Cormack and James

Specialist Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy Service in Hove

10/08/2026

Understanding Trauma Therapy

It’s normal for parents to worry that talking about trauma will make their child's distress worse.

It's a common concern, but trauma therapy isn't about asking children to revisit painful experiences before they're ready.

The first priority is helping a child feel to safe and to stabilise them emotionally. That begins with a careful assessment to understand their experiences, current difficulties, and whether they're ready to explore what has happened.

Much of the early work focuses on building trust, developing emotional regulation skills, and helping children feel more in control of their thoughts and feelings. Only when they have the right foundations in place does trauma processing become appropriate—and even then, it moves at the child's pace.

Good trauma therapy doesn't rush difficult conversations.

It helps children build the emotional strength they need before asking them to face experiences that have felt overwhelming. That careful, phased approach is what supports lasting healing, rather than simply reopening old wounds.

06/08/2026

How Serious Is Serious Enough?

It's easy to wonder whether a child's consistent behaviours are just a phase or something that needs a closer look.

It’s a normal healthy response for parents to give time to see if things will settle on their own. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't.

Emotional difficulties don't usually arrive overnight; they tend to creep in. A child who used to love seeing friends starts making excuses not to go, getting to school becomes a battle. They seem quieter, more anxious, or more easily upset than they used to be.

None of these changes automatically mean there's a serious problem. But if they're becoming more frequent or starting to affect everyday life, they're worth paying attention to.

Looking for support isn't about putting a label on a child. It's about understanding what's changed and helping before those struggles become harder to untangle.

You don't have to wait until things reach breaking point before asking for guidance. Sometimes acting early is what stops a small concern becoming a much bigger one.

03/08/2026

Parents expect their children to relax during the holidays. So why do some children become more anxious, emotional or clingy instead? This video explores the role that routine, relationships and breaks in therapy can play in a child’s struggles with the holiday transition, particularly in the long summer break.

https://youtu.be/JLBjmN3sD6g

30/07/2026

When School Refusal Signals Anxiety

School refusal is easy to mistake for defiance or poor behaviour. But that's not really what's happening.

For some children, going to school feels overwhelming. They aren't refusing because they don't care about learning or want to challenge the adults around them. They're more likely to be struggling with emotions that feel too big to manage.

Anxiety can show itself in ways that aren't always obvious. A child who seems oppositional may actually be frightened. A child who appears difficult may simply be overwhelmed.

Focusing only on getting them through the school gates can mean missing what's driving the behaviour in the first place.

Adults often are left thinking about how they can stop this behaviour rather than asking what this behaviour is communicating.

Understanding the reason behind school refusal is an important step towards helping a child feel safe enough to return.

20/04/2026

More Than Just Talking

Some parents wonder whether therapy is simply a conversation anyone could have.
When a child is struggling, families are not looking for abstract discussion. They want to see real change — in behaviour, confidence, and day-to-day life.

It is completely reasonable to question how talking leads to improvement.

Child psychotherapy is far more than a chat. Much of the work happens within the therapeutic relationship, in ways that are not always visible on the surface.

Effective therapeutic work includes:
• Clear, shared goals
• Emotional regulation developed through the relationship
• Helping parents understand deeper, unconscious processes
• Ongoing review of progress

Children learn to reflect on behaviour, work through setbacks, and build resilience over time.

When delivered properly, therapy is not passive conversation.
It is structured, guided development that leads to meaningful and lasting change.

15/04/2026

Accountability Without Shame

Therapeutic parenting approaches can sometimes be misunderstood.

- Acknowledging feelings.
- Holding clear boundaries.
- Using time-in rather than time-out.
- Reducing shaming responses.

This can sound like accountability is being sidelined.

It may seem as though consequences are being replaced with comfort and reward, and behaviour is being explained away rather than addressed.

Actually, these approaches are designed to increase responsibility, not remove it.

When a child’s feelings are acknowledged, their emotional defensiveness lowers.
When their boundaries are clear and consistent it reduces anxiety.
When shame is reduced, outbursts reduce and refelction becomes possible.

Shame shuts down growth.
Regulation creates the space for it.

Therapy-informed parenting is not permissive. It is structured, intentional, and developmentally grounded.

Accountability develops when a child can recognise what they feel, understand what they did, and choose differently next time.

That is not reduced responsibility.
That is sustainable responsibility.

Address

Suite 306, The Dock Hub, Wilbury Villas
Brighton And Hove
BN36AH

Website

http://www.cormackandjames.com/

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