Conversations with Child Psychotherapists

Even after 8–10 years of ERP, most don’t recover. The data is clear. So why are we still treating OCD like a procedural problem?

Not all dark thoughts in adolescence are perverse. Some are collapse. Know the difference—and listen for structure, not content.

MERP teaches us something Bion knew all along: we must think about thought—not just resist it—if we are to metabolise experience.

Repetitive thoughts aren’t always questions—they’re often cries. Listen beyond logic. It’s not about the answer. It’s about the feeling.

Listening to psychic architecture means attuning to deep emotional structures beneath symptoms—containment, presence, warmth, care.

If your child won’t talk about their thoughts, don’t panic. Silence isn’t failure—it’s a signal. Here’s what to do instead.

When OCD rituals don’t respond to logic, it’s not defiance—it’s emotional code. Learn how to listen for what’s really being said.

What if OCD isn’t one condition, but four psychic positions? A new way to understand rituals, retreat, and recovery in young people.

Intrusive thoughts often strike hardest at night. Here’s why bedtime makes the mind vulnerable—and how to support your child through it.

Not every silence needs decoding. Some states refuse meaning. This lecture teaches how to stay when the symbol won’t come.

Not every interpretation lands. Some come too soon. Learn how to recognise when a symbol isn’t ready—and why that matters in OCD work.

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to stay in the room. What to say when you’re scared to say the wrong thing to your child.

When a young person stops symbolising, rituals remain—but meaning drains out. Symbolic collapse is quiet, but devastating. (Lecture 2).

To abandon symbolic work is to leave the child un-met, and the therapist untouched. We must reclaim meaning, or risk becoming procedural.

Sometimes a ritual isn’t just a habit — it’s a child’s way of saying, “I’m sorry,” or “I love you,” when words feel impossible.

Reassurance feels kind—but can keep OCD stuck. Learn how to support your child without feeding the fear, and what to say…

Learn to hear beyond content. This seminar explores how intrusive thoughts reveal psychic structure, using Bion and Meltzer as our guide.

When reassurance doesn’t work, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes, it’s not about answers—it’s about staying close.