Professional Certificate in Child Psychotherapy

October/November 2027 | 34 CPD Hours | Live Online via Zoom | Ages 5-12

1. Presenter Bio

Susi Lodola (MIACP)

Susi Lodola (MIACP) is an IACP-accredited psychotherapist and clinical supervisor with over 11 years of clinical experience in private practice. Her work includes psychotherapy, clinical supervision, professional education and the development and delivery of continuing professional development programmes for counsellors and psychotherapists.

Susi has lectured at third level in psychotherapy and psychological perspectives on mental health and delivers professional training to psychotherapists, counsellors and educational professionals. She also provides training for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), Department of Education.

She holds an MSc in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, a Higher Diploma in Psychology from University College Dublin, a BA (First Class Honours) in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy, a BA (Hons) in Linguistics from University College Dublin, a Professional Certificate in Child & Adolescent Counselling, a Practitioner Certificate in Mindfulness and a Diploma in Clinical Supervision.

Her professional interests include evidence-informed psychotherapy, developmental approaches to therapeutic work, CBT, individualised case formulation and helping therapists translate psychological theory and research into practical interventions that can be adapted to the developmental needs of the individual child.

2. Course Outline

The Professional Certificate in Child Psychotherapy is a 4.5-day professional training programme designed for qualified therapists and other appropriately trained professionals who want to develop the knowledge, confidence and practical skills required to work therapeutically with children aged 5-12.

Working with children requires more than adapting adult psychotherapy. The therapist needs to consider the child's developmental stage, communication abilities, family and school context, capacity to understand and express emotions, and the role of parents and carers throughout therapy.

The programme takes a pluralistic and evidence-informed approach. Participants learn to assess and formulate a child's difficulties and use that formulation to select developmentally appropriate interventions rather than applying one model to every child.

The course covers practical preparation for working with children, including setting up an appropriate therapy room, selecting resources and explaining therapy to children and parents. Participants then work through child-specific intake and assessment, building the therapeutic relationship, individualised formulation, treatment planning and communicating psychological ideas in ways children can understand.

Verbal, creative, symbolic, behavioural and relational methods are explored as ways of helping children communicate, understand their experiences and engage in therapy. Creative and play-based methods are included where they are developmentally useful; however, this programme is not a play therapy qualification.

Particular attention is given to working collaboratively with parents and carers while maintaining the child's voice and therapeutic relationship. The programme also addresses confidentiality, consent, safeguarding, risk, mandatory reporting, record keeping and the wider legal and ethical responsibilities involved in working with children.

Teaching is practical and case-based, with a final half-day integrated case workshop in which participants bring assessment, formulation, intervention planning, parent work and ethical decision-making together.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Understand key aspects of child cognitive, emotional, social and relational development and how developmental stage influences therapeutic work.
• Prepare a developmentally appropriate therapeutic environment for working with children aged 5-12.
• Conduct a child-specific intake and assessment and gather information from children, parents and carers appropriately, legal considerations.
• Develop an individualised formulation and treatment plan incorporating developmental, psychological, family, school and wider contextual factors.
• Adapt therapeutic communication, psychoeducation and counselling skills for younger clients.
• Select and use developmentally appropriate verbal, creative, symbolic, behavioural and relational interventions within professional competence.
• Adapt CBT and behavioural principles to support children with common emotional and behavioural difficulties.
• Help children understand, express and manage difficult emotions using developmentally appropriate methods.
• Involve parents and carers appropriately while protecting the child's therapeutic space and voice.
• Navigate child-specific confidentiality, consent, safeguarding, risk, mandatory reporting and record-keeping responsibilities.
• Recognise the limits of professional competence and use supervision, further training and referral appropriately.

4. Dates, Fee, Booking & Contact

Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on the IACP website event calendar, the IACP cannot accept any responsibility or liability for information provided by outside organisation. The views expressed in presentations made at this event are those of the event organiser / speaker and not, necessarily, of the IACP. Presentations at this event do not constitute an endorsement  of the IACP regarding organiser’s or speaker’s views, products or services.