Member Guidance – Working with Children and Young Adults

Member Guidance – Working with Children and Young Adults

The AREBT acknowledges that there are no specific legal requirements for a practitioner to work with children.

But we do recommend that you complete additional REBT/CBT training to work with children.   This should be in addition to your general REBT/CBT training.    If not included in your core professional training, this additional training, should include child development, an understanding of attachment theory and the ability to use REBT/CBT in the context of family, school and other networks.   You should also complete regular CPD to update your skills in this area.

You should follow the AREBT Code of Conduct which states:

Practitioners…. must act within the limits of their knowledge, skills and experience, and if necessary, should refer the matter to another practitioner

In addition to the above, it is essential that you receive suitable supervision for your work with children.   If your regular supervisor is not experienced or trained in working with children, then you may need to access specialist supervision for the part of your clinical work that involves children.

You need to be aware of the law with regard to working with under 18s.   It is also highly recommended that you have regular Safeguarding training.

Accreditors and Auditors will expect evidence of any of these recommendations to ensure that you are complying with the AREBT Code of Conduct.

Links to Further Reading: (Some of these research articles/book chapters will require a subscription/purchase):

REBT Assessment and Treatment with Children

(PDF) Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) with Children and Adolescents: Theory, Applications, and Research | Ana Borisavljevic – Academia.edu

REBT with Children and Adolescents | SpringerLink

Rational Emotive Therapy With Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis – Jorge E. Gonzalez, J. Ron Nelson, Terry B. Gutkin, Anita Saunders, Ann Galloway, Craig S. Shwery, 2004 (sagepub.com)

The BABCP have produced a Good Practice Guide with regard to working with children which is recommended reading: BABCP – CBT for Children, Young People and Families

Other sources of information:

  • CAFSIG  – BABCP Children and Families Special Interest Group puts on regular CPD events
  • https://www.minded.org.uk – a source of online resources about child and adolescent development and mental health
  • www.acamh.org -The Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health holds a variety of resources and events
  • https://youngminds.org.uk – provides online resources for young people and parents/carers on mental health problems in young people
  • https://www.annafreud.org/ – The Anna Freud Centre runs some relevant CBT courses