Children & Adolescents

I offer both long- and shorter-term psychotherapy for children, adolescents and young people from 8 years old.

Using my psychodynamic and ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Therapy) models I can help them make sense of their thoughts, feelings and experiences and assist their parents and carers in understanding these needs and struggles, enabling them to be supportive.

 At our initial contact, the parents or carers will be given a contract outlining the practical arrangements and at the same time, I will provide the child/adolescent with a separate contract outlining both the practical arrangements and the confidentiality boundaries.

 If necessary, and where appropriate, I will also work with other professionals in order to assess and plan interventions and sometimes I might refer a child/adolescent to another therapist or service if I think that this will be beneficial for them.

How long the therapy lasts will depend on the needs of each child. This will be discussed with the parents or carer after the initial consultation and with the child after a number of assessment sessions (from one to three).

Children (8-12)

The wide range of difficulties which children may experience can impact on their development, their schoolwork as well as their personal relationships, within the family, with their friends or their peers. These difficulties may range from anxiety, behavioural concerns like bullying or being bullied, oppositional and uncontrolled behaviour, withdrawal and isolation, insecurity, sadness, anger, depression, grief, issues of sense of self, issues of sexuality and gender identity, self-harm including cutting, eating difficulties/disorders and learning difficulties.

Adolescents (13-17)

During the onset of puberty and then adolescence, young people’s bodies and brains go through enormous changes bringing about major physical, hormonal, emotional and neurological changes and the brain itself undergoes a reconfiguration.

Often parents and adolescents report that their relationships with each other go through a period of change and sometimes adolescents may feel overwhelmed or unsettled by these changes and their emotions. They will find that talking to a qualified adult, who is not involved in their daily life, can benefit their mental health and will help them to understand their emotions. Adolescents are under so much pressure, from academic and social success to negotiating risky situations and first sexual encounters that sometimes they do need some extra support.

 Working with adolescents, and sometimes with their families, I am able to help them make sense of these changes they are experiencing and so provide alternative ways of thinking, feeling or behaving. In particular, I focus on areas such as bullying, peer group problems, parental conflict, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, the effects of divorce and parental alienation, academic pressure, exam anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, risk-taking and sexual and gender issues.