As well as working with adults, I also work with young people from the age of 11. Outside of my private practice I also have experience working in schools and organisations, both face to face and online, helping young people with a variety of issues.
It is easy to forget sometimes that children can also face a great deal of pressure and trauma that can impact them in a negative way. Working with children can not only help them to manage their issues and feelings but can offer them life-long tools that they can use at any point in their future.
When working with children, I feel the absolute most important thing is the therapeutic relationship. Children can often find it difficult to express their feelings to an adult, so it is imperative they feel comfortable and safe.
Counselling offers young people techniques that can help them to regulate their emotions such as breathing techniques, mindfulness and challenging negative thought patterns. I like to keep counselling as fun and engaging as possible to ensure the young person feels relaxed and happy to engage with the session.
If you think your child could benefit from a safe space to talk to someone externally, I always offer a free consultation to talk to parents alone, or parent and child together.