Conversations with Child Psychotherapists

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

Why are my daughter’s intrusive thoughts so much darker than mine? A blog for the parent who quietly wonders—and wants to understand.

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.

Is your child expressing something—or just repeating it? Learn how to tell if a ritual is symbolising, or if it’s stuck in survival mode.

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.

OCD rituals aren’t just behaviours — they’re attempts at meaning. Stop listing actions. Start listening for what the act is doing.

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

Intrusive thoughts aren’t nonsense—they’re protection. This post helps parents understand the hidden logic behind loops, rituals, and fear.