Child & Adolescent Therapy

Stress is a normal part of life and can be helpful in providing motivation. However, it can become overwhelming if it exceeds an individual’s capacity to cope and can manifest itself in ways like poor sleep and becoming more irritable.

Anxiety is linked to our natural “fight or flight” response, which helps protect us when we’re under threat. Sometimes this response kicks in even when there isn’t a clear danger, often fuelled by worries about what might happen. This can lead to racing thoughts and physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat or muscle tension.

Together, we’ll explore what's driving these feelings and develop healthier ways of coping.

I take a neuro-affirming approach that recognises autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity as natural differences, rather than deficits or things to be “fixed”. With the right environmental adaptations and psychological support, individuals can thrive in school, work and personal lives.

In our sessions, I focus on the strengths of the individual, support understanding and self-acceptance to lead to better mental health and confidence.

Feelings of ‘not good enough’ and placing little value on yourself are familiar to most people, but when they continue to persist over months, years and even decades, these feelings and thoughts can be debilitating.

Invariably linked to early experiences, they can manifest in ways like people-pleasing, perfectionism and comparing oneself to others in unhealthy ways. In our sessions, we will explore these patterns and find ways to break free.

Self-harm is the intentional act of hurting or harming oneself as a physical coping mechanism. It can be linked to low self-esteem and can manifest itself in ways like cutting and scratching as well as risky behaviours like disordered eating or substance abuse.

Suicidal ideation involve thoughts or fantasies about ending one’s own life and can exist on a spectrum from passing thoughts to detailed active planning.

Both are responses to deeply personal experiences such as trauma, loss or isolation. In therapy, we will unpack the underlying reasons in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space.

Separation and divorce are hugely significant and unsettling life events for children and young people. Even when it is the right decision for a family, it can bring many changes and adjustments, from new routines and living arrangements to feelings of uncertainty, sadness, anger, or anxiety.

For some children and young people, separation can affect their sense of stability, belonging, and identity as they adjust to a new family dynamic and begin to make sense of what life will look like moving forward. I can help them explore and express their feelings, understand the impact of these changes, and develop ways to cope with the challenges they may be facing in a safe and supportive space.

One of the main reasons people seek therapy. At all times in our lives, it can be very hard to form friendships and long term relationships, leading to feelings of isolation. Sometimes, we can also find ourselves repeating patterns in relationships that don’t feel healthy or supportive.

For adolescents, friendships are a vital part of growing up and moving away from the family, but this process can be wrought with anxiety for both the young person and family members. In therapy, we will navigate these transitions together, bringing about a better understanding of the patterns we repeat, helping to break out of these patterns and form new, healthy relationships.

For some, school and college can be amazing experiences, but for many others, they can feel overwhelming and a source of ongoing stress and loneliness. Building friendships and finding your place away from the family can be exciting, but it can also bring anxiety and self-doubt.

Academic pressures, particularly around exams, alongside major transitions such as moving from primary to secondary school, can leave young people feeling overwhelmed. Experiences such as bullying, including cyberbullying, can have a profound impact on confidence, self-esteem and sense of identity, often leading to questions like, "Why me?" or "Will this ever stop?"

Therapy offers a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space to explore these experiences, make sense of the feelings beneath them, and develop healthier ways of coping.

Losing someone close to you is invariably a painful experience. While a natural part of life, the grief from losing someone who is a key part of our lives, can be overwhelming and unpredictable. The more we have loved someone, be it a close relative, partner, family member, friend or pet, the more it hurts. Others may say it’s time to move on after some (usually too short) unspecified time, but grief doesn’t work like that.

Finding your own way of grieving will help lessen, but not erase, the pain over time. In our time together, we will find and validate how to grieve and, when ready, explore how to continue living with this loss.