Working with children

Specialising in working with children from 11 to 18 years old requires flexibility in approach and variation within the therapy room.

Sessions will be individually tailored for the wide range of issues young people bring. In our changing environment these can range from peer relationship issues, parental break ups, eating problems, identity, exam pressure, self-harm, loss. A combination of difficulties when left untreated can develop into mental health issues in later life and counselling is one way to gently explore.

In the first session we will identify if these problems are ‘merely’ natural adolescent behavioural responses to environmental experiences, exploratory forms of expression or whether they warrant further attention.

Over 14 years’ experience in motivating and encouraging less willing participants.

Abiding by stringent ethical values, I use a gentle but firm approach where trust is an integral part of engagement.

Working at the pace of the child and respecting autonomy, the therapeutic relationship is built.

After exploring the needs of the young person, it is decided which therapeutic intervention would be most suited to individual need.

Working on anxieties and normalising fears, we collaborate to reach the desired outcome. This allows space for social interaction and connection to grow.

Working with children can involve any of the techniques or strategies mentioned in this website:

Working with young people needs to be innovative to allow for every stage of development and variation of working style.
Dependent upon age, it can involve play or expressive therapy, art and creative techniques, clay work, narrative writing. It may just involve ways to relax or a combination of any of the above.
Development and general wellbeing has been improved significantly with children with autistic tendances, aspergers syndrome as this therapy does not rely on academia and allows and encourages flexible thinking.