PossAbilities Network therapists are specialists in working with children and young people. With over 30 years’ in the field, including our own parenting experience, we understand the issues that can affect children's mental health today. In addition, we have experience working with neuro-divergent young people, including those with ADHD and Autism. We are also specialists in childhood trauma.

PossAbilities therapists provide a safe and nurturing environment for your child. Whether they are coping with anxiety, family stress, bereavement, school pressures, low self-confidence, relationship issues, bullying, digital/online challenges, or trauma, we come alongside and support them to communicate their feelings and address the challenges they are facing. We will support your child to learn how to identify and manage emotions, develop coping skills, increase self-esteem and build resilience.

As part of our child-directed Pluralistic Therapy approach, PossAbilities therapists create a personalised blend of therapy methods for each child. All children are unique. There is not a ‘one-size-fits all’ approach that works for everyone or every support issue. At the start of therapy we introduce a wide range of evidence-based methods for your child to try. We agree on the ones that support your child best to communicate with their therapist and achieve the therapy goals. As well as talking, children can use therapeutic play, music, art, story, puppets, sand play and therapy worksheets.

At PossAbilities our experience is that children achieve the best therapy outcomes when we use a systemic approach which involves the key adults in a child’s life. When life gets tough children need a team of supporters around them. Supportive relationships provide a buffer that develops coping, improves mental health and builds resilience. If your child is under 13 years old, we expect you to play an active part in their ‘therapy support team’ by attending planned meetings - assessment, reviews and closure - and by assisting your child to attend sessions. We will support you as well. We will discuss how to better understand your child’s behaviour and communications. If it is helpful we can think together about how to improve the relationship with your child and the ways you want to parent. If your child is older than 13 we will discuss how best you might be involved in the therapy. Your child will be a part of these discussions.

Our child and youth therapy is strengths-based. We believe everyone has strengths, talents and resources. During challenging times we often forget about our strengths. We get very focused on what is wrong. At PossAbilities we also think about what is right. We don’t shy away from problems and what people struggle with. We try to hear the whole story. So, as well as focusing on the concerns you have for your child we will also explore their strengths and the coping resources in the family.

All PossAbilities Network therapy services are feedback-informed. We ask for feedback at each session to ensure that the intervention is helping and staying focused on the therapy goals. We use an international feedback tool - the Child Outcome Rating Scale - as a way of listening to everyone, tracking change and adapting our approach if needed.

Our individual therapy sessions for children and young people are usually in-person at the PossAbilities Network rooms in Craigavon. Meetings with parents/carers can be online or in-person.