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Children, Teens & Families
When a child or teenager is struggling, it can affect the whole family. You may have noticed growing anxiety, low mood, anger, withdrawal, school difficulties, emotional outbursts, family tension, or a sense that something has changed and you are not sure how best to help.
Parents often come to us because they want clear psychological expertise, practical strategies, and confidence that the person working with their child understands how to help children, parents and families move forward.
At Hampstead Psychology, we offer private psychological therapy and specialist assessments for children, teenagers and families in Hampstead, North London, and online across the UK and internationally. Your child will be supported by a carefully selected psychologist with the training, experience and clinical judgement to understand the whole picture.
We take care to understand your child’s emotional wellbeing, development, relationships, school life and family context. We then work with you and your child to identify what is keeping the difficulty going and match your family with the psychologist best placed to help.
This page is for information and does not replace a clinical assessment, diagnosis, or medical advice.
When a child, teenager or family may need support
Many parents wait a while before seeking help. Sometimes this is because they hope things will improve on their own. Sometimes it is because they are unsure whether what they are seeing is simply part of development, stress, or a passing phase. Sometimes it is because family life is so busy that it is hard to stop and think clearly about what is happening.
But when a child, teenager, or family is struggling, early support can make a real difference. You may recognise some of the following:
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Your child seems more anxious, upset, or emotionally reactive than usual.
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Your teenager has become withdrawn, low, irritable, or difficult to reach.
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School attendance, friendships, or confidence have become harder.
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There are more emotional outbursts, tension, or conflict at home.
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Your child or teenager seems overwhelmed, stuck, or no longer like themselves.
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You are concerned about OCD, panic, health anxiety, neurodiversity, or another specialist difficulty.
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Family life feels increasingly shaped by worry, avoidance, stress, or misunderstanding.
If any of this feels familiar, it does not necessarily mean something is seriously wrong. It may mean that a pattern has developed that needs understanding and support.
Support for children and teenagers at different stages
Children and teenagers show distress in different ways depending on their age, development, school life and family context. At Hampstead Psychology, your family will be supported by carefully selected psychologists with the experience and clinical judgement to understand what is happening and what is most likely to help.
Young children
Younger children may show distress through anxiety, separation difficulties, sleep problems, emotional outbursts, toileting issues, fears, clinginess or difficulty with routines and transitions. Parents often come to us when they want expert help to understand whether this is a phase, a response to stress, or something needing more specialist support.
Older children
Older children may struggle with anxiety, low confidence, friendships, school pressure, anger, avoidance, physical symptoms or changes in mood and behaviour. Therapy helps identify what is keeping the difficulty going and gives parents and children practical strategies to support confidence, regulation and day-to-day family life.
Teenagers
Teenagers may present with anxiety, low mood, withdrawal, self-criticism, identity concerns, exam stress, social difficulties, body image concerns, emotional overwhelm or family tension. Our psychologists work with teenagers in a way that respects their independence while also helping parents understand how best to support them.
Support for parents and families
When a child is struggling, parents often feel stressed, worried and unsure what to do next. We work with families to provide clear psychological understanding, practical guidance and a focused plan that supports the child, the parents and the wider family system.
What keeps children, teenagers and families stuck?
When a child or teenager is distressed, families naturally try to help. Parents may give extra reassurance, reduce demands, adapt routines, avoid certain situations, or work very hard to keep things calm.
These responses usually come from love and a wish to protect. Over time, however, some patterns can unintentionally keep the difficulty going. Anxiety can grow when avoidance takes over. Conflict can intensify when everyone feels unheard or under pressure. A young person can become more stuck when they feel overwhelmed, misunderstood or unsure how to change.
Families can also begin to organise everyday life around the difficulty, making home, school, routines or relationships feel smaller, tenser or more exhausting. Therapy helps identify these patterns and gives the child, parents and family clearer strategies for moving forward.
Support helps make sense of these patterns, understand what is maintaining them, and begin finding a more workable way forward.
See our other pages here: Child Therapy, Teen Therapy, Autism Assessment, Parenting Support, Family Support, Fees, Meet the Team, Contact.
How we can help
We offer psychological therapy, family-focused support and specialist assessment for children, teenagers and families, depending on the nature of the concern and what is most likely to help. This may include therapy for anxiety, low mood, OCD, panic, emotional or behavioural difficulties, school problems, low confidence, stress, identity concerns or relationship difficulties. It may also include parent guidance, family work, or specialist autism assessment where greater clarity is needed.
Our psychologists take time to understand the whole picture before recommending the right approach. The aim is not simply to reduce distress in the short term, but to help children, teenagers, parents and families understand what is happening, build practical strategies, and move towards lasting change.
What to expect from sessions?
We begin by understanding the concerns carefully. That may involve meeting with parents first, meeting with the child or teenager directly, or thinking together about whether therapy, family work, parenting support, or assessment is the most appropriate next step.
Some children and teenagers need focused support around a specific difficulty. Some families benefit from space to understand patterns at home and think differently about how to respond. In some cases, an assessment is the right place to begin. We will help you think clearly about what is most appropriate and make sure the support feels well matched.
How long does support take?
This varies depending on the nature of the difficulty, how long it has been present, and what kind of help is needed. Some families come for focused short-term work around a particular concern. Others need longer-term support where difficulties are more complex or have been present for some time. We review progress together so that the work stays purposeful and helpful.
Children, teen & family support in Hampstead & online
We offer appointments in person in Hampstead and online across the UK and internationally. Some families prefer the containment and ease of in-person sessions. Others value the flexibility of online work around school, family life, and travel. Both can be effective, and we can help you think about which format is likely to suit your child, teenager, or family best.
Contact Hampstead Psychology to enquire about therapy for children, teens and families in London or online.
Meet The Team
At Hampstead Psychology, all of our psychologists have extensive training to doctoral level and decades of experience in their field of expertise. You will be matched with a psychologist who has the knowledge and skill to help you understand and overcome your problem - not just in the short term but for good.
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