Counselling for Young People and Teens
Therapy offers a safe, confidential space for young people to explore their thoughts, feelings, identity, relationships, and experience of the world.
You may be aware of circumstances or issues related to your young person or you may not. For example, some young people may
- have experienced significant loss or trauma
- have experienced bullying and rejection
- be navigating big transitions or changes
- need support to explore their gender or sexual identity
It would be impossible to list all the areas of life which can feel overwhelming during adolescence and most young people will struggle with bouts of anxiety, low mood or relationship difficulties at some point.
Therapy can be a supportive space for those times when things get stuck. It can prevent patterns becoming engrained or habitual, offering an opportunity to deal with challenges and difficult experiences now rather than pushing them down until later in life.
How I Work with Young People
I offer a therapeutic way of being which is:
- compassionate and non-judgmental
- relational and grounded
- creative
- trauma-aware and nervous-system sensitive
- strengths-based and developmentally attuned
- LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity-affirming
Counselling sessions with young people are confidential with specific exceptions relating to safety and managing risk. These exceptions and procedures for sharing of information are discussed with the young person and relevant adults at the beginning.
I counselled young people in schools and community settings for 15 years and I've completed post-qualifying specialised training courses in counselling young people.
Getting Started
Reaching out about therapy for a young person can feel like a big step.
Often it comes after a period of noticing things feeling heavier, more confusing, or more intense than before without always knowing exactly how to name what’s going on.
I offer an initial conversation where we can think together about what the young person is experiencing and whether working with me feels like it could be good fit. There is some information here which you might also like to share with your young person. I usually meet with them also so they can ask their own questions and get a sense of how it might be if they decide to work with me.
Some further resources which you may find useful are: Parents Mental Health Support | Advice for Your Child | YoungMinds