Core competencies of child and adolescent psychotherapists–counsellors

*EIATSCYP – European Interdisciplinary Association for Therapeutic Services for Children & Young People. (2025). Generic Child Core Competencies. Retrieved 30.01. 2025. [https://eiatscyp.com/standards-for-education-training-practice-and-research/generic-child-core-competencies/] [Taken from: BHIDAPA Academy of Psychotherapy]

1. Professional, independent, and responsible child and adolescent therapeutic practice

• Establish safe and effective conditions for professional practice
• Provide an appropriate environment for professional practice
• Engage in quality assurance processes and procedures
• Ensure appropriate training/education and professional development
• Maintain continuous personal and professional development

2. Ability to communicate with, support, and assist children and young people

• Age-appropriate engagement and clear communication with children and young people
• Definition of the therapist’s and client’s roles
• Child-focused, process-oriented collaboration to define goals
• Understanding of play and its importance for development, learning, and recovery
• Interaction with children and young people in ways meaningful to them
• Facilitative relational skills, compassionate presence, and ability to listen to children

3. Ability to conduct appropriate child-focused assessment and evaluate ongoing practice

• Understanding multifactorial influences on a child’s mental health and emotional well-being.
• Observation skills and evaluative ability in identifying individual child needs.
• Application of different frameworks for conceptualising strengths and difficulties.
• Integration of assessment and outcome measurement with ethical considerations.
• Case presentation skills including assessment, formulation, practice, and evaluation.

4. Ability to establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship with children and young people

• Principles of professional practice when working with children and young people.
• Development of safe and reliable working alliances with children.
• Understanding key concepts required for applied therapeutic thinking.
• Safe and effective work with relational and developmental processes.
• Managing beginnings and endings with dignity and respect for children and young people.

5. Ability to identify risks and take action to protect children and young people, ensuring their safety

• Knowledge of relevant legal, ethical, and procedural safeguarding frameworks.
• Understanding how legislation is translated into policy and organisational practice.
• Advocacy and mediation skills on behalf of children in rights-based practice.
• Managing power in relation to vulnerability, agency, and autonomy.
• Knowledge and skills for accurate risk assessment and professional judgement.
• Understanding risks and benefits of working with technology and the internet.

6. Understanding why children and young people experience difficulties

• Understanding the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in context.
• Knowledge of various diagnostic frameworks and a range of assessment criteria.
• Awareness of each child’s unique and individual neurodiversity experiences.
• Awareness and critical analysis of medical diagnoses and the impact of trauma.
• Professional skills in connecting the child, family, and the wider care system.

7. Understanding child development and the importance of attachment

• Understanding physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development.
• Knowledge of key milestones from conception to adulthood.
• Knowledge of neurodevelopmental perspectives and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
• Understanding the impact of discrimination and environmental deprivation (related to age, childhood, racism, cultural diversity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, value differences, religion, or spirituality).
• Recognising each child’s unique lived experience within the context of growing up.

8. Ability to work with parents and carers in diverse cultural contexts

• Managing contracts and boundaries with parents and carers on behalf of children.
• Understanding the impact of the wider care system on child development.
• Communication and relationship skills for effective work in systemic contexts.
• Providing information and understanding of children’s needs and rights.
• Ability to provide consultation to parents and carers, and relevant psychoeducation.

9. Awareness of differences, inequalities, and cultural diversity with a focus on children’s and young people’s needs and development

• Knowledge and understanding of legislation in relation to practice.
• Understanding the impact of prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion.
• Professional skills to ensure safe and effective anti-oppressive practice.
• Ability to work with complex relational and developmental processes.
• Ability to communicate and work with respect, inclusion, and participation of children (listening to what the child wishes to express) in the therapeutic process.

10. Knowledge and understanding of the Team Around the Child, and interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral work

• Understanding the broader context of intersectoral, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary work.
• Managing interfaces within statutory, independent, and voluntary inter-agency arrangements.
• Enabling the child’s inclusive voice in decision-making and report writing (particularly taking into account the comments of Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the distinction between wishes and needs).
• Understanding the ethical complexity of information sharing in systemic contexts.
• Advocacy and mediation skills within teams on behalf of children and young people.

11. Ability to recognise one’s own area of expertise and knowledge, and when to seek help

• Knowledge of a wide range of multidisciplinary professionals and services.
• Ability to identify needs and make appropriate referrals where necessary.
• Managing competing adult agendas in the best interests of children.
• Consultation skills for children, young people, parents, carers, and organisations.
• Recognising limits of competence and ability to signpost to resources.

12. Use of supervision, peer review, self-assessment, and critical evaluation

• Undertaking routine evaluation of practice.
• Engaging in ongoing supervision and reflective practice.
• Obtaining specialist consultation/supervision as needed.
• Participating in practice review in accordance with requirements.
• Participating in evaluation of ongoing therapeutic practice.
• Ensuring processes for updating and revising as necessary.
• Engaging in continuous professional updating of practice.
• Ongoing education, training, and personal development.

13. Ethical practice and research, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice

• Working within legal, political, and ethical professional frameworks.
• Familiarity with guidelines on confidentiality, capacity, and consent.
• Application of professional and ethical guidelines in safeguarding guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
• Ability to work with awareness of social and cultural context, with sensitivity to issues of difference, power, privilege, and positioning.
• Working with awareness of advocacy and safety according to the needs, vulnerabilities, and dependency of children and young people.
• Working in accordance with safeguarding procedures, protocols, and practice.

14. Safe and effective management and administration of practice

• Maintain transparent professional organisational management practice.
• Work in compliance with legal and ethical requirements.
• Ensure professional record-keeping and accounting.
• Manage practice with professionals within organisations or in independent practice, in line with policies and regulations.

15. Knowledge and understanding of research methods and approaches, keeping up to date with developments in the field

• Provide access to education, training, and practice based on research.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of various research approaches, including qualitative and quantitative methods of research.
• Ensure ethical judgement in the use of measurement tools.
• Engage in appropriate safeguarding and ethics in the context of research.
• Evaluate research ethics in the context of vulnerable client groups.

16. Promotion and prevention through early intervention, child mental health, and emotional well-being, including psychoeducation for parents, carers, and professionals

• Competence in prevention and psychoeducation for children, adolescents, parents, carers, and organisations.
• Promotion of preventive programmes based on understanding the determinants of children’s and young people’s health, physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, and well-being.
• Promotion of psychosocial education in simple, clear, and comprehensive ways within organisations based on evidence-based practice.
• Raising awareness of stigma and discrimination regarding mental health issues for the purpose of prevention and early intervention, including communication with multidisciplinary professionals.