Psycho-affective growth

Beyond the disease

• Counseling is addressed to patients of developmental age (0-18 years) and is provided by a pedopsychiatrist and two psychologist-psychotherapists.
• The pedopsychiatrist deals with the impact of a severe and/or chronic somatic diagnosis on the child's psycho-evolutionary process. Sometimes the consequences of pathology on daily and/or family life can have a not insignificant effect on the healthy construction of a child or adolescent. Every minor needs conditions essential to healthy psycho-affective growth. Fundamental are:
  • The maintenance of adequate schooling.
  • The development of appropriate interpersonal skills (both with peers and adults).
  • The construction of one's identity in harmony with one's parents and living environment.
• It is essential that the patient is defined not only by his or her illness, but rather by the person he or she is, beyond the current somatic pathology.

Scope of counseling

• Psychological evaluations of children and adolescents who manifest discomfort or fragility in their developmental development are performed. These may include:
  • Neurotic-type disorders (anxiety, separation anxiety, fears, inhibitions, emotional difficulties).
  • Reactive disorders (acute life events, norm changes).
  • Somatically expressed disorders (psycho-functional disorders, enuresis, encopresis, difficulty falling asleep and sleeping, pain management).
• Specific counseling and support in emotional management in the presence of chronic illness.

Approach for appropriate support

• Following the psychological evaluation, an intake is proposed, if deemed indicated, which can be of various types: psychotherapy, supportive counseling, parenting counseling, parent-child therapy.
• Professional figures work in close collaboration with the family.
• In the case of severe/chronic conditions there is collaboration with the family, the health care network and the educational institutions attended. Added to this is the fundamental direct work with the patient (psychotherapy or support) in order to help him or her continue healthy growth, evolution and self-building despite somatic pathology.

As for the psychology-psychotherapy field, from January 2023, a prescription from a physician (pediatrician, child psychiatrist) is required to obtain reimbursement for consultations from the health insurance fund (LaMal).

School Accompaniment

On the recommendation of psycho-affective growth specialists, a docent takes in patients who need individualized accompaniment when the situation requires it. He or she meets regularly with the sending specialists and holds regular collaborative meetings.

The teacher offers study accompaniment with specific activities that take into consideration the peculiarities of the individual, proposing activities in order to identify and excel the abilities of the boy or girl, and at the same time help in specific frailties.

The course of school accompaniment is mainly oriented toward identifying and building the boy's or girl's school and work future, taking into account the special situations, the fragilities of the specific moment and his or her personal development.