Arjeta Ujkani

About Arjeta Ujkani

My name is Arjeta Ujkani and I have been supporting vulnerable individuals (children, young people, and adults) with their mental health needs and psychological wellbeing for several years now. I have worked in various settings including mental health institutions; schools; local authorities; and support services. By working in these settings, I have developed many skills such as; active listening skills, great communication skills, patience, and empathy towards clients and their families; all of which have helped me create long-lasting therapeutic rapports.

I work with Children as I have a strong passion for child psychology, I have gained a vast amount of experience in supporting children and young people (ages 3-25 years old). My continuous academic training has allowed me to accumulate a range of theoretical knowledge in Clinical Child Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology. This academic trajectory has helped me develop the knowledge and skills needed to support a range of developmental conditions including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Down Syndrome. In addition to this, I have also gained experience supporting children and young people presenting with difficulties such as anxiety, eating disorders, and personality disorders.

I have gained experience with conducting psychometric assessments, formulating treatment plans through consultations with children, parents and other adults involved in the child’s care (e.g. teachers, social workers, speech and language therapists), providing one to one sessions to children and young people. I have also gained experience and knowledge on identifying systematic factors through group consultations with family members, school staff and other professionals involved in the child’s care.

Initial Assessments and Sessions

I believe that each child is unique, thus, time should be taken to appropriately assess the individual’s difficulties as well as strengths in order to provide the most appropriate care. In the past, I have achieved this by conducting psychometric tests, observations and consultations with parents and/or school staff. Psychometric tests focus on identifying how a person functions cognitively, socially and emotionally. They can also allow us to understand a child’s comprehension and problem-solving abilities. Observations allow us to witness how the child is behaving within different settings (e.g. home/ school environment), and identify any external factors that may be encouraging the child’s difficulties (e.g. classroom too loud leading to the child feeling overwhelmed and anxious). Both have enabled me to write a detailed report of the child’s needs as well as strengths. This initial evaluation process helps identify the main areas of concern and initiates discussions regarding the next steps with parents and other careers.

I can effectively adopt some interventions from play therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and solution-focused brief therapy during sessions with children/young adults and during sessions with parents. My ability to create a fun space whilst setting appropriate boundaries during individual sessions with children has been beneficial in terms of allowing the child to feel comfortable enough to express his/her emotions, thoughts and fears, as well as helping them develop the appropriate resources and tools needed to manage their difficulties.

I also follow a consultation model which encourages parental and teacher involvement. In the past, I have effectively organised and lead group consultations which provided parents and teachers opportunities to discuss their concerns and to help formulate treatment plans. My ability to implement a strength-based approach during consultations has been beneficial when managing parents anxiety, as instead of merely focusing on the child’s behavioural as negative (e.g. he is too hyperactive to focus in the classroom), I identify and highlight some of the child’s strengths (e.g. he is good at football) and in turn, also identify ways of using the child’s strengths as a solution, (e.g. for every 25 minutes child spends completing classwork, he is rewarded with a 5-minute ball game). 

Work with adults

In addition to working with children, I have also gained experience supporting adults with mental health issues such as psychosis, schizophrenia, personality disorder, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder. As a mental health assistant, I worked within a multidisciplinary team to help provide patients with the most effective care; working alongside other mental health professionals e.g. clinical psychologists and psychiatrists allowed me to observe and develop various techniques required to form a therapeutic rapport with the patients. This experience has helped me develop a greater understanding of mental health as well as the skills needed when working with adults suffering from mental health needs.