Children & Adolescents
Children & Adolescents
Children and teenagers can be unsure about talking to a stranger. My job is to engage them, earn their trust and encourage them to open up. I want to hear about their interests, learn about their lives and explore what is uniquely important to them.
Bumps, bruises and scrapes are a part of growing up. So are struggles, anxieties and mood swings. Challenges arise for all of us from the day we are born and play an important role in developing our problem-solving skills and our resilience.
Sometimes though these challenges can be overwhelming for a child and can trigger a range of distressing emotions and unhelpful behaviours. A fresh way of looking at themselves, these issues and the world around them can help them move towards becoming the person they actually want to be.
“When my son was going through severe OCD, it totally took over our lives and it was so hard to function as a family. Our weekly session with Zoe was our ‘beacon in a storm’. She shared the load with us and the weekly visits to her became the most important part of our week. Whilst under her care my son went from strength to strength and is now living a happy life without OCD.”
I often work with an approach which is based on the some of the principles of CBT but which presents these in a way which has been specifically developed for young children and teenagers. It is positive, relatable to their lives and allows them to take responsibility for, and ownership of, change even at a young age. You can find more information on the DNA-V page.
Sessions can involve parents or carers, either in part of the entire session. I do encourage children to work towards spending some time with just the two of us but to then share what they feel comfortable with the parent or carer at the end of the session.
How Can Therapy Help You?
Please call or email for an informal chat on how therapy might benefit you.