The principles of my counselling approach with children and young people are based on my psychodynamic training and meditation practice.
I have worked as a playworker, teacher and therapist over the past 25 years and am skilled and experienced at forming trusting and caring relationships with young people with a wide range of needs. I understand that every child has unique needs.
I provide a safe place for clients to express their thoughts and explore their feelings openly. I build a trusting and containing relationship with the child, and change takes place as we reflect together on our relationship and others in their life. I use a number of techniques which help children and young people communicate with me including dialogue, imaginative play, small-world play, music and other artistic self-expression.
Psychodynamic therapy is non-directive and child-led. Rather than have any agenda, I allow the client to talk about or express whatever they want, within the parameter that I am inviting them to let me know about their thoughts and feelings. The aim of psychodynamic counselling is for change to take place for clients through the experience of the relationship with the therapist. Clients transfer feelings and difficulties from their internal world into our relationship, enabling us to learn about how this process is affecting the way they experience the world. Using the psychodynamic tools of projection, transference and countertransference, I help clients make links between what they are doing in their sessions with me and the way they are experiencing their lives. By doing this I help them become more aware of their inner world which leads to positive changes in their mood, behaviour and attitudes.
I offer the opportunity to learn and use Mindfulness meditation, which helps clients accept and manage how they are feeling in a realistic way. I was trained in .be Mindfulness Meditation by Richard Burnett. Mindfulness involves turning our attention to the experience of being in the moment. Being here, now. It helps one to see things as they are and feel happier, noticing what is good in life and feeling empowered to improving what is bad. Clients have told me that learning meditation has helped them to become more peaceful, focused and kind. Mindfulness is particularly effective in supporting young people suffering stress, pressure or anxiety.
If you would like to start to explore the possibility of counselling for your child please get in touch. I also provide consultations for parents and school staff if you would like to talk through a situation with me.