Counselling
Counselling for young people isn't just about talking about what's going on in their lives now but also about getting into healthy habits to support their mental health in the future.
Talking about it
Knowing that it's ok to talk about your feelings and actually talking about your feelings are two very separate things. Teenage years can be really hard with peer pressure to look, dress and act in certain ways. Hormones make the situation even more difficult and it's a time when many children and parents stop seeing eye to eye.
It's ok to be you
I provide counselling for young people over the age of 16 specialising in issues around self esteem, anxiety and trauma. I can support your teenager to understand and express their feelings and work on ways to manage their anxiety and stress. I can provide a space for your teen to understand more about themselves, who they are, what they like and what they want for their future.
Counselling
Frequently asked questions...
01
What are sessions like?
Sessions last for 50 minutes and are held in person in a comfortable therapy space in Chippenham. I normally start sessions with what I call a 'check in'. This is an opportunity to take a moment to notice and name your feelings. Followed by time to talk, play or do activities to help with exploring what issues are being experienced. If for instance your child wants to work on anxiety, we may practice techniques to calm the nervous system such as breathing exercises or calming self touch. Or if they have low self esteem and self worth we may look at how the beliefs they have about themselves impact their actions and how this makes them feel.
As we come closer to the end, we have time to reflect on the time we've spent and what was learnt before coming to an end.
02
Can I attend the sessions with my child?
I understand that your child coming to counselling can be nerve wracking for both you and them, so I aim to make the process as comfortable as I can for everyone. In our first session I will invite you to attend with your child. We will get to know each other and run through our agreement together. I will then ask them if they are happy for you to wait in the waiting room for the rest of the session so we can start getting to know each other and so they can tell me a bit more about what they want to get from the counselling.
After this if they are happy to, they will attend the sessions on their own. At the end of the session I will bring them back to you either in the waiting room or back to your car.
03
Will you let me know what my child shares with you?
I believe that for counselling to work, that trust is essential, so it's really important that your child knows that what they share with me in our sessions, I'm not going to share with anyone else.
However, I understand that as a parent that can feel really scary, so I want to reassure you, that I will regularly review with your child about how they feel the sessions are going and feed back to you the information that they are happy for me to share.
I will always share information if I am concerned about your child's safety or wellbeing.
I'm happy to speak with you if you have any worries and will share with you anything that I feel may additionally support your child at home or at school.
04
How much do sessions cost?
Sessions are charged at £55 for 45-50 minutes. I recommend weekly sessions and suggest starting with 6 sessions with a review of how things are going at 4. If your child feels ready to end, we will work together to prepare for a good ending. If not, we can continue sessions with regular reviews.
Payment is due 48 hours prior to each session by online payment.
Get in Touch
If you'd like to find out more or to book an initial free chat with me, get in touch!