Engaging specialist support to help your child get through a difficult time is one of the most valuable investments you’ll ever make
Their future happiness and success is priceless
Engaging specialist support to help your child get through a difficult time is one of the most valuable investments you’ll ever make
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Boost Your Child’s Happiness:
Instant actionable tips for nurturing childrens’ mental health when they are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed
Counselling and Coaching for children and teens
What’s happening in your child’s life at the moment?
Has your child experienced a heartbreaking bereavement, the breakup of their parents’ relationship, distressing abuse, or some other kind of trauma?
Or perhaps they are struggling with anxiety that is interfering with their life, or they are being bullied, or they are having angry outbursts that they can’t seem to control?
Or are you worried that your child has low self-esteem or seems to be sad and depressed?
Perhaps they are having difficulty sleeping, their appetite is concerning you, or they can’t seem to make or keep friends.
Maybe their school work is suffering, or they are refusing to go to school at all.
The latest UK government figures show that 1 in 8 children and young people have a diagnosable mental health condition (that’s 3 in an average sized classroom!) and an even higher number are experiencing emotional difficulties which are going undiagnosed.
The fact that services that can help are underfunded and oversubscribed, adds to the problem and means you as a parent are often left to cope with these very worrying issues affecting your children on your own.
How I can help
If you live within an hour or so of Ashbourne in Derbyshire I can work with your child face to face at Sunshine Barn.
I work with children and young people from the age of 8-18 who are struggling with any issue that is causing them to feel stressed, unhappy or anxious. After completing a course of therapy with me, they will typically experience improvements in their:
- Self confidence
- Self esteem
- Communication skills and 'emotional intelligence'
- Overall emotional wellbeing
- Self-awareness
- Ability to handle difficult feelings
- Emotional resilience
- Anxiety level
You may also see improvements in the following areas, if these had been problematic at the start of their therapy:
- School attendance
- Educational achievement
- Sleep patterns
- Appetite
If you are not able to bring your child to see me in person, you may be interested in one of the online courses we have available over on Brighter Futures for Kids
When you click the link above, you can also access my weekly blog where I share tips and advice for parents on issues connected to children’s mental health and wellbeing
"When we can talk about our feelings they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary."
MY UNIQUE APPROACH TO WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE INCORPORATES THESE KEY ELEMENTS:
Low Stress Environment in the Countryside
Children and young people are always seen in the non-clinical, cosy and safe surroundings of Sunshine Barn which has been designed to be welcoming and homely, making it easier for them to relax and engage with therapy.
Located on a farm in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, Sunshine Barn is a single storey, converted farm building offering a cosy therapy room for assessments and therapy sessions and a comfortable waiting room so parents/carers can stay while their child is being seen.
The therapy room opens on to a private garden and adjoining paddock offering children and young people easy access to nature and our family of friendly farm animals.
The non-clinical environment appeals greatly to children and young people and helps them to engage with their therapy. Its comfortable furnishings help them feel relaxed and valued. The environment also enables me to incorporate Ecotherapy into my approach, which is known to improve emotional wellbeing.
Evidence-Based and Innovative Solutions
I have been working with children and young people for over 25 years, both in the NHS and private practice. In addition to offering counselling and coaching, I also incorporate innovative new approaches such as animal assisted therapy, EFT, and Ecotherapy into the tailor made packages of support I offer.
The value of counselling and play therapy for children and young people is more widely appreciated now as we understand more fully how difficulties which are not addressed during childhood/adolescence can not only mar a child’s experience of life at the time, but can also lead to serious difficulties in adulthood (research shows that 50% of mental health problems in adults started at the age of 14).
Coaching can also be a wonderful aid to children and young people as they negotiate their way through life, and can offer support and guidance to reinforce that offered by parents. It is not therapy; it tends to be a more dynamic, fun and activity-based process. It encourages and motivates children and young people, as well as helping to build confidence, resilience and emotional intelligence.
In my individual work with children and young people, I use an approach that combines child-centred, creative counselling and coaching. My younger clients are encouraged to express themselves through gentle, non-threatening activity such as imaginative play.
I use a wide range of ‘props’ to assist exploration and expression of feelings through creative, sensory activities – buttons, dolls, puppets, games, books, musical instruments and so on. I also use music, relaxation techniques and creative visualisation to help children and young people express themselves.
Sessions can take place inside or outside, and with or without my therapy dog present, depending upon my young clients’ wishes.
Tailor Made Programmes of Support
My work with children and young people integrates child-centred counselling and coaching into bespoke programmes of support ensuring that, no matter what issues they may be struggling with, I can tailor the content of their programme to provide exactly what they need.
The programmes – which are usually either 3 months or 6 months long – also incorporate innovative approaches including animal assisted therapy, ecotherapy and EFT as appropriate, so children and young people who work with me can access traditional and cutting edge therapies to ensure the most transformative results.
The benefits of working with me for a minimum of 3 months are:
- It enables your child to experience deeper and longer lasting transformation
- It avoids short term or ad hoc child/therapist engagements, which do not serve your child’s needs longer term
- It encourages a greater level of commitment from you, which in turn enable your child to achieve better results
- It enables me to build a strong relationship with you as parents too, and gives you unlimited email access to me so you will always have me to support you through any challenges you may have
All children and young people have an assessment – The Clarity Consultation – at the beginning of their programme and then either work through a bespoke Seedlings or Saplings programme, according to their age.
“Around a third of parents still worry that they will look like a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem. Parenting is hard enough without letting prejudices stop us from asking for the help we need for ourselves and our children."
Find out more about the Clarity Consultation and my specialist programmes for children and young people below:
The Clarity Consultation
How the assessment works
The Seedlings Programme
For children aged 8-12
The Saplings Programme
For teenagers aged 13-18
Success Stories
Names and identifying details have been withheld to protect my client’s confidentiality.
THE NEXT STEP
Are you ready to find out more about working with me? If you are interested in a high touch, specialist programme then let's have a chat . . .
Potential programme clients are always offered a free 30 minute telephone consultation with me, which can be booked by clicking the button below. It’s called a Clarity Call, and it is a chance for you to tell me more about yourself – or your child – and your situation, and it enables me to get a sense of you, or your child, what your needs are and how I can serve you best. If we feel like a good fit, I can explain more about the programmes I offer and you can ask me any questions you may have.