Children and Young People's Mental Heath Service Therapy team
The Children and Young People’s Therapy team provide interventions for children and young people who have been identified as needing additional support to manage moderate to severe mental health difficulties. Our team are highly trained in a range of evidence-based therapies.
We support young people with difficulties such as:
- low mood or depression
- anxiety
- trauma
- obsessive compulsive disorder
- complex emotional difficulties
- self harm and thoughts of suicide
We offer these interventions through a variety of methods, including individual and group work, and virtually or face to face.
Help and support to access our services
We try and make sure all families can access our service.
It would be helpful if you can let us know of any special requirements your family may have, such as disabled access, reading, hearing or language needs.
How to get in touch with the Therapy team
We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)
- Phone: 0113 8434468
- Email: lcht.therapyteam.cypmhs@nhs.net
Service resources
What is EMDR?
Trauma can have a powerful effect on children, young people and adults, shaping the way they understand themselves, the world and relate to others. When children and young people go through scary or overwhelming experiences, those experiences can sometimes keep affecting how they feel, think, and act even long after the event has passed.
EMDR is a type of therapy that helps children, young people and adults heal from upsetting, overwhelming or scary past experiences (trauma) kind of like helping the person’s brain “unstick” from a bad memory. It can help to imagine the brain like a big file cabinet. Most memories get filed and stored away neatly, but sometimes, if something really upsetting or scary has happened, that memory can get stuck in the brain and not filed and stored away like other memories. It can be like it’s always playing in the background or keeps popping up when the person doesn’t want it to and this can make things difficult for that person in their life now.
How does EMDR work?
In EMDR therapy, a specially trained therapist helps children and young people and the important adults in their life to understand how difficult or upsetting experiences from the past can affect the way they feel, think, and act now.
The therapy also teaches helpful skills for managing big emotions, strong body feelings, or tricky thoughts that might be connected to those past experiences. Learning these skills can help children and young people feel more in control, safe, and calm even when hard memories come up.
During EMDR sessions, the therapist gently supports the child or young person as they think about, talk about, or even draw a memory that was upsetting. While doing this, they also take part in an activity that stimulates both sides of the brain, like watching the therapist’s fingers move back and forth, tapping their hands or feet, or using sounds or lights. This helps jump-start the brain’s natural way of sorting out and making sense of memories, so the experience feels less upsetting over time and has less power to affect the present.
We know that children and young people can sometimes struggle to talk about difficult past experiences. In EMDR therapy, it can be helpful if children and young people are able to notice even just a little, that something they went through in the past might be connected to how they’re feeling, thinking, or reacting now. They don’t need to understand everything or talk about it in detail, just being able to make a small link or bring the memory to mind is enough to begin the work.
What can EMDR help with?
In Leeds CYPMHS, EMDR can be offered to help children or young people who:
- have been through a difficult or upsetting experience in the past such as bullying, abuse, a scary accident, loss of someone important, or witnessing violence, and it’s still affecting how they feel or behave now.
- are showing signs of distress linked to those past experiences, like feeling anxious, low, angry, unsafe, or having nightmares, flashbacks, or trouble trusting others.
- are ready to think about or talk a little about what happened.
- are in a safe and supportive setting now.
What can children and young people expect?
- Weekly sessions with the same EMDR therapist, sessions can be with the child/young person on their own, or with a parent/carer.
- Sessions last up to an hour.
- Typically up to 18 sessions, with a review approx. every 6 weeks.
Further information
What about families who need extra support to use your service?
We try and make sure all families can access our service. Please let us know if anyone in your family has special needs like disability access or help with hearing.
What is child psychotherapy?
Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a type of therapy that helps children and young people understand feelings and thoughts like worry, anger, confusion, or sadness that are hard to express.
Children and young people with long-lasting and severe mental health difficulties may react to people or situations in ways they don’t fully understand or can’t control. Their emotions may feel overwhelming and are often expressed in their behaviour or relationships, causing distress to themselves and those close to them.
Understanding a young person’s distress is vital in supporting them. Psychotherapists listen carefully to both verbal communication and the ways feelings are expressed through play to help young people begin to put difficult emotions into words.
Over time, this helps young people better understand themselves, which can improve relationships at home, with friends, and at school.
What can child psychotherapy help with?
Child and adolescent psychotherapists treat emotional and behavioural difficulties that may not respond to other treatments. They work with children of all ages and support parents through regular parallel parent work.
They typically support children and young people dealing with:
- history of developmental trauma
- unresolved abuse and neglect
- moderate to severe depression
- anxiety
- self-harm and suicidal ideation
- emotional dysregulation and risk-taking behaviour
- eating difficulties
What can children and young people expect?
- Weekly 50-minute individual sessions
- Same time and place each week with planned therapeutic breaks
- Initial 3-session assessment to explore suitability for psychotherapy.
- Tailored, age-appropriate sessions:
- Young children may express themselves through play or toys
- Older children may draw or play
- Teenagers may talk about feelings and relationships
- The therapeutic relationship is central to the process
What can parents and carers expect?
Psychotherapy usually includes parallel parent work, which involves:
- sessions with another CYPMHS clinician (fortnightly or monthly)
- support in understanding the child’s behaviour
- guidance on how to support the child during psychotherapy
Therapy is regularly reviewed to track progress and ensure suitability.
What about families who need extra support?
The service aims to be accessible to all. Please inform the team if your family needs additional support (for example, disability access, hearing assistance).
DBT stands for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. A DBT Skills Group is a class-like group where participants learn and practice specific skills to manage difficult emotions, improve relationships, and enhance overall well-being. It’s a structured, weekly session, lasting 2 hours, where individuals learn and apply four core modules: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. The group format provides a supportive environment for learning and receiving feedback from others.
How do people get referred to the group?
A CYPMHS professional who has assessed you can refer you for the DBT group, or you can be referred through MindMate single point of access.
After referral, you’ll receive an appointment letter to meet with one or two of the group therapists. This informal meeting explains what the group involves, discusses your expectations, and outlines the group’s expectations.
Where and when is the group?
- The group takes place at an NHS Centre in Leeds.
- You must commit to attending regularly, once a week for the full 24-week programme.
- Young people sign a group contract to agree to consistent attendance.
Who is in the group?
- Run by experienced CYPMHS therapists
- Group size: up to 8 young people
- Age range: 14 and half to 18 years old
What will we be doing?
DBT is an activity-based group. Sessions may involve:
- whole group discussions
- small subgroup activities
- topics depending on participants’ needs
The DBT programme covers four key modules:
- Distress tolerance
- Mindfulness
- Emotional regulation
- Interpersonal effectiveness
These modules aim to help you change patterns of behaviour, emotion, thought, and interpersonal interaction that negatively impact your daily life. This is often framed as helping people create a “life worth living”.
What young people who attended the groups said
“Gives you a space to talk about things and get it off your chest. People listen and you can all talk about it. They understand.”
“Makes you realise a lot more things about yourself and your behaviour. It helps you to make changes to know how to deal with it.”
“Go in with an open mind and wanting to work at things otherwise it won’t work for you.”
“It is helpful and is worth trying.”
“Hearing others’ experiences makes you realise you are not alone. Hearing how they dealt with some things can help you maybe try things differently too.”
“People won’t attack you for saying or thinking what you do. They understand and feel the same or similar to how you are.”
What about families who need extra support?
We aim to make our service accessible. Let us know if your family needs:
- disability access
- help with hearing
- information in other formats or languages
What is CBT?
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological therapy that looks at:
- how you think about yourself, the world and other people.
- how what you do affects your feelings and thoughts.
CBT is a talking therapy. It focuses on the link between how we think (cognition), what we feel (emotion), and what we do (behaviour). It helps to break unhelpful patterns of thoughts and responses to difficult feelings and experiences.
CBT can help break vicious cycles of negative thinking, feelings, and behaviour. When these parts are seen clearly, they can be changed, which helps change how you feel. It also explores how thoughts and feelings affect the body and physical sensations.
CBT suggests that it’s not just the event that causes our emotions, but how we interpret the event, the meaning we give it.
CBT works
Research shows CBT is effective for treating emotional and physical health issues in adults, young people, and children, particularly low mood (depression) and various types of anxiety.
What can CBT help with?
- Anxiety (including panic attacks and PTSD)
- Depression or low mood
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Physical symptoms without a medical diagnosis
- Sleep difficulties
- Self-harm
- Managing anger
How CBT is delivered
- Individual or group sessions
- Typically 6 to 16 sessions, approx. 1 hour each
- Focuses on current thoughts, feelings, and actions (sometimes the past is explored to understand current issues)
You and your therapist will:
- set goals based on what’s important to you
- work together during sessions and between them
- learn how to use CBT techniques in daily life
What about families who need extra support?
Let the service know if someone in your family needs:
- disability access
- hearing support
- other accommodations
What is family therapy?
Family therapy involves one or more family therapists. Family therapy helps people in close relationships to help each other, in relation to the mental health need of the young person. It assists family members to:
- express and explore difficult thoughts and feelings in a safe space.
- understand each other’s experiences and views.
- understand each other’s needs.
- build on family strengths and make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.
By working together, people can consider the best solutions and actions to take in response to everyone’s concerns. As well as talking and asking questions, we may use other ways of communicating, for example drawing or play.
Facing difficulties in the family is not an easy task. We like to hear from and work with all family members’ points of view. We will speak to you about how best to do this. It may also be useful for us to talk with other people who are supporting you. No one will be expected to answer questions or talk about things if they don’t want to.
What happens in family therapy?
- Families meet their therapist in a clinic room.
- Sometimes there might be a team of 3 to 4 therapists watching and listening from another room (or can be in the same room if preferred). They share helpful ideas.
- The room includes toys, games, drawing materials, and a one-way mirror.
- Families may see how the mirror works and try it themselves.
Recording sessions
With consent, sessions may be recorded to ensure the team is helpful and to support therapist training. This is optional.
What if you don’t want to talk?
That’s okay! You can attend and listen and join in when you feel ready.
What do you talk about in family therapy?
- Getting to know each other and discussing fun and proud moments.
- Talking about worries or things that make people sad or angry.
- Discussing ways to manage difficulties without blaming anyone.
- Sometimes talking about past events if they are important.
- Often creating a family tree to better understand your family.
Therapists ask what you want to do and explain how therapy might help, so you can decide what works best for your family.
How does family therapy help?
- Helps families talk together, which is often what helps most.
- Therapists can also liaise with schools or other professionals if needed.
How many sessions?
- Most families attend 6 to 12 sessions, on a fortnightly basis.
- Therapy continues until things improve or become easier.
- If issues remain, therapists will help explore other options.
Who should come?
- That’s up to you.
- Typically includes people you live with, sometimes grandparents.
- Sometimes only grown-ups attend, especially for grown-up topics.
What about families who need extra support?
Let the service know if someone in your family needs:
- disability access
- A translator can be provided if required
- hearing support
- other accommodations
