Young people come to counselling for lots of different reasons. Sometimes it’s about something specific, and sometimes it’s just a sense that things don’t feel right. Coming to counselling might not be your idea. You might feel unsure about being here, not really know what to say, or worry about being judged or misunderstood. That’s okay.
Counselling offers a space where you don’t have to pretend everything is fine, and you don’t have to talk about anything before you’re ready. Some sessions involve talking; others might involve sitting quietly, thinking things through, or just getting used to the space.
Counselling here is at your pace, led by what feels important to you. You won’t be forced to talk, analysed, or told what to feel.
Counselling can be helpful if you are:
feeling anxious, worried, or overwhelmed
struggling with low mood or confidence
feeling angry, numb, or easily upset
having difficulties at school, college, or with friendships
dealing with changes, loss, or family difficulties
You don’t need to have a clear explanation or label for what’s going on. We can take time to understand it together.
How counselling supports young people.
Counselling offers a space that belongs to the young person. It’s somewhere they can speak openly, think things through, or simply have a break from holding everything together. Sessions are adapted to suit age, personality, and comfort level. Some young people talk easily; others take time to build trust. Both are completely okay. The aim isn’t to tell a young person what to do, but to help them:
understand their feelings
find ways to cope that feel manageable
feel more confident expressing themselves
feel less alone with what they’re experiencing
Progress often happens gradually, and that’s respected.
Working with parents and carers.
Parents and carers are often understandably concerned about how counselling works. Confidentiality is explained clearly from the start, including the few situations where safety means information has to be shared.
The focus is always on supporting the young person’s wellbeing, while working responsibly and ethically with adults involved in their care.
For a free, twenty minute phone consultation or email “chat” to find out how counselling, EMDR or hypnotherapy can help you, please call or text me on 07954338480 or email me at [email protected].
What to expect in your first counselling session. In your first session, I will do everything possible to help you feel at ease and welcome. Your first session will take the form of an Initial Assessment session. This might feel like an easier way to begin your sessions because it involves me asking you a number of questions, in order to gather information which will provide us with a framework for how to work effectively together.
Your subsequent sessions will provide you with the space to talk, to be fully heard and validated as well as offering you well being strategies, which can help reduce anxiety, low mood, worry and stress. You will be offered regular session reviews to make sure that you are happy with the progress that you are making and only coming for sessions when it is necessary for you to do so.
What to expect at the beginning of your EMDR sessions. Your first session will be an Initial EMDR Assessment. This will involve me asking you a number of questions so that I can make sure that EMDR would be an appropriate and suitable therapy for you. Your next two sessions will involve doing the preparation for your EMDR. This slightly slower pace at the start of your sessions often leads to quicker progress once you begin your EMDR.
What to expect in your first hypnotherapy session.
Again, I will do everything possible to put you at ease, help you feel welcome and answer any questions that you might have. There will also be a short Initial Assessment and some introductory hypnosis so that you can begin experiencing it straightaway. I check client progress each session and offer a free, fifteen minute recording after the second session. It is generally thought that six sessions of hypnotherapy are required for a "single issue". Smoking cessation follows a different format of two 1.5 hour sessions, spaced a week apart.