Christoph Ralfs | Practice for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy

Practice for child and adolescent psychotherapy in Bremen

Christoph Ralfs is a licensed child and adolescent psychotherapist and treats mental disorders of children, adolescents and young adults up to the age of 21 using psychoanalytic and depth-psychological methods.

Overview of services for parents, children, young people and families

Psychotherapy with children, adolescents and young adults

In conversation or play with the therapist, children can playfully enact and perceive their conflicts and problems, and gain a better understanding of the causes and triggers of their psychological disorders.

Through verbal and/or playful dialogue with the therapist, alternative patterns of behavior, experience, and action can be explored and implemented. In analytical child and adolescent psychotherapy, it may also be indicated to involve parents and other important caregivers in the treatment.

The appointments with caregivers are intended to sensitize parents and educators to the problems and conflicts as well as the patient's well-being and needs, so that they can support the therapeutic treatment through appropriate parenting and relationship behavior.

Naturally, the therapist's duty of confidentiality also applies to the parents, so that children and adolescents can open up to the therapist without fear or reservations.

Psychotherapeutic help for parents with infants and toddlers

Crying babies/crying clinic

For parents with babies or toddlers who cry inconsolably (colic babies), are restless, have sleep problems, eating disorders or separation anxiety, I offer help and support in my baby-parent consultation / crying clinic in the form of a special therapy offer, the infant-toddler-parent psychotherapy (SKEPT).

Reasons for infant-toddler-parent psychotherapy (SKEPT) may include:

• traumatic birth experiences
• premature babies
• Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle
• Babies who cry a lot and cannot be soothed (colicky babies)
• Skin problems and digestive disorders
• Breastfeeding, developmental and growth disorders without organic findings
• Behavioral problems in the child, e.g., apathy, clinginess, defiance, anxiety, and aggression
• Mothers with postpartum depression
• Fathers who feel excluded
• Parents who experience fear, overwhelm, guilt, and disappointment after the birth of their child

The costs for infant-toddler-parent psychotherapy (SKEPT) are covered by health insurance companies and public assistance offices upon application.

Parent counseling and couples counseling

In my parent counseling sessions, parents who are worried about their child or unsure about their relationship and parenting styles find advice and guidance. With couples who are unhappy in their relationship, I work in my couples counseling sessions to develop solutions for their problems and conflicts.

The costs for parental counseling that takes place as part of an initial psychotherapeutic consultation to clarify a possible mental illness in the child or adolescent are covered by health insurance. Parental counseling outside of this context is billed privately.

The costs for couples counselling are not covered by health insurance companies or public assistance offices, but are billed privately.