participation of specialists of different profiles: psychotherapist, psychologist, child psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, speech pathologist and occupational therapist;
  • family psychotherapy;
  • individual neuropsychological correction programs.

A child pedagogue psychologist is a specialist whose professional field includes the study, diagnosis and treatment of deviations in the formation of the personality and behavior of children. A good child psychologist takes into account all the factors in their interaction, because the child has to face various problems, which together can cause the disease. For a child educator-psychologist, it is important to consider each case in specific conditions.

A child psychotherapist identifies and treats diseases of psychogenic origin. The competence of a child psychotherapist differs significantly from the competence of an adult doctor, since when treating children it is necessary to take into account many factors: age, stages of development of physiological and mental functions, conditions of upbringing and education.

A child psychotherapist works in two directions:

  • clinical psychotherapy (diagnosis and treatment of somatic, borderline and mental illnesses);
  • person-oriented psychotherapy (changing attitudes towards oneself, towards others, towards the world around us).

Despite the sometimes disdainful attitude of parents towards psychotherapy and psychologists, a good child psychologist knows that a child’s entry into new social environments, their change, and the child’s emergence of rights and responsibilities have a direct impact on the child’s attitude towards the world around him. Therefore, the doctor can help the child overcome the discomfort.

Areas of work of a child teacher-psychologist:

  • psychodiagnostics;
  • family counseling, parent counseling;
  • child psychotherapy;
  • activities to develop skills (attention, concentration, memory, imagination, etc.).

Consultation with a child psychologist is indicated in the following cases:

  • loss of self-control by the child;
  • aggressiveness;
  • increased activity;
  • unstable mood;
  • problems communicating with peers or adults;
  • failure at school.

A consultation with a child psychologist promotes an adequate perception of the problem by parents, a view of it from the child’s perspective, and the achievement of mutual understanding between them, which can significantly speed up the process of diagnosis and treatment.

If you notice suspicious changes in your child's behavior, you need a child psychologist. In Moscow a full range of Psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance is provided by EMC specialists. In order to provide timely assistance, a good child psychologist in Moscow must be a doctor who carries out his activities, guided by many years of experience and the latest developments of scientists - EMC doctors are precisely such specialists. The clinic is staffed by child psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists with experience working in clinics in the USA and Western Europe. Young patients are provided with help and support in solving the full range of psycho-emotional problems.

When working with children, a child psychotherapist and a child teacher-psychologist use:

  • psychotherapy techniques, psychological counseling;
  • technologies of cognitive behavioral therapy;
  • modern drug therapy;
  • physiotherapy techniques.

A child psychotherapist and a child educational psychologist often work together, since this approach allows us to consider the problem from all sides, make the most accurate diagnosis and choose a treatment method.

In addition to child psychotherapists, psychologists and a child psychiatrist, the clinic also employs a neuropsychologist, defectologist and occupational therapist, which allows us to solve many “traditional” problems in the field of child psychotherapy:

  • adaptation problems;
  • learning or behavioral problems;
  • consequences of psychological trauma, etc.

A child psychotherapist is not limited to communicating only with the child, since it is extremely important to achieve the same understanding and vision of the problem for both them and the parents. In this regard, it is possible to conduct a course of family psychotherapy.

Neuropsychological correction

At the clinic, with the direct participation of a neuropsychologist, neurocognitive correction programs have been developed for children with hyperactivity ( NICHQ Vanderbilt Parent Questionnaire (download and print), severe somatic diseases, innovative programs for the correction of eating disorders in young children, as well as programs for the development of social and everyday skills in children with developmental delays. A children's teacher-psychologist is directly involved in the treatment process.

Neuropsychological correction is an effective method of helping children facing difficulties in learning and communication. According to studies, such problems are largely related to the individual characteristics of the formation of mental functions in the early stages of a child’s development, starting from the period of intrauterine development. The neuropsychological correction program is a set of exercises designed in accordance with the periods of development of human mental processes. During classes, children have the opportunity to game form go through the stages again psychomotor development, “to complete” those mental processes that, for various reasons, were not fully formed at the appropriate age stages.

Neuropsychological correction programs are aimed at solving problems:

  • increased fatigue, difficulty concentrating;
  • absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, inattention, difficulties in self-organization;
  • distractibility, restlessness;
  • difficulties in memorizing and learning, including the development of counting, reading, and writing skills;
  • difficulties in planning, logical thinking.

In the absence of attention from specialists and timely psychological assistance, such developmental features in the future become a serious obstacle for the child to socialization and mastery of a profession. In some cases, specialists in related fields help prevent these problems: children's psychotherapist, children's teacher-psychologist.

The neuropsychological correction program is developed individually depending on the child’s age and in accordance with the results of neuropsychological diagnostics. During neuropsychological studies, the specialist determines the main cause of the child’s difficulties, the level of formation of individual mental functions, and the strengths and weaknesses of development. Based on the results obtained, individual or group classes in a neuropsychological correction program can be recommended, their duration and intensity pre-determined.

Eating disorders in children

At the EMC children's clinic, a child psychotherapist also provides assistance to young patients with eating disorders, including early age. The problem may lie in parents’ misconceptions about the child’s rational nutrition in the first months and years of life, or in a distorted opinion about how much a child should weigh and look like at a certain age. As a result, as the child gets older, he loses the ability to adequately assess his food needs and ceases to understand whether he is really hungry. It is possible to develop concomitant digestive problems and other psychosomatic disorders. After excluding somatic diseases that could cause the problem, specialists help parents learn everything about the child’s needs, proper care look after the baby and teach feeding rules.

When is a child psychologist needed?

The idea of ​​turning to a specialist often arises during age-related crises (a year and a half, three to four, six to seven and adolescence). A sharp leap and serious changes occur in a child’s development. Mom and dad do not have time to get used to these changes, do not take them into account in communication, and use educational techniques that are no longer effective in the new conditions. All this is superimposed on increased emotionality child, characteristic of transitional periods.

But another situation is also possible in which the teacher really sees those aspects of your child’s life that are not noticeable to you. An objective view of a child psyche specialist in this case will not be superfluous.

There are a number of other situations when it is useful to consult with a psychologist or attend a course:

Period adaptation to kindergarten and to school. This is always a time of increased stress on the child’s psyche, the consequences of which are not always visible. It is important to evaluate objectively psychological condition child and promptly help him overcome emerging difficulties.

Family problems ( parents' divorce , protracted family conflicts, etc.). Even if it seems that conflicts do not affect the child in any way, it makes sense to consult a psychologist to diagnose the child’s emotional state. In some cases, a series of sessions with a specialist may be required to help the child accept changes in the family.

Assessment of readiness for schooling(6-7 years old). The future largely depends on the level of training first grade student's performance . A psychologist will help assess this level and give recommendations on choosing the most optimal curriculum for preparation based on the child’s characteristics.

Sudden changes in the child’s behavior (especially the appearance of clear signs of aggressiveness, depression, fears and anxiety) that have no obvious reasons. Behind such changes there may be psychological trauma that the child cannot directly tell his parents about. Special psychological diagnostics will help to recognize it.

The work of a child psychologist may include:

Psychodiagnostics

Any psychologist has a fairly large range of psychodiagnostic tools and techniques. The specialist may ask the child to draw something, maybe play a fun game with him . In fact, using these procedures to identify the necessary data.

Developmental activities

With the help of psychological games, a specialist will help develop the necessary skills and qualities in the child. Attention, memory, perseverance, logical and imaginative thinking - educational games for a wide range of ages are in the arsenal of a child psychologist.

Child psychotherapy

If a child has serious emotional or personality difficulties, psychotherapeutic work may be required. These could be classes relieving anxiety, fears, aggressive tendencies, as well as to increase self-esteem. A game, a drawing, a fairy tale - all objects and activities that are familiar and interesting to a child become a powerful means of help in the hands of a specialist.

Family counseling

To solve a child’s problem, it is often enough for parents to figure out the reasons themselves and change something in their behavior and in the situation surrounding the child. A well-conducted consultation very often eliminates the need for special psychological work with the child himself.

A visit to a psychologist will help to understand the objective situation, the emotional state of the child, and identify the causes of difficulties. There is no need to wait for a critical situation to do this. psychological prevention no less important than medical.

Who is a child psychologist?

Contrary to the name of the specialty, a child psychologist is a person who can help not only the child, but also his parents. He will give advice to the little patient that will help solve internal problems, and to mom and dad - to find the key to the baby and establish harmony in the family. A specialist is able to help get rid of fears and resolve contradictions that have arisen, which can seriously harm the fragile child’s psyche. It is worth remembering that a child psychologist is not a doctor (psychiatrists use a medical approach to solving problems).

What does a specialist do?

A child psychologist is called upon to help a child deal with issues that bother him. In most cases, this can be done by the parents themselves, but, unfortunately, they are not always able to recognize the problem in time or the traumatic factor was too serious. A true professional is well versed in issues of developmental psychology and knows very well the methods of working with children (including play). Problems that may inevitably arise in children at a certain age also become the subject of the work of a psychologist. In addition, often only he can establish real reasons behavior of the child, as well as to see what is actually happening in the family (this is why psychological examination is often used even in the investigation of crimes committed against children).

When is it necessary to visit a specialist?

Take a closer look at your child. If you notice that he has withdrawn into himself and refuses to make contact with you, then you should consult a child psychologist. A visit to a specialist is also necessary if the child experiences the stages of growing up too hard (for example, transitional age). It is also worth contacting a professional if your child has phobias (fear of the dark, insects, closed spaces, etc.). Excessive aggressiveness or, conversely, timidity and shyness are also reasons to go to a child psychologist.

How to become a child psychologist?

In order to run your own practice, you need to obtain a higher education. Dozens of state and non-state universities in Moscow allow you to obtain this specialty. Depending on the specific educational institution, you should enroll in the faculty of psychology or pedagogy. Good choice will become the psychological faculty of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of Moscow State Pedagogical University, various areas of Moscow State Pedagogical University, etc. Constant professional development also plays a huge role. Students are encouraged to take electives and graduates are encouraged to take courses.

Famous Moscow specialists

Child psychology originated abroad. In Russia they began to become interested in it at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. M.M. made a great contribution to the development of this scientific direction. Rubinstein, who became a member of the Moscow Psychological Society. Under his editorship, a series of books “Great Teachers” was published. It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of G.I. Rossolimo and V.P. Kashchenko, who were the first to highlight child psychology as a separate field.

A child psychologist is not a doctor; he does not treat diseases. This is a specialist who has received a higher education in the humanities in the field of applied and scientific psychology, and also has versatile, rich knowledge about the functioning and development of the child’s psyche.

What problems does a child psychologist help solve:

  • Difficulties in learning, delayed speech and mental development.
  • Fears, phobias, increased anxiety.
  • Insufficient development of the cognitive sphere (logical thinking, memory, imagination, attention).
  • Enuresis, obsessive movements, stuttering.
  • Aggression, communication problems.
  • Hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder.
  • Post-traumatic emotional states.

The main specialization of a child psychologist is the correction of the child’s relationships with the world around him, relatives, peers and adults. Working with a psychologist will give a child the opportunity to overcome their own fears, aggression, shyness, conflict, and also master the skills of concentration, self-control, self-organization and emotion management.

When is a consultation with a psychologist necessary for the whole family?

Most often, a child’s behavior depends on the general atmosphere in the family. Is the child restless, inattentive, sleeps poorly, has difficulty perceiving information, is disobedient, capricious, whiny? Does your child have communication problems, is he touchy, aggressive, prone to fears, and does not know how to manage anger and other emotions? Welcome to a consultation with a child psychologist. All of the above problems are a good reason for a visit with the whole family.

A consultation with a child psychologist will help your child develop natural abilities, develop the right approach to learning, establish communication, get rid of fears, phobias, insecurities, worries and other problems that interfere with a full life.

We practice an individual approach to each child, creating the most comfortable conditions for our clients that are conducive to productive work. Depending on the characteristics of each case and the client’s condition, we select special techniques and methods of interaction. These can be individual or group classes; short-term consultations, designed for several meetings, or therapeutic courses lasting from several weeks, months or years.

Our center employs a team of experienced specialists, representatives of various psychotherapeutic schools, which allows you to choose for your child the optimal and most suitable effective method therapy. Contact us, we will be happy to help!