I have over 7 years experience of working with children and young people, as a school counsellor. Through my experience, I have learned that it can be really difficult for children and young people to sit and talk, as it can be for adults too, so as well as offering talking therapy, I also offer creative therapy sessions.
Working in a creative way can be great for children and young people to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences, in a way that feels safe and comfortable for them, as well as learning the skills they require to cope with the issues they are facing. Creative therapy is particularly helpful for children who struggle to articulate or give a voice to their experiencing. I offer a range of creative methods and you don’t need to have had any experience of doing the activities before or even be particularly creative.
The sessions can, amongst other things;
- Help to develop a better understanding of self
- Resolve complicated feelings
- Develop healthy coping skills and strategies
- Make sense of difficult experiences
- Improve relationships
- Increase confidence and self esteem
- Build resilience
Will I be present during my child’s session?
If your child is under 10 and feeling particularly nervous, it may be necessary for you to spend a short time, around 15 minutes in the room with us during the first session, just to help your child to feel at ease whilst we go through introductions. Since counselling should feel like a space where clients can talk freely, you wont be invited into the room for the following sessions.
Will I be informed about what is being talked about in sessions?
Counselling works at its best when a child / young person knows they are able to talk in confidence to their counsellor. I honour confidentiality, so I wont discuss what your child brings, however if I felt your child was at risk I would disclose this to you, after exploring it in session.
All clients are free to talk about the counselling sessions with whomever they choose, however I would strongly recommend that you don’t push your child to discuss what has been discussed as it may put them under pressure and hinder and impact upon their therapeutic progress.
Will the sessions still be creative online?
Yes, even though the sessions would take place online they can still be creative. Before the counselling starts, I would provide you with a list of affordable, basic resources that would be ideal for them to have with them during session.
When will I see a change in my child?
The aim of counselling is to offer a space where a child / young person can explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Other aims are improving self confidence, self esteem, building resilience, reducing anxiety, managing difficult feelings, improving relationships and emotional self regulation.
These changes can be subtle and may not be the changes you necessarily are expecting.
How can I support my child whilst they are having counselling?
After sessions, your child may be processing things we have discussed or what has come up for them during sessions. They also may be working on implementing change. It is important to allow them space and time to do this.
It’s also really important to remember that what you feel they should be talking about isn’t necessarily what they want to talk about. It’s important that they go at their own pace.
Working through issues can be challenging and can take time, try to be patient.
Working with adults, children and young people 