Paediatric Psychology for Siblings
We are the Paediatric Psychology Service (PPS).
We are a team of Clinical Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists and we help children and young people with health conditions and their families, with how they are feeling.
Contact us
Contact us
Paediatric Psychology Service
Tel: 01743 730138
Professional Lead and Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Camilla Johns
Officer Manager and Team Secretary
Cathy Challenor
shropcom.ppsadmin@nhs.net
Who are we?
We are the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Paediatric Psychology Service and we are a team of Paediatric Clinical Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists.
A Paediatric Clinical Psychologist is someone who sees children and young people who have health conditions and helps them with how they are feeling. We also work with their families as we know that having a poorly family member can be really difficult, in all sorts of different ways.
Can we help?
If you have a sibling/s with a health condition who can access our service, then we might be able to do some work with you too. If we see you, we might talk about how you feel about having a poorly sibling and what might help you if you are struggling.
Watch this video that explains who we are and what we do!
Your feelings and emotions
If you have a sibling with a health condition you might have lots of different feelings about them and their illness. It is natural to have a mixture of feelings and for these to change. Whatever you are feeling is ok.
Guilty 😔
You might feel guilty about doing things your sibling can’t, or not wanting to play with them all the time. It isn’t your fault your sibling is poorly. It is okay to do things on your own if you want.
Happy 😀
Feeling happy is good.
It is okay and important to do things you enjoy and that make you happy, even when things are hard.
Angry 😡
It is okay to feel angry and it can help to tell someone how you are feeling. Sometimes we might need time to calm down before talking about how we feel and trying to sort things out.
Sad 😭
You might feel sad that your sibling is poorly and can’t do everything other children can do. It is okay to cry if you feel sad. It can help express how you are feeling inside.
Worried 😟
Everyone has worries. These are natural feelings.
It can be helpful to talk about them to someone you trust, or draw or write them down in a worry diary.
Jealous 😒
You might feel jealous if your sibling gets all the attention and you feel ignored.
Everyone feels jealous sometimes, but telling your grown ups how you feel can really help.
Embarrassed 😳
You might feel embarrassed if people look and stare when you are with your sibling. It is okay to feel like this.
Everyone gets embarrassed for different reasons.
Proud 🤗
You might feel proud of how you and your family have coped and everything your sibling has done.
It is good to think of things you are proud of and what is going well.
However you feel is ok, but it is important to ask for help if you need it. How you feel is really important too.
Asking for help
Having a sibling can be really fun, but sometimes having a sibling with a health condition can be really hard. Some days you might feel really sad or worried, although it is ok to feel this way, it is really important to let someone know, so you don't have to go through it alone.
Here are some ideas of things you can do to help make yourself feel better:
- Talk to someone you trust - this could be a family member, friend, teacher, or support service
- Do something you enjoy, such as reading, drawing, exercise, watching tv, etc
- Spend some time with your friends and have fun
If you have lots of worries about your sibling's health, remember you can always come and talk to us.
Patient Information
A Sibling's Guide to When Your Brother or Sister is Poorly
A Children's Guide to Paediatric Psychology
A Young Person's Guide to Paediatric Psychology
- Other support services
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Sibs Information and advice for siblings with a poorly brother or sister
Childline Information and advice on a range of mental health and wellbeing issues, and the opportunity to talk to a counsellor online for free
Young minds Information and advice to understand more about how you are feeling and find ways to feel better
Mind Information and advice on mental health and wellbeing for young people
Kooth A free and annonymous online mental health and wellbeing platform for young people
The Mix A support service for young people under 25. They can help you with however you are feeling and any challenge you might be facing and offer free online counselling
Shout Tips and resources are here to support you when you are feeling anxious, low, stressed or overwhelmed
Anna Freud Strategies to help yourself to manage you mental health and wellbeing