Child and Young person Counselling (6-17)
I provide counselling for children and young people tailored to their developmental needs, taking into account their age, learning needs, personality and preferences.
Service
My counselling is informed by over 20 years experience of children and young people combined with a passion for supporting and working with young people. Children need a counsellor who is informed and sensitive to their developmental needs and understands the pressures and issues that can come up for young people. Growing up and particularly adolescence can be a difficult time where emotions can be felt more intensely, struggles can be felt around identity, and relationships with peers and family change and are put under strain. Children can from time to time need additional support, someone who they can trust who will sit alongside them and offer a chance to explore their emotions and gain understanding and skills. The beauty of working with young people is that the skills they learn can then continue to help them protect their mental health and support them throughout their life.
How I work
I use a range of skills working with children, sometimes they might need help to identify emotions and learn to express them, sometimes they might need support to overcome trauma. I use more creative play therapy based methods with younger children, and a mix of talking therapy and creative approaches depending on the needs of older children. I am trained specifically to work with children with ADHD and/or autism and a range of other neurodivergent issues which is important so therapy will be accessible for this group.
It is important that the young person wants to come to counselling and understands what counselling is and what will happen. In our first session I will check this and explain that counselling is a place where they can express their emotions without judgement, a place to understand what their emotions are telling them and help them learn to manage their emotions in a healthy way.
