Ideas to help you find your bearings.

You can begin with questions. You may not yet know how to describe what is difficult. A first enquiry can simply ask for a conversation; detailed health information does not belong in unencrypted email.

Together with Annika Gubisch, you can discuss what to explore first and whether another service may be appropriate. This orientation does not diagnose a condition or replace a personal assessment.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 10 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

A feeling does not always need an immediate label. Questions for a personal conversation might include: What feels difficult, what already helps, and what would you like to change?

Children, young people and caregivers may have different perspectives. Joint or separate conversations are agreed individually. This is an orientation draft, not an exercise or treatment instruction.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 10 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

The first meeting begins with your goals. We then explore what has already been tried, its effects and anything that has changed since your enquiry.

You do not need to arrive with fully formed goals. If you wish, bring a few notes. The child’s or young person’s perspective also has a place, in an age-appropriate way.

If helpful, note practical questions for Annika Gubisch: Who comes to the first meeting? Which documents are needed? How will costs and future appointments be discussed?

In a private practice, possible reimbursement is clarified with your insurer before treatment. An initial contact is not a promise of ongoing treatment. Confidential documents are exchanged through a personally agreed route.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 10 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

When almost every conversation at home centres on grades, the young person behind them can disappear from view. Exam stress can also involve worry, irritability or poor sleep. A change like this is a reason to ask questions, rather than a diagnosis.

Start with a specific situation: what feels hardest in the morning, during a test or while doing homework? Give your child space to describe their experience. Their first answer does not need to be complete, polished or accompanied by a solution.

Consider three separate questions together: what is actually required, which extra expectations have appeared, and what support is missing? An unclear assignment may need a different conversation from the fear of disappointing someone with a low grade.

Prepare a short note for a conversation with school: the hardest situation, something that already helps, and one question for the relevant teacher. Agree with your child beforehand what may be discussed. Bavaria’s State School Counselling service is another point of contact.

Choose a manageable next step and a time to talk again. If the difficulties persist or substantially interfere with everyday life, seek individual professional support. The purpose of the conversation is greater understanding and a useful direction, rather than another assignment to perform well.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

A forgotten sports bag, an interrupted conversation or an unfinished task does not tell the whole story. Attention difficulties deserve careful consideration. Establishing whether ADHD is present requires a thorough professional assessment; one behaviour or an online questionnaire cannot provide that answer.

Try describing an observation as precisely as possible. Rather than a general judgement, note the time, task and setting: when did the instructions become hard to follow, and which part was unclear? This makes a conversation easier without assuming that the child intended to cause difficulty.

Ask about situations that go differently, too. What feels easier, and what does your child find interesting or important? These questions are not meant to minimise the difficulty. They leave room for the child’s perspective and for a personality that includes much more than one problem.

For an initial conversation, collect a few everyday examples and your main questions. Distinguish what you observed yourself from what someone else reported. The note should help people understand one another, rather than act as evidence for an explanation already decided upon.

If difficulties persist and affect school, relationships or family life, an individual assessment can offer direction. Support should be discussed personally. Neither blame nor a rushed label answers the central question: what does this particular child need in the situation they are facing?

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

When you worry about a teenager, it is natural to want an explanation quickly. Yet a question can contain a conclusion about what is wrong. Asking openly and holding back quick judgements leaves more space for the young person’s own perspective.

Before starting, ask yourself what you actually know and what you are assuming. A specific observation opens a different conversation from a statement about the cause. You do not need to hide your concern, but you can describe it as your own understanding so far.

It can help to clarify the purpose together: is this a chance to share something, solve a practical problem or discuss getting support? Teenagers and adults may have different ideas about the conversation. Naming that difference gives both people a say before deciding what happens next.

When a teenager wants to speak, let them finish. A pause or an incomplete answer does not always need filling. You can acknowledge a question that remains open and suggest returning to it, rather than needing to complete the whole conversation immediately.

Boundaries and expectations can be discussed specifically, too: which agreement is needed, who decides what, and when will you revisit it? If you notice lasting changes or substantial distress, individual professional advice can help. The first family conversation does not need to produce every answer beforehand.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

Settling after a long day does not always happen on command. For teenagers, feeling sleepy later can conflict with early school commitments. One universal bedtime therefore says little about why evenings become difficult in a particular household.

First look at the day as it really unfolds: when does school finish, when do other activities happen, and which tasks remain for the evening? A simple description can reveal where demands cluster. It is not a judgement about whether a family has organised its life correctly.

Ask your child or teenager what the transition towards bedtime feels like. Is something still unresolved? Do they want time to themselves? Which agreement makes sense, and which repeatedly leads to arguments? Identify one topic to discuss together rather than introducing many new rules at once.

If you decide to change something, agree on a small, realistic step and a time to review it. You may also discover that a difficulty cannot be addressed only in the evening. Organisational demands and personal worries may need conversations with different people.

Persistent sleep problems, marked daytime exhaustion or substantial strain on the family deserve individual professional discussion. General information can help organise the questions for that conversation. It does not replace an assessment or provide a reason to start sleeping medication or supplements.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

Families often talk about digital media only after an argument has begun. A shared agreement can create a calmer starting point. klicksafe recommends involving everyone and including adults in the rules. This does not remove parents’ responsibility for setting appropriate boundaries.

Start by distinguishing different uses: schoolwork, contact with friends, a game or entertainment enjoyed together. Ask what matters to your child about each one. You do not have to approve of every activity to be interested in the place it has in their day.

For a first agreement, choose one specific topic, such as interruptions during a shared meal. Describe what applies to each person and which exceptions need discussion beforehand. An agreement you can review is easier to talk about than a vague demand for less screen time.

Discuss how someone can ask for help when an online experience feels uncomfortable or confusing. One possible question is who your child would want to approach. This agreement need not wait until an upsetting incident has already happened and needs explaining.

Set a time to review what was clear, what was impractical and which new situation needs attention. The joint template from klicksafe and Internet-ABC can offer ideas. If conflicts persist or everyday life is substantially affected, individual advice is more useful than simply making the rules stricter.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English

When a student needs support in class or when returning to school, the questions often involve several people. Germany’s Education Ministers Conference emphasises cooperation between schools, caregivers and professionals. A shared conversation can connect different observations with one specific concern.

By individual agreement, Annika Gubisch can contact a school, visit it or participate in a round-table meeting. This may concern a student’s return to school or support with particular difficulties. Participation is planned personally and is not an automatic commitment.

Before contact, the participants, purpose and information that may be shared with the appropriate consent are clarified. Confidential material from therapy sessions does not automatically become information for school. The student should be involved in a way that is appropriate to their age.

Three questions can help prepare the meeting: what should become easier in everyday school life, who can contribute what, and how will the group recognise whether the agreement is useful? Make a note of unresolved questions to address during the discussion.

A clear outcome identifies the next step, the person responsible and a time to talk again. A round table does not replace individual therapy or decisions made by school. It creates a shared reference point so that support can be followed through within the agreed scope.

Editorial draft · Annika Gubisch’s clinical approval is pending · 12 October 2026

Sources and clinical review

Therapy in German and English