Parents are typically intuitive when it comes to assessing their own family’s mental health, abilities and cognitive awareness, meaning that, as a parent, you usually know what’s going on with your kids.
Therefore, if you’ve hit a hurdle relating to your child’s development and are wondering what to do, Darwin child psychologist Barbara Kapser can help guide you towards unravelling the mystery of your child’s mind.
Looking for Clues
Regardless of whether your children are very young or reaching adolescence, sometimes you may come up blank when it comes to diagnosing what’s really going on with your kids. This is when professional intervention can be especially helpful.
Perhaps you have already identified the area in which your child needs help, which makes the choice of finding a child psychologist in Darwin much simpler because you know exactly which specialist areas you’re looking at.
Whether you are completely sure in which area your child needs assistance or you intrinsically know they need some help but aren’t sure where, Barbara has extensive training in several specialist areas to ensure she can assess your child and help guide everyone towards the best possible outcomes.
An Expert Opinion
An experienced child psychologist and Darwin specialist in child anxiety, learning difficulties and childhood trauma for many years, Barbara’s accreditations run a long list of qualifications.
“I am one of many psychologists in Darwin,” says Barbara, “however, I have additional and extensive specialist training that most psychologists have not undertaken or resourced.
“Additionally, I work within a multidisciplinary team at my practice, which enables me to offer a more holistic service to ensure the overall wellbeing of your children.”
Barbara says the additional training has allowed her to understand all factors that contribute to a child’s challenging behaviours.
“I work very hard to ensure I am able to form a connection with the children and teenagers I work with. However, it is important to note that relationships take time to build in order to earn trust, especially where children are concerned.
“Having completed extensive training in childhood and adolescent mental health, I have a better understanding of behaviours, triggers, and the impact of trauma on a child and their development, along with a comprehensive grasp of attachment disorders and how parenting can impact these developing attachments, as well as how best to assist families overall.”
Trust the Training
Child psychology is multi-faceted and covers many areas of developmental health, child sensory processing and associated difficulties. Barbara has undergone extensive specialist training for many of these areas.
“As an ABA Therapist and 123 Magic and Emotional Coaching facilitator, I am able to comprehensively assess your child and provide expert parenting skills to help you strengthen the child-parent relationship, while encouraging gentle, yet firm, discipline without the need for yelling or spanking.”
Barbara is also a Circle of Security parenting educator, a Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1 clinician and has completed additional training in DIR®/Floortime™ training for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASB).
DIR Floortime is suitable for all age groups and diagnoses for children who may be developing differently to their peers and follows the child’s lead, rather than therapist-directed engagement.
Barbara has also completed Astronaut training, a Sound Activated Vestibular-Visual Protocol for moving, looking and listening. This is a precise therapeutic tool to help with optimal vestibular function, which relates to a child’s visual and auditory systems.
Another faculty of Barbara’s training is Therapeutic Listening, a sound-based method developed to support any age with sensory processing difficulties by stimulating the auditory system via the use of specifically altered music to meet a child’s individual needs.
Barbara uses her Non-Directive Play Therapy Certificate to guide children to take the lead in sessions to play freely, without the child therapist’s intervention. While seeming simple enough, this is a powerful tool to help children deal with mental health concerns as it validates the child in a safe environment in order to boost confidence and help them understand how to appropriately express themselves.
Along with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Certification, Barbara specialises in diagnosing, treating and managing paediatric sleep disorders.
Mealtimes Matter and Brain Gym 101 are other important areas of Barbara’s child psychology specialty areas. Brain Gym 101 uses physical movement and sensory skills to help with a child’s learning journey and is the foundation module of the Educational Kinesiology Programme.
Another of Barbara’s specialties is to help children with trying various food textures. The SOS Approach to Feeding and Mealtimes is the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) multidisciplinary program for assessing and treating children with feeding and weight concerns.
Darwin child psychologist Barbara Kapser’s professional credentials are:
- Masters of Psychology – Mental Health (perinatal & infant) (2013),
- Diploma of Frontline Management (2008),
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) (2005),
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (2006),
- Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs (2005),
- Certificate IV in Youth Work (2005),
- Certificate IV in Community Services Work (2005).
- Contact Darwin child psychologist Barbara Kapser, Stepping Stones in Life Therapy Service on (08) 8985 6067 to help reassure you regarding the mental healthcare of your kids.
