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Welcome
Thank you for visiting my website. Many different reasons might bring you to be thinking about accessing my services as a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic counsellor. I can help to support and understand your child, or adolescent if you, or they, feel a sense that they would like help with an area of their life. It might be that they are feeling anxious, depressed, or a sense of overwhelm. Sometimes it is about change, or bereavement, self-harm, or an eating disorder or illness. I work with all sorts of different areas and welcome you to get in touch for a free informal chat, or more information. In the meantime, I hope you find the following sections helpful.
ABOUT ME
I am a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic counsellor. I work with play and the arts and can provide both long term and short term in-person therapy.
I help children explore their feelings and experiences in a safe, supportive space. Using a psychoanalytic approach, I pay close attention to emotional patterns and underlying feelings that may not yet be easy for a child to put into words, helping them feel understood and supported over time.
Psychotherapeutic counselling focuses on building a deep, collaborative therapeutic relationship designed to support personal growth and relieve emotional distress. It is a supportive way of helping children grow and cope with difficult feelings through a trusting connection.
Within this relationship individuals are understood holistically, taking into account their personal circumstances and stages of development. In my work, I use play and the arts to create a ‘third space’ between myself and the child. This helps ease the intensity of direct focus and allows for deeper work through metaphor.
With older children and young people, I may also include more talking as part of the process. Because I work in a child-centred way, I adapt my approach to suit the individual needs of each child or young person.
Who I work with
I work with children and young people aged from 3 years old to 25 years old.
WORKING WITH PLAY AND THE ARTS
Using play and the arts in my therapy allows me to focus on the way a child might be communicating to me about their inner world. I use play, drawing, storytelling, and other creative media as symbolic forms of expression, allowing unconscious thoughts, feelings, and conflicts to emerge in a developmentally appropriate way.
I attend closely to the meaning within the child’s play and creative work, noticing recurring themes, emotional tones, and relational patterns. Rather than interpreting too quickly, I hold these observations in mind, offering reflections at a pace the child can tolerate. The therapeutic relationship itself becomes central, as feelings and expectations from the child’s wider relationships may be expressed through play and towards me, the therapist.
Through this process, play and the arts provide a containing space in which difficult emotions can be experienced, thought about, and gradually integrated. Over time, the child may develop a greater capacity to understand their internal experiences, regulate emotions, and engage more securely with others.
Qualifications
I trained in child and adolescent psychotherapeutic counselling at The University of Cambridge, following an introduction to counselling and psychotherapy at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation.
I also have a Master from Cambridge University in Transforming Practice where I researched twins in therapy. I have a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and a BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology.
I am delighted to be furthering my development by studying on the M7, which is an infant observation, psychoanalytic approach, back at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation.
Please click on the button in the section below for more information.
Infant Observation
If you would like to know more about infant observation or are considering taking part, please click the button below.
Contact Me
If you would like more information, or a free, informal chat, please get in touch via my email address. I look forward to hearing from you.
DBS Enhanced certificate
ICO Registered
Registered member of UPCA
Registered member of UKCP
Insured
What's included
There is a 50 minute, one-to-one session with the child each week, structured around their individual needs. As well as the one-to -one session I spend an hour thinking around each child where the work from the session can be understood on a deeper level. Working from a psychoanalytic perspective, I place importance on between-session reflection, where I think carefully about the child or young person's experiences, communications, and relational patterns. This ongoing process informs and strengthens the therapeutic work in sessions. As a UKCP registered psychotherapeutic counsellor I undertake regular clinical supervision for every case, working with the UKCP code of practice: ukcp-code-of-ethics-and-professional-practice-2019.pdf. I work holistically and can also provide parent meetings and meetings with teachers.
Fees
When we invest in counselling for children and young people, we are investing in their future. Supporting them at an early stage helps build emotional strength, confidence, and the skills needed to thrive both now and in later life.
Initial Conversation
For an informal 15 minute conversation to discuss your concerns and answer your questions.
FREE
Assessment Sessions
The work begins with up to 6 50-minute assessment sessions to discuss concerns and gain a comprehensive family history. Firstly with parents and then including your child or young person.
£80 per 50-minutes
Individual sessions
Once the assessment sessions are completed we move into individual sessions at the same time each week for 50-minutes.
£80 per 50-minutes