A period of rehabilitation hospitalization is characterized by stressful situations for both the child and the family. During this time, a gradual adjustment process takes place, requiring the child and family to reorganize their emotional and physical resources.
The Psychological Services Department provides support for the personal, family, and community-related psychological aspects that are central components of the rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation work during times of crisis presents an opportunity for renewed growth, as it involves assessing personal and family resources, self-reflection, and joint coping by the patient and family members.
Team and Therapeutic Approaches
The Psychology Department at ALYN treats children and adolescents coping with a variety of physical conditions, whether congenital or acquired as a result of an accident, surgery, injury, or illness. The target population includes children and youth facing muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, feeding and digestive disorders, spinal cord injuries, somatoform disorders, pain disorders, oncological diseases, and more.
The team provides individual therapy, group therapy, dyadic therapy (child and parent), parent guidance, and consultation for professionals involved in the child’s care. From a systemic rehabilitation perspective, psychological intervention is integrated within a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, educational staff, and allied health professionals.
The therapeutic approaches used by the team are diverse. Treatment is generally integrative and rehabilitation-oriented, combining psychodynamic therapy, behavioral interventions, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), short-term focused therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-focused therapy, play therapy, logotherapy, hypnosis, relaxation techniques, and guided imagery.
Special emphasis is placed on strengthening the patient's sense of self-efficacy and on identifying and mobilizing strengths to cope with rehabilitation demands and their new circumstances.
During the hospital stay, assessments are conducted regarding the child’s emotional state, cognitive functioning, and level and nature of participation in age-appropriate settings and activities, including academic and social integration at school, as well as leisure activities.
As discharge approaches, the psychological team assists in identifying suitable community-based therapeutic and educational frameworks and provides recommendations for continued care after discharge.
In cases involving brain injury, an evaluation is conducted by a neuropsychologist to assess the consequences of the injury, current functional characteristics, and any necessary educational accommodations.
The psychologists at ALYN work in coordination with creative arts therapists who provide interventions in the fields of art, music, and drama. These interventions serve as complementary modalities to psychological treatment.
Additional Services
ALYN offers psychiatric consultation services that support the rehabilitation process. When necessary, and in coordination with the rehabilitation physician, the psychologist may refer the child for psychiatric consultation.
For additional information, please call 02-6494303 between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.