“Mental health problems in children and adolescents are common and distressing. Although the majority of children rate their wellbeing as good most of the time, a significant minority will suffer from some kind of mental health problem as they grow up. Prevention, early intervention and treatment are all important for improving children’s outcomes” Hagell, A and Maughan, B 2017 Essential Research Findings. SAGE
Many schools now offer counselling but the waiting lists can be long. A referral to CAMHS can also involve a wait to be seen even if your child meets their criteria.
I have worked with children and young people for over twenty years through some of the most difficult of times. When life events happen, children will try to make sense of what has happened from their own perspective. This can create anxieties and misconceptions which are not always obvious or easy to make sense of.
It can be difficult for a child to vocalise their feelings and so I work in a variety of ways to enable them to work through what is going on for them. With children and young people, depending upon their age and their wishes, I work with play, art and crafts, therapeutic stories and movement as well as talking therapy.
It is important that both you and your child feel comfortable with how we work together. In our initial session I will agree a contract with you and your child which will look at, amongst other things, the issue of confidentiality.
Some of the issues I work with:
- Building Resilience
- Improving Self-esteem
- Self-image
- Self-harm
- Exam stress
- Depression
- Worries and Anxiety
- Family separations
- Bereavement and loss
- Anger
- ADHD and ASC
- School Refusal
- Bullying
- Relationships
- Abuse