Social Skills for Making Friends

Helping children and young people build confidence in friendships and day-to-day relationships

At CY&A Psychology, we understand how painful it can feel when your child wants friendships but finds social situations difficult, confusing or overwhelming. Making friends is not always simple, especially when a young person is managing anxiety, low confidence, neurodevelopmental differences, emotional regulation difficulties or past social experiences that have left them feeling unsure.

Our Clinical Psychologists work with children, young people, families and young adults to better understand what may be getting in the way. We offer a warm, thoughtful and evidence-based approach that supports young people to build social skills in a way that feels safe, respectful and right for their stage of development.

Understanding Social Difficulties

Social skills for making friends can include many different areas. Some young people find it hard to start conversations, join a group, read social cues, manage disagreements or know how to keep a friendship going. Others may feel anxious before social events, worry about being judged or feel rejected when friendships change.

There may also be times when a child understands what to do but finds it difficult to use those skills in the moment. This can happen when emotions feel too strong, when the setting is too busy or when previous experiences have affected their confidence.

We take time to understand the full story. This includes your child’s strengths, their relationships at home and school, their developmental needs, their emotional wellbeing and the situations where social difficulties are most likely to appear.

Contact

Our Approach to Assessment

The first step is usually an initial appointment with one of our experienced clinicians. During this session, we will ask questions to understand your child or young person, their current concerns and what you hope may change through support.

We may think with you about friendships, family relationships, school experiences, confidence, anxiety, emotional regulation and any neurodevelopmental needs that may be relevant. We do not focus only on the difficulty. We also look for strengths, protective factors and the things that are already helping.

Where useful, we may use questionnaires as part of information gathering. These can help us build a clearer understanding and may also support us in tracking progress over time. From there, we will work with you to make sense of the difficulties and agree a treatment plan with clear, workable goals.

Evidence-Based Social Skills Programme

PEERS® is internationally recognised & has over 30 ‘gold standard’ research trials evidencing its effectiveness.

Parents as Social Coaches

While your child is in their group, you are in a parent group learning ways to help your child build their social skills.

Working in Partnership with Schools

We also work collaboratively with schools to ensure the benefits of PEERS® extend beyond the clinic.

Supporting Meaningful Change

Through specialist facilitation and parent involvement, the PEERS® programme helps young people build skills, confidence and meaningful friendships.

Support that Fits Your Child’s Needs

Support for social skills may include individual sessions, parent work or family-based work, depending on what is most helpful. Some young people may benefit from learning practical skills for conversations, turn-taking, managing uncertainty or understanding another person’s point of view.

For others, the focus may be on reducing anxiety, building self-esteem, managing strong emotions or understanding social experiences in a more helpful way. Our clinicians draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, including CBT, ACT, behavioural approaches, family work and other therapies where appropriate.

We are also experienced in adapted psychotherapy for young people with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, tics and other developmental or behavioural concerns. Our aim is to support social confidence while respecting each young person’s individuality.

Speak to CY&A Psychology

If your child or young person is finding it hard to make or keep friends, we can help you understand what may be contributing to those difficulties. Our team offers evidence-based psychological support from our townhouse in Marylebone, London, with online appointments also available. Get in touch with us to talk through your concerns and take the first step towards the right support.