More to counselling than just talking

I am proud to offer counselling sessions for children and young people experiencing difficulties.

I am a qualified counsellor with specialist training in working with children and young people. I am registered with NCPS and follow the Ethical Standards for working with children and young people and hold a current Children's DBS with List Check, which is on the update service; this means I am checked against the barred list every week, and a full DBS check is undertaken every 9 months.  I have had my DBS in place since 2014, so you can feel reassured that safety is at the heart of my work.

In session, I use therapeutic approaches that help my clients feel at ease and enable them to open up about the difficulties they are experiencing.  This is a mixture of activities, games, talking therapy and learning coping skills that can be used throughout their lives to support a calmer, more manageable future.

For children under 13

When working with children under 13 years old, our first session will be with parents or caregivers. This helps me to get a full picture of your child's needs and agree on goals together. For this age group, parents and caregivers can either join us for the last five minutes of the session or opt for an email after each session. This is to ensure parents and caregivers have a summary of our discussion and any home activities your child may need support with at home.

For young people aged 13+

For older children and teenagers, I use the Fraser Guidelines to decide with your child how much is shared with parents and caregivers. Some young people will feel comfortable speaking about the session themselves, while others may prefer me to pass on certain information. 

I always agree with my client what information can be shared with others, so everyone feels respected.

Payment

Counselling is usually paid for by a parent or caregiver, sometimes by an agency. It is important to know that paying for sessions does not mean full access to what is said. Sessions are confidential, which helps children and young people feel free to open up. There are limits to confidentiality and I have a duty of care to ensure my clients' safety in terms of safeguarding and protecting them from criminal activity.