Counselling Young People, Children & Families

In counselling young people, children and families I have additional training linked to current Child Protection legislation and operate to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Code of Ethics with regard to child protection issues.

Young people can experience struggles at home, in school and with their peers. This can be extremely difficult when they are still learning to manage their feelings and emotions.

Children and teenagers face many challenges: worries about family and friendships, loneliness, bullying and bereavement, or doubts about their gender, sexuality or self. Without help to cope with their feelings and anxieties, young people can become withdrawn and secretive, angry and disruptive, or even violent towards themselves or others.

I specialise in counselling children and teenagers, to help them to express and cope with difficult feelings in a more positive way. By talking about their problems and worries, youngsters have the chance to understand why they feel the way they do. This can help them respond to challenges in more positive, more sociably acceptable ways – to help prevent more serious mental health and behavioral problems as they enter life as an adult.

Counselling is a supportive relationship built on trust. The role of the counsellor is to help a young person to understand the issues affecting them and to make informed, constructive choices. It can also help them to balance and measure their emotional responses.

Many young people open up more easily to someone who is outside of their immediate social circle, and will speak frankly about their feelings and concerns.