Kindness. Compassion. Validation. Genuine Care.
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Kindness. Compassion. Validation. Genuine Care. *
Treatment - it’s what we do
Helping people and using our expertise is what we are about. We are specialised in working with children, young people and families. With years of experience and ongoing professional development mindsets, we jointly curate treatment plans that are based on best practice, evidence-based medicine and always with the child/young person in mind.
We also provide psychological treatments for young adults up to age 25 and are partnered with Greenwood Mentors for adults aged 25 and over
Clinical Psychology and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
Getting help is a hard and courageous thing to do
We understand this and provide a safe and confidential space, and time. We listen to you and work hard to understand you non-judgmentally. Together we make sense of the difficulties you experience and we think about how to move forward.
How does it work?
We generally recommend that you start with a block of three initial sessions where you will meet your psychologist or psychotherapist with and without your parents/carers (depending on your age). These three session will allow you time to tell your story when you are ready. You will also decide whether this is the right time, approach and right therapist for you.
What’s the difference between a Clinical Psychologist and a Child & Adolescent Therapist?
There can be a lot of overlap between these two professions and, certainly, both ultimately want to help alleviate psychological and emotional distress. Clinical Psychologists are trained in a variety of evidenced-based psychological interventions across a range of mental health presentations. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists are trained to be particularly observant of a person’s play or language, such that the therapist tries to understand the underlying feelings, emotional states or worrying behaviours.
Please see below to find out more about Clinical Psychology and Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy.
Help! I want my child to go to therapy but they won’t, what can I do?
We know this very well both professionally and personally, and it is really distressing. Unlike in adult services, where adults seek help for themselves, when working with children and young people often parents/carers are looking for help for their children which the children may be resistant to.
It’s okay - we’ve got you. In the first instance we strongly recommend you book a parent consultation to think about the options you have and the different approaches we can take (and there are a number).
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
Growing up has many challenges and often children and young people face additional factors in their lives that cause distress, anxiety and confusion.
Through building a trusting relationship, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists provide a safe, confidential space for children and young people to express themselves through talking, playing and other creative methods. They attune to the individual’s communications and help them to explore and make more sense of their feelings, thoughts and how they experience the world, so that they can better cope and find fulfilment as they develop.
The psychotherapists in our practice have had rigorous clinical training and are members of the BACP, BPC or ACP. They work collaboratively with parents, educators, and other health professionals to ensure a supportive environment for the child or young person.
Sessions are held at the same time each week to provide consistency and reliability. While therapy can be time-limited if agreed upon, it is generally open-ended and taken at the child/young person’s own pace.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychologists are specialists in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems and psychological distress. We are trained to understand children and young people’s emotional, social and cognitive development and to make sense of mental distress faced by both the child and their families. Following assessment of a clinical presentation, we help people gain a greater understanding of themselves, their difficulties and their experiences - often referred to as a ‘psychological formulation’. Together, we can then choose from several different talking therapies and approaches to alleviate suffering and move you to a preferred future.
All our Clinical Psychologist are fully registered with the Health Care Professional Council as a Registered Clinical Psychologist, have Professional Indemnity Insurance, receive at least monthly Clinical Supervision and engage in ongoing Continued Professional Development.
Some of the Conditions we can help with:
Eating Problems
Family Problems and Relationships
Low Self-Esteem and Confidence
Trauma and Traumatic Experiences
School Anxiety and Avoidance
Self-Harm and Suicidality
Urges and Unhelpful Behaviours, such as Addictions
Impulsiveness and Inattention
Adjusting to Physical Health Challenges
Feeling low in mood, depressed or generally sad
Feeling worried or fearful
Panic and Panic Attacks
Phobias
Friendships and Relationship Issues
Anger and Aggression
Coming to terms with one’s identity and identity issues
Gender and Sexuality
Some of the Approaches that we use:
Behavioural Therapy
Exposure Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Family Therapy
Trauma-Focussed CBT
Exposure Therapy for PTSD
Non-Violent Resistance
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
Mindfulness
Solution-Focussed Therapy
Cognitive Therapy
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Following a comprehensive diagnostic examination, together with the patient and their family, the psychiatrist will arrive at a diagnostic formulation and agree a treatment plan. As part of the treatment plan, the Psychiatrist may suggest medication, ongoing Psychiatric review (with or without medication) and/or follow-up Telephone Consultation/s.
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Psychiatric medication may be prescribed to help with a variety of conditions including, amongst others, low mood and anxiety, symptoms of ADHD, agitation or psychosis.
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Psychiatric Reviews may be required to monitor medical treatments, signs of progress or relapse more generally, or to provide ongoing overview to a suggested treatment plan.
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Telephone Consultations may be used when there is no need for longer appointments, such as a quick check in or medical question.
Post-Diagnostic Support
Receiving a Diagnosis is a Life Changing Event
We deeply respect how receiving a diagnosis can impact an individual and their loved ones, and how different individuals and their loved respond differently. We listen to you and we will work hard to understand you non-judgmentally.
Whether you have been assessed with us or elsewhere, we can support you to understand your diagnosis and the implications that it may have.
Where to start?
We start with you, the person you are and the person you want to be. If you are a parent of a child who has been diagnosed, we think about what it means to you as a parent and the impact the diagnosis has on your child and family as a whole.
How can we help:
We can directly help the child/young person, we can guide and support parents or we can provide indirect support to schools and education services. Some of the services we can offer include:
Psychoeducation
Sign-posting for Specialist Teachers and Services
Speech & Language Intervention
Understanding Autism
School Liaison and Psychoeducation
Social Skills
Sign-posting to young people and parent groups