Qualifications & Experience in Therapy

MA Educational Psychotherapy, The Caspari Foundation, Accredited by Middlesex University
Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Canterbury Christ Church University
BSc (Hons) Psychology, Newcastle University

I am a fully qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist, registered by the UK Council for Psychotherapists (UKCP), working with children and young people in mainstream and specialist education, fostering agencies and private practice, offering individual and small-group therapeutic sessions. I have experience of working in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), which is the NHS service that assesses and treats children and young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.

My overarching modality is psychodynamic, but I also draw from a range of theoretical perspectives to inform my work including attachment theory, neurodevelopmental science and trauma-informed practices. My approach is relational, working towards an authentic and stable relationship with each individual and aiming for deeper understanding and change.

I am also a fully qualified teacher with over ten years’ experience working in primary and secondary education with a particular interest in special educational and emotional needs. This is particularly useful when communicating with schools regarding support children and young people may need within their educational setting.

As a member of the UKCP, I abide by their professional code of conduct and quality standards. In line with this, I engage in regular supervision with a registered and qualified supervisor. I actively engage in continuous professional development to enhance my practice and widen my skill set. This includes regular training and updates on safeguarding.

I have full professional indemnity insurance and an enhanced Disclosures and Barring Service (DBS) Police Certificate, which means that I have been checked and cleared for working with children and vulnerable people.

For more information about the UKCP
https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/about-ukcp/
Or to find out more about the work of Educational Psychotherapists
https://www.caspari.org.uk/

Who Can I help?

How I Work as a Child Therapist

I offer a safe space for children and young people to explore their inner worlds free of judgement or expectation. For a number of reasons including maturity, confidence or developmental barriers, youngsters are not always able to express their experiences or concerns verbally, so I offer a range of therapeutic activities involving play, creative expression, games, story-telling, sand play and somatic awareness to facilitate communication. I am skilled at working with those who have delayed communication skills, those for whom English is not their first language or those who choose not to speak at all. Through creative collaboration and a holistic approach, I encourage and support youngsters in their efforts to develop a greater understanding of themselves and what might be troubling them.

Those who prefer to use talk to communicate, are encouraged to freely express their feelings, opinions, attitudes, and experiences, safe in the knowledge they are being heard and validated. As their therapist I support them in learning to appreciate their strengths, talents and aspirations, and in identifying current obstacles to their development.

By building a strong therapeutic relationship, my focus is to help children and young people develop a more secure and resilient sense of self, and to tap into their innate strengths, empowering them to gain confidence to address current and future challenges. With this foundation they are then able to develop new ways of thinking, acting or relating for themselves, in order to fulfil their potential and thrive.

Transitions are often difficult times for youngsters to navigate, so I work alongside them to help them manage their emotions and any obstacles they encounter. This may be primary to secondary school transitions; school or house moves due to changes in circumstances, including family break up; moves into or between foster placements; or transitions from secondary education into colleges, universities or work.

Sessions generally take place at my therapeutic premises but can be arranged within schools or local facilities if there is an appropriate, confidential space which is consistently available and where sessions will not be interrupted. I will consider remote sessions via Zoom for older clients, preferably after several initial face-to-face sessions, particularly where this will support them during the transition from the family home.

My Approach

Who Can I Help?

Psychotherapy can benefit children and young people with a range of emotional and mental health challenges including:

Difficulties with relationships or social interaction
Difficulties accessing learning or school refusal
Aggression and angry outbursts
Lack of motivation, low mood and depression
Irrational fears or worries and panic attacks
Obsessive and compulsive behaviours
Neurodiversity, including ASD and ADHD
Sensory processing difficulties
Uncertainties around sexuality or gender
Poor body image and disordered eating
Anxiety
Risk-taking or self-harming behaviour and suicidal thoughts
Developmental problems and attachment difficulties
Complex developmental trauma
The lasting effects of bereavement, family breakdown, chronic illness, disability, trauma, neglect or abuse
Any other issue that may be impacting their ability to make the most of opportunities to grow, learn or form relationships with others.

What to Expect from Child Therapy: My Process and Approach

This first meeting with parents or carers is an opportunity for us to talk through your child’s presenting difficulties and what has led to therapy being considered. I can explain how I work therapeutically, and you can ask any questions you may have, whether this is about the process, how to communicate the idea of therapy to your child or how long working with a children's therapist may take.

This can sometimes feel daunting, especially when other avenues have already been explored. This initial consultation may sometimes take place over the phone.

Following on from the assessment phase, we may then agree a therapy plan. This might be just short term therapy, of a further 8-12 sessions to focus on a particular issue or, if it seems appropriate, we might work in a more open-ended way. This will depend on the individually assessed needs of your child.

It may be that, alongside your child’s therapy sessions, we agree to meet separately to discuss household routines and strategies that may scaffold your child’s progress. Where appropriate, consent will be sought from your child, particularly where they are deemed old enough and emotionally capable of making such a decision, as it is important that I work towards a trusting relationship with your child as their therapist.

The reasons for deciding on therapy can be many and varied and may be preceded by weeks, months or even years of trying to make sense of a situation that requires a new approach, or may follow on from behaviours which seem to have come out of nowhere and are uncharacteristic for your child.

Following the initial consultation, I meet with parents or carers, generally face-to-face, to explore the current concerns in more depth and ask about your child’s development, family history and family life. This is followed by 3-6 assessment sessions where I will meet with your child to get to know them better. They can explore the therapeutic space and get a feel for what therapy entails. I will explain how we can work together and encourage them to communicate how they would like to be helped.

Sessions take place once weekly and last for 50 minutes. With very young children, or those feeling particularly anxious, we may agree that you stay with your child for at least some of the initial sessions until they seem settled.

Where appropriate, I am also able to meet with school staff, social
workers and other professionals to help build a detailed picture and
provide a systemic approach to supporting your child.

How can child & youth therapy help?

Psychotherapy is usually considered when a child or young person is experiencing problems that are having a significant effect on their everyday life, their ability to learn or their relationships. It can help them make sense of sad, angry, painful or confusing thoughts and feelings. They may be experiencing a wide range of problems where there are underlying emotional issues, anxiety or depression, diagnoses of neurodevelopmental differences or mental health problems.

Children's therapy and counselling aims to bring about change and psychological awareness, working towards a resolution of emotional problems for the child or young person. The purpose is to facilitate change through self-understanding and self-acceptance to not only address the presenting difficulties, but also build a solid foundation with which to meet challenges throughout life.

Psychotherapy for childhood trauma can help lessen the impact of abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, loss, natural disasters, and serious accidents or life-threatening illnesses.

Depending on the needs and age of the child, psychotherapy can take a number of forms. Older children or young people may wish to use it purely as talk therapy, but individuals of all ages can also use creative activities, including art, games or play, to communicate their struggles. They are not expected to know or articulate what they are struggling with, in order for the therapist to help them.

Evidence that psychotherapy works:

‘There’s no single explanation for how psychotherapy works because each therapeutic relationship is unique and tailored to individual needs. But, at the heart of life-changing and life-saving psychotherapy is a strong therapeutic relationship.’ UKCP

https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/seeking-therapy/how-psychotherapy-works/