Psychological therapy for children and young people
Parenting and family life can present all sorts of challenges for families. From managing the stress of being a parent of young children, supporting them through the normal developmental tasks of early childhood, to navigating the life stages of adolescence and leaving home, there are numerous opportunities for stress and worry to arise. It is widely acknowledged that parenting is one of the toughest jobs and this is particularly true in the modern world where children live their lives under the harsh light of social media scrutiny whilst facing constant pressure and expectation from school and peers. These challenges can have a significant impact on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents, not to mention the stress levels and confidence of parents and carers. Our team is able to offer a range of approaches and interventions from counselling for emotional difficulties through to comprehensive clinical psychology assessment and intervention for a range of developmental and mental health issues. Clinical psychologists are trained to work with people across the lifespan. They receive a comprehensive training in models of child development, attachment and neurodevelopment. They are able to draw upon a range of models in order to offer comprehensive assessment and evidence-based psychological interventions for emotional, developmental and mental health difficulties presenting in childhood and adolescence. Counsellors and psychotherapists can provide short-term focussed therapy as well as longer-term counselling. Although most training is geared towards working with adults, some counsellors and psychotherapists have additional training and experience which enables them to be able to provide psychological support and therapy for children and young people. Bruce Holroyd, a Clinical Psychologist, works with children of all ages, including adolescents. He also works with their parents or carers and with their families where this would be helpful. Katie Hay is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist who is able to work with children aged 14 and over. Lucy Hale, a Clinical Psychologist, works with young people aged 16 and over. The types of difficulties we see include: •Bereavement and loss •Anxiety, worries, fears and phobias •Obsessive Compulsive Disorder •Low mood and depression •School and peer-related issues •Behavioural and emotional issues associated with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder •Challenging, oppositional and defiant behaviours •Deliberate self-harm •Eating Disorders