Child and adolescent psychiatry

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What do child psychiatrists do?

Child psychiatrists are qualified doctors who specialise in the mental health of children and young people. They work with children and teenagers – and their families – who are struggling with mental, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

 

As qualified doctors, our child psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication, as well as delivering therapy.

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Private child psychiatrist - what can they help with?

If you have concerns about your son or daughter, our team of child and adolescent psychiatrists can provide a comprehensive assessment in order to get a better understanding of their difficulties and develop a plan for treatment.

 

We assess and treat a wide range of difficulties, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychosis. Our child and adolescent psychiatrists can also carry out screening assessments for neurodevelopment conditions such as ADHD and ASD.

 

Your child psychiatrist will also work closely alongside the child psychology team to ensure that all aspects of your child’s wellbeing are taken into consideration.

 

The first step will involve an in-depth assessment where your psychiatrist will gather as much information as possible around your child’s developmental and physical health history whilst also getting a better understanding of the difficulties they are currently facing.

 

From here, we will develop a plan for treatment which may include medication and/or talking therapy, depending on your child’s needs.

Frequently asked questions

Many of the more common emotional difficulties that children and adolescents face can be effectively treated by a child psychologist e.g. anxiety, depression, emotional instability, difficulties with friends and peers etc. Your child is likely to see a child psychiatrist if they are suffering from more severe difficulties, particularly if there is a concern about them being a risk to themselves or their ability to attend school. But ultimately, if you are unsure about whether your child needs to see a psychologist or a psychiatrist, our clinical triage team will be able to advise which specialist they should see.

Medication doesn’t tend to be the first course of action, especially when working with children and young people. Our child psychiatrists will usually focus on the psychological management of the child first and foremost before considering medication.

 

However, if your child is struggling with a particular condition that requires medication – such as ADHD – our psychiatrist will carry out a thorough assessment and prescribe medication as needed. It will also depend on the age of the child and how we formulate their difficulties so that we can offer the most appropriate treatment package for them.

Our consultant psychiatrists are likely to involve you in this process as you will have important information that can help us understand the difficulties of your child. The younger your child is, the more likely you are to make up a core part of their treatment. When children become older, the less appropriate it tends to be for parents to be involved in their sessions.

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If you or a loved one is in crisis and needs immediate help, please visit our Crisis Information page.

Marina Hilleary

December 9, 2024 No Comments

Dr Marina Hilleary is a Clinical Psychologist working in the NHS and private practice. She completed her BSc in Psychology at the University of Exeter, graduating with first-class honours and was subsequently awarded an MSc in Mental Health Studies and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.

Dr Hilleary has 9 years of clinical experience in various NHS mental health settings, her current position being on a Specialist Adolescent Team at a Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). She has a specialist interest in working with children, young people and their families and has worked with young people presenting with a wide range of difficulties including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety (specific phobias, GAD, social anxiety, separation anxiety, panic and OCD), PTSD, behaviours that challenge and additional neurodevelopmental needs.

Dr Hilleary is experienced in carrying out comprehensive psychological assessments (including cognitive assessments) and recognises the importance of working towards a shared understanding of the presenting difficulties to enable a positive therapeutic outcome. She draws on a range of evidence-based psychological therapies and models, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based approaches. In addition, Dr Hilleary utilises systemic family approaches when working with young people and their families.

Dr Hilleary adopts an integrative, compassionate and person-centred approach to engage young people, building their motivation to participate in decisions around their care plan and achieve their therapeutic goals. She works creatively with her clients and, where appropriate, alongside any of their important support systems.